Narcissism and Violence: Criminological Understanding in a Homicide Case of Complete Decapitation

I12 Narcissism and Violence: Criminological Understanding in a Homicide Case of Complete Decapitation Ignazio Grattagliano, PsyD*, University of Bari, Via Mauro Amoruso 68, Bari 70124, ITALY; Gabriele Rocca, Via De Toni 12, Genoa, ITALY; Alessandro Bonsignore, MD, PhD, University of Genova, Dept of Legal & Forensic Medicine, Via de Toni 12, Genova, Liguria 16132, ITALY; and Alfredo Verde, PhD, Via De Toni 12, Genoa, ITALY After attending this presentation, attendees will be able to recognize some of the characteristics of the relationship between narcissism and violence as well as the role of self-conscious emotions, including problems of self-esteem, in the etiology of a homicide case involving complete decapitation. This presentation will impact the forensic science community by demonstrating: (1) how narcissistic behaviors have an important influence on forensic psychiatric evaluation results; and, (2) the need for reliable and more careful attention to both the subject’s history as well as investigation and evaluation results. According to the literature, narcissists tend to become violent when they are confronted with a threat to the self. Nevertheless, the role that provocation plays regarding the personality of the aggressor has not been studied very much from a clinical criminological perspective. In order to better assess the importance of understanding the findings of forensic psychiatric evaluations in such circumstances, this study provides a case of intrafamilial homicide in which a nephew shot his uncle with a firearm due to an apparent territorial dispute, after which he completely decapitated the victim and disposed of the head.1 The information acquired during psychiatric investigation revealed a man who was deeply troubled by family conflicts that began in childhood; his relationship with his parents was characterized by deep ambivalence, as well as a lack of stable and well-defined object relations. These elements conditioned the development of thought processes and behavior, which are characterized by intense feelings of inadequacy toward one’s fellow man. The offender coped with these emotions by avoiding social relationships and having the tendency to be highly controlling of the world around him. The subject also exhibited a deeply fragile identity that was brought about by the ambiguity he experienced during his childhood. It was for this reason that he felt empty and “out of place” and sought out idealized figures who would provide him with an apparent sense of stability that would allow him to construct an acceptable ego. Among these figures, one uncle stood out who was a role model for the subject from when he was very young. Later, the uncle became very strict in addition to being an obstacle to the offender’s ability to develop a healthy self-esteem. This uncle also threatened to expropriate a piece of land that was allegedly owned by the nephew. This homicide presents an important paradox: the gap between the obvious horror and high level of destructiveness of the act committed and the apparent banality of the motives and the reason he killed in such a manner. In fact, expert testimony has demonstrated that violent acts directed toward the uncle were neither premeditated nor the result of psychotic elements. On the criminological level, understanding the motive can be found in both the combination of the killer’s personality (depression and narcissism) and the triggers for his violent behavior (the grudge he held against the victim, who was guilty of closing the door on their relationship). This was a source of great humiliation and embarrassment for the perpetrator as he believed this abandonment to be both unjust and unfounded. The ensuing suffering he endured triggered a desire for revenge related to the offenses he endured (the uncle’s unacceptable behavior) and for the latest narcissistic wound that was inflicted. In other words, the key to reading the crime lies in comprehending how the perpetrator’s personality not only developed but was also grafted onto the victim’s.2,3 This homicide has its origins in the distorted relationship between the two subjects, one of whom was convinced to have incurred irreparable damage. The other is merely the projection of the perpetrator’s true enemy, who, in reality, does not exist and is imaginary in nature. In cases such as this one, unlike in serial murders, there is a scapegoat onto which the accumulated anger and aggression may be directed. The victim becomes the unsuspecting symbolic intermediary and symbolic message of the murderer. One wonders about the nature of the relationship between the perpetrator and the victim. What could have motivated such violence in which the nephew (the offender) first shoots a pistol at his uncle and subsequently decapitates him using a machete? Following psychiatric evaluation, the perpetrator was found to have a narcissistic personality. Reference(s): 1. Campobasso C.P., Laviola D., Grattagliano I., Strada L., Dell’Erba A.S. (2015),Undetected patricide: Inaccuracy of cause of death determination without an autopsy. Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine. 34,67-72. 2. Solarino B., Leonardi S., Grattagliano I., et al. An unusual death of a masochist: Accident or suicide? Forensic Sci Int. 2011; 204:e16-9. 3. Grattagliano I., Greco R., Di Vella G., Corbi G.M., Campobasso C.P., Romanelli M.C., Ostuni A., Petruzzelli N., Brunetti V., Cassibba R., (2015). Parricide, abuse and emotional processes: A review starting from some paradigmatic cases. La Clinica Terapeutica. 166, e47-55.