History’s 9 Most Notorious Crimes of Passion
History is plagued by all types of crime, but
crimes of passion, in particular, have caused a great deal of heartache
and have left so many people asking "why?" Crimes of passion typically
involve assault or murder and are fueled by rage, heartbreak, and
revenge. Out of all the tragic crimes of passion that have happened,
these nine are the most notorious.
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Murder of Phil Hartman
On
May 28, 1998, comedian Phil Hartman was shot and killed by his wife,
Brynn, who committed suicide hours after the murder. The shocking
murder-suicide that left the couple’s two children orphaned stunned
family and friends. The Hartmans had been married for 10 years, but
Brynn was deeply troubled and the marriage was suffering because of her
drug use. On the night of the murder, Brynn returned home intoxicated
and got into a heated argument with Phil. He threatened to leave her if
she started using drugs again. While Hartman was sleeping, Brynn shot
him three times with a handgun. After the shooting, Brynn drove to a
friend’s house and confessed to her crime, but he did not believe her.
When they returned to Brynn’s home, her friend called the police and she
went into the bedroom, where she committed suicide. -
Dismemberment of John Wayne Bobbitt
One
of the most bizarre and unforgettable crimes of passion occurred on
June 23, 1993, when Lorena Bobbitt attacked her husband and cut off
approximately 2.5 cm of his penis after he allegedly raped her.
According to her court testimony, Lorena left the house and threw his
severed penis along the side of the highway. She realized the
seriousness of the incident and called 911. Surgeons were able to
reattach Bobbitt’s penis. and the jury found Lorena not guilty due to
her husband’s sexual abuse — and her insanity that spurred this wild
crime of passion. -
Attempted murder of Mary Jo Buttafuoco
The
infamous love triangle between Joey Buttafuoco, his wife Mary Jo, and
his mistress Amy Fisher became one of the biggest news stories of the
’90s. Joey Buttafuoco, a New York auto body shop owner, was having an
affair with 17-year-old Amy Fisher, who subsequently shot his wife, Mary
Jo, in the face. On May 19, 1992, Fisher, then nicknamed the "Long
Island Lolita," had an accomplice take her to Joey’s house to confront
the wife. Mary Jo answered the door and Amy told her that Joey was
having an affair with her 16-year-old sister. When Mary Jo brushed her
off and told her to leave, Amy came inside and shot her in the head.
Mary Jo survived the shooting and suffered a loss of hearing in one ear
and partial paralysis on one side of her face. Fisher’s jealousy turned
deadly and she served seven years in prison for first-degree attempted
murder. Joey served six months in jail for statutory rape. -
Steve McNair murder
The
brutal murder of Steve McNair was a crime of passion that shocked the
sports world and beyond. On July 4, 2009, McNair was shot and killed by
his 20-year-old girlfriend Sahel Kazemi, who immediately turned the gun
on herself. Detectives said Kazemi was struggling to make ends meet and
had recently been arrested for driving under the influence. She also
made comments to co-workers about ending her life. Kazemi discovered
that McNair was in another extramarital relationship and she decided to
take his life in revenge. -
Arturo Gatti Murder
On
July 11, 2009, Canadian boxer Arturo Gatti was found dead in a
Brazilian hotel while on vacation with his wife, Amanda, and their
infant son. Amanda spent 10 hours in the hotel before realizing that her
husband was dead, and her blood-stained purse strap led authorities to
believe she murdered him. His widow vehemently denied the allegations
and claimed Arturo committed suicide. Brazilian police let her go and
ruled his death as suicide, but the Canadian government required further
investigation. In 2011, private investigators reported Arturo’s death
as a homicide, but no arrests have been made. -
Lisa Nowak
In
2007, astronaut Lisa Nowak was arrested and charged with attempted
kidnapping, burglary, and battery of Colleen Shipman, a woman who was
involved with Nowak’s love interest. In a rage of jealousy, Nowak drove
from Houston to Orlando to follow Shipman from the airport and talk to
her about her relationship with Navy Cmdr. William Oefelein, pilot of
the 2006 Discovery flight. The crazed Nowak packed a wig, trench coat,
pepper spray, a BB gun, knife, and garbage bags on her trip to see
Shipman. A disguised Nowak followed Shipman to her car and sprayed her
with a chemical. She was caught and arrested by police and was later
charged with attempted first degree murder. -
Marvin Gaye murder
Famous
singer-songwriter Marvin Gaye was killed by his father during a heated
argument at his parents’ LA home. Marvin Jr. and his father, Marvin Sr.,
had a long history of conflicts that were worsened by the singer’s
personal problems. Tension continued to grow between the two men, and
Marvin Jr. began collecting guns to protect himself. On April 1, 1984,
the two men got into a heated argument that quickly turned physical. The
fight was broken up by Gaye’s mother, but Marvin Sr. returned with the
.38 pistol that his son gave him and shot his son in the chest and fired
again. Marvin Sr. killed his son in the heat of the moment and he was
sentenced to five years of probation. -
Murder of Alfred T. Elliot
Crimes
of passion became more common during the Great Depression, and the
murder of Alfred T. Elliot became one of the most notable cases. Bibeau
murdered Elliot because he was having an affair with Elliot’s wife and
he wanted him out of the picture. What further spurred this crime of
passion was the fact that Elliot was handling some of Bibeau’s finances,
which could have turned detrimental if Eliott found out about their
secret romance. -
9. Murder of Philip Barton Key
U.S.
Congressman and Union general Daniel Sickles committed a crime of
passion when he killed his wife’s lover, district attorney Philip Barton
Key, son of Francis Scott Key, in 1859. Sickles shot and killed Key in
Lafayette Park, which is across the street from the White House, because
he was having an affair with his wife. Sickles is also famous for being
the first person to use "temporary insanity" as a legal defense.
Sickles’ defense told the jury that he was driven insane by his wife’s
infidelities and he was later acquitted of his crime of passion.
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