| When most people hear of an elderly person involved in a homicide, they are likely to assume he or she is the victim rather than the perpetrator. However, with the rapid increase in the age of the American population due to the baby-boomer generation, elder-committed homicide is becoming a very real scenario. The purpose of the current research was to examine disparities in the verdict and sentencing of elderly homicide perpetrators. The first study explored how the age and mental status of the homicide perpetrator impact sentencing decisions. This study found that elderly perpetrators do receive less punitive sentences than younger perpetrators. The second study sought to determine whether implicit attitudes were the cause of the leniency effect, utilizing the implicit associations test. There was no support for this hypothesis. Limitations and future directions are discussed. |
