Previous history of abuse is by far the most dominant risk factor. In one study, 82 percent of the men who killed their intimate partners were known to the authorities — treatment professionals, the military or the criminal justice system, for example [8].

In most cases, the man exhibits possessive, obsessive and jealous behavior. There is a gradual build-up of tensions and conflicts after which an event leads the man to act. The triggering event is often the woman’s announcement that she is leaving.

The time immediately after a woman leaves an abusive partner is the most dangerous [9].

Read an article from the NIJ Journal about a tool to help assess a woman’s risk of being a victim of murder suicide (pdf, 6 pages).