PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Frierson, RL
AU  - Schwartz-Watts, DM
AU  - Morgan, DW
AU  - Malone, TD
TI  - Capital versus noncapital murderers
DP  - 1998 Sep 01
TA  - Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Online
PG  - 403--410
VI  - 26
IP  - 3
4099  - http://jaapl.org/content/26/3/403.short
4100  - http://jaapl.org/content/26/3/403.full
SO  - J Am Acad Psychiatry Law1998 Sep 01; 26
AB  - This study compares three groups of murderers: those who have received a death sentence (n = 18), those who were eligible to receive a death sentence but did not have it sought against them (n = 18), and those who were not eligible for the death penalty (n = 18). A retrospective record review of these 54 pretrial detainees in South Carolina who underwent court-ordered competency and criminal responsibility evaluations was completed comparing the following variables: age, race, marital status, educational level, prior legal history, relationship to the victim, race of the victim, existence of a codefendant, prior psychiatric history, psychiatric diagnoses, substance abuse history, use of substances at the time of the crime, Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) or WAIS-Revised Full Scale IQ, and evidence of organic impairment. Statistically significant findings included race of the murderer, race of the victim, relationship to the victim, and existence of a codefendant. Death row inmates were more likely to be Caucasian and much more likely to have murdered a Caucasian than a non-Caucasian victim. Death row inmates were less likely to know their victims and more likely to have a codefendant. Psychiatric and organic findings did not differ among the groups, but the rate of organic findings and substance abuse was high in all three groups.