"Although single-victim parricide by both adult and juvenile offenders has been studied, relatively little is known about the slaying of both mothers and fathers. One of the first systematic studies using a national database took place only 10 years ago (Fegadel & Heide, 2015), examining the characteristics of the offender, the victims, and the incidents themselves. In the period between 1991 and 2010, 45 incidents were identified, 35 of which were committed by offenders acting alone."
"The overwhelming majority of offenders were male and White. Among adult offenders in this study and subsequent ones, the average age was 30 (Bojanic, Flynn et al, 2020). The crimes usually occurred in the parents' house, and weapons were often blunt, pointed, or sharp objects, or firearms (Divella, Grattagliano et al., 2017). These facts are descriptive only and do not help us to understand this tragic event. It is the disturbing nature of the underlying drivers of such events that shakes and baffles us."
Parricide denotes a child killing a parent and represents only about 2% of homicides; murders of both parents comprise roughly 4–8% of parricides. A national review of incidents from 1991–2010 identified 45 cases, 35 committed by single offenders. Most offenders are male and White, with adult offenders averaging age 30. Parricides typically occur in the parents' home and involve blunt, pointed, or sharp objects or firearms. The majority of adult perpetrators suffer mental illness, and many cases involve drug or alcohol abuse. Motivations and precursors vary, with differences between adolescent and adult offenders.
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