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Abstract
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In some cases of murder-suicide, a person kills another in order to spare the person from suffering and then dies by suicide. Some murder-suicides involve an elderly spouse killing the partner who is suffering in some manner, and then dying by suicide. The spouse wants to end their partner's suffering and does not want to continue living without the partner. 5
Garner (2009) presented a case of an 87-year-old man who shot and killed his 85-year-old wife who had Parkinson's disease, and then killed himself (and, in addition, his autistic grandson). Garner noted two other similar cases in the previous month in his region. Garner found several mental health workers who did not view these acts as merciful. Rather, they viewed these acts of one person exerting power over the spouse. On the other hand, taking care of a spouse with a serious disease is stressful, and the caregiver also has to cope with his or her deteriorating health. Often the caregiver has no help from family members or friends. This can result in depression.
In this essay, I will argue that the presence of mercy is only speculative and not necessarily present. It is critically important to note that it is rare for the seriously ill person to leave a note. I have no such suicide notes in my collections of suicide notes. If a suicide note is written, it is typically written by the murderer. Therefore, we do not know the role of the victim in the decision to be killed.
Language: en |