RT Article
T1 Murdered Elder Indigenous Women and Legal Outcomes
JF Journal of interpersonal violence
VO 40
IS 11/12
SP 2700
OP 2730
A1 Burgess, Ann Wolbert 1936-
A2 Petreca, Victor
A2 Brucato, Gary
A2 Hoblock, Courtney
A2 Mars, Mak
A2 Lamade, Raina V.
A2 Dowdell, Elizabeth B.
LA English
YR 2025
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1925443957
AB This qualitative descriptive analysis examines 33 cases of missing and murdered Indigenous women aged 50 years and older. The cases encompassed single murders, multiple murders, and mass stabbing events. The study found that the offender was known and/or identified in the majority of cases, with a significant portion resulting in guilty pleas or jury convictions. However, a notable portion of cases remained unsolved or ended with the offender’s suicide. Alcohol and/or illicit substance abuse was prevalent; known substance abuse history was identified in victim and/or offender for nearly 70% of cases. Most murders occurred off tribal land and were perpetrated by men, typically younger than their victims, with some form of relationship to them. Themes for the resolved cases varied, including familial violence, sexual violence, and financial gain. The findings underscore the need for intervention strategies such as addressing substance abuse in adolescence, intervening early in relationship conflicts, training law enforcement in elder sexual homicide investigations, and providing clinical care for mental illness in cases involving family and partners. Additionally, the study highlights the necessity for a national database to track homicides involving elder Indigenous women, facilitating more effective prevention and response efforts.
K1 alcohol and drugs
K1 financial gain
K1 Sexual homicide
K1 Domestic Violence
K1 Elder Abuse
K1 familial violence
DO 10.1177/08862605241280084