Female Death Row Inmate in the Case of a Double Dismemberment Murder

Homicides with corpse dismemberment are rare, but they usually receive significant attention. Covering up or attempting to kill a person with dismemberment does not carry a heavier penalty under criminal law, but it is extremely shocking to the public. This type of social pressure can also affect the work of the police and law enforcement agencies. This statement is generally valid, regardless of age. The presented extremely serious murder case that happened in Hungary during the Kádár regime is also unique from the point of view of history, criminology, forensic science, and criminal law. The perpetrator was an extremely manipulative woman with a difficult life situation, who actively participated in the killing and dismemberment of two family members and then helped the investigation and the death penalty imposed on her with her own confession. Finally, she was able to apply for a pardon, which in the case of women on death row during this period was judged favourably under certain conditions. What were the chances of a mother of several children who was sentenced to death when there was a precedent that a death sentence was carried out “only” for the crime of attempted murder? How would the first murder have been revealed if the second had not happened? I will present the criminal case of Mihályné Karsai, who first murdered one of her sons with the help of her husband, and several years later she murdered her husband together with her another son. The case is presented using two types of sources, one of which are the case documents that can still be accessed, as well as the forensic studies related to the crime that has been repeatedly cited.