Uxoricide (from Latin uxor meaning "wife") is murder of one's wife. It can refer to the act itself or the man who carries it out. Overkill is reported to be common in these slayings, presumably reflecting the emotional state of the killer.
In many patriarchal cultures uxoricide is regarded less harshly than other forms of homicide, especially in cases of adultery. It may even be regarded as the correct, honourable thing to do. (See honor killing)
Uxoricide in fiction
- In Metalocalypse, William Murderface's father killed his own wife before killing himself.
- Before the events of Devil May Cry 3, the antagonist Arkham murdered his wife to gain demonic powers, having been influenced by Sparda sacrificing a woman to seal away a demonic tower.
- In the "evil" and "neutral" endings of The Suffering video games, Torque murders his wife.
- In the video game God of War, the protagonist Kratos is fooled into murdering his own wife (and daughter), by his master Ares. Throughout the game's storyline, Kratos swears to exact revenge upon his former master and kill the God of War, which he eventually does.
- In the film The Punisher John Travolta's character kills his wife because he wrongly believes she has been cheating on him (she had been framed), with his brother (who is actually a homosexual)
- In Silent Hill 2, James Sunderland murders his wife Mary after he had become emotionally damaged by her illness and at times verbally abusive mood swings.
Known or suspected uxoricides
18th century illustration of Matthias Brinsden murdering his wife.
- Ptolemy XI of Egypt had his wife and stepmother, Berenice III, murdered nineteen days after their wedding in 80 BC. Afterwards, Ptolemy was lynched by the citizens of Alexandria, with whom Berenice was very popular.
- Roman Emperor Tiberius probably had his second wife, Julia, starved to death in 14 AD, while she was in exile on Pandataria. Their marriage was unhappy, and he had been publicly embarrassed by her adultery years earlier. Her alleged paramour, Sempronius Gracchus, was executed around the same time on Tiberius’s orders.
- Roman Emperor Nero ordered the death of his first wife, Octavia, soon after divorcing her in 62 AD. He also reportedly kicked his second wife, Poppaea Sabina, to death in 65 AD after an argument.
- On 10 October, 2006, Hans Reiser was arrested and subsequently charged with the murder of his wife, Nina Reiser.
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