Spouses and Murder: Dissecting our Assumptions and Preconceived Notions

When somebody is murdered, we’re often quick to point fingers at the spouse before an investigation is even partly underway. Why is this? What about the relationship between a husband and wife leads us to believe that a lover can become a murderer?

If you’re accused of murdering your spouse, a murder defense attorney in Tampa can help you prove your innocence against any reasonable doubt. Assumptions and preconceived notions don’t make you guilty, facts and evidence do, so trust a legal representative from the Rickman Law Firm to strengthen your defense against any allegations challenging your innocence.

How Often Do Lovers’ Quarrels Turn Deadly?

Do husbands, wives, and intimate partners truly commit murderous acts against each other? According to a report by the Huffington Post, 34 percent of women murdered in the United States are killed by male partners. Conversely, only 2.5 percent of men murdered in the United States are killed by female partners. On average, women are more likely than men to become victims of domestic violence. Women were the victim in 85 percent of domestic violence cases in 2010. According to the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRCDV) women threatened with murder during domestic disputes and violent episodes have been found to be 15 times more likely to be murdered than other women.

The Media Influences Our Perception of Innocent People

It’s easy to feel like a detective with a trained eye for spotting the guilty after watching a couple hours of true crime television, but determining whether or not someone is innocent isn’t that simple. In the last decade, television has found a winning formula in true crime docuseries that focus on life after a loved one is murdered. Even when family members and spouses aren’t being investigated by the reporters directly, television tends to portray them as “sketchy” to create more drama and bolster discussion in online forums. Therefore, when someone is murdered, people are conditioned to point fingers at the spouse from the beginning.

Today, roughly 75 percent of murders are committed by someone the victim knows, and nearly 30 percent of these murders are committed by family members. When you consider the intense emotional dynamics of family life, especially in households facing financial challenges, it’s easy to invent stories to help explain acts of senseless violence. Society actually feels safer when they can put a face on a murderer and understand their motivations. When we lose our ability to justify the unexplainable, we are overcome with fear, uncertainty, and doubt.

Clearly, intimate bonds can lead to strained relationships and crimes of passion, but these statistics aren’t judge, jury, and executioner.

For a free consultation with an experienced murder defense lawyer in Tampa, please contact The Rickman Law Firm today.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for general educational information only. This information does not constitute legal advice, is not intended to constitute legal advice, nor should it be relied upon as legal advice for your specific factual pattern or situation.

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