Economy not full cause of baffling 'familicide' cases

By Wendy Koch, USA TODAY

The dismal economy has been blamed for a lot — even for recent cases of financially stressed fathers killing themselves and their families.

The truth may not be that simple.

Financial problems can be a factor in what researchers call "familicide," but the scholars suggest the crime is rare.

"The economic downturn is not triggering a rash of this," says Louis Schlesinger, professor of forensic psychology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Hundreds of thousands have been laid off recently, he notes, and more have lost money in the stock market, without killing their families.

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