I have presented a psychodynamic construct that is useful in the assessment of violent and homicidal behavior. It further refines diagnostic and treatment endeavors when combined with other individual and situational correlates of homicide and violence. Object relations, reality testing, and mode of aggression are the three variables within the construct that can be empirically measured through the use of the clinical interview, psychodiagnostic testing, and corroborative history. They should contribute to our further psychoanalytic understanding of violent and homicidal behavior in primitive mental states.