I don’t know if there are any journalistic guidelines for using the term “mercy killing” or if reporters just make it up as they go along.
A story out today marks one of the more outlandish uses of the term that I’ve seen in the press. Writing on Newsok.com, the website of the Oklahoman, Nola N. Clay reports on the apparent plea bargain and sentencing of Thomas Wayne Garrett, who attempted to shoot his wife to death last December. The title of the news story is “Midwest city man gets 20 years in failed mercy kill”:
A Midwest City man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for shooting his longtime ailing wife in a failed attempt at a mercy killing.
Thomas Wayne Garrett, 60, pleaded guilty Thursday to assault and firearm possession during a felony.
He admitted shooting his wife, Cynthia Garrett, on Dec. 9 after picking her up from the hospital. He told police she had been very ill and suffers from several chronic diseases. The two have been married more than 30 years.
“He said that he wanted to kill her and put her out of her misery,” police reported.
He also told police they had been evicted from their house but he had not told his wife because he had not wanted to burden her while she was in the hospital, police reported.
He shot her while pretending to drive her to their home.
So let’s get this straight – While he told the police his wife was ill and suffering, it also turns out that they’d been evicted from their house and that he hadn’t told her. He also didn’t ask her if she wanted to be killed – this was his decision.
So – what are the rules and rationale for using the term “mercy killing?”
If the perpetrator gives that as his or her motivation, is that both necessary and sufficient?
Is there any way to call it plain old “murder” if the perp claims mercy and the victim is old, ill or disabled?
How do reporters figure these things out?
With reporting like this, imagine if Garrett’s murder attempt had been successful. Without the testimony of his wife – who didn’t want to be killed – his claim of “mercy” just might have gotten him a lighter sentence than the attempt to kill her did.
BTW, this case is fairly typical of elderly men killing female partners according to the research done by Donna Cohen, which is quoted and described in this blog entry. –Stephen Drake