Narcissism, Rage, and Murder

July 11, 2019: In the penalty phase after Scott Nelson was convicted of the murder of Jennifer Fulford, prosecutors argued Nelson was a “narcissist” who wanted an opportunity to “rail against the world,” so he murdered Fulford with a plan to get caught.

July 17, 2019: During the testimony in the trial of Nakisha Bramble, who was convicted in the death of her two children, defense expert and retired sociology professor Janja Lalich placed the blame for the murders on the leader of Bramble’s religious group, describing him as a “traumatizing narcissist.”

July 1, 2019: Defending their murdered friend Mackenzie Lueck from the victim-blaming they have seen on social media since her tragic death, three friends describe the accused, Ayoola A. Ajayi, as a “ psychopath “ and a “narcissist.”

Narcissism Revisited

The term “narcissist” has become quite the buzzword lately, and not in a good way. In fact, it’s been used to describe everything from a person enamored with selfies to a sleazy politician to a man whose wife has left him for another man. It’s even more common the legal arena, where the term “narcissist” is synonymous with a scumbag (and guilty) defendant.

But, in reality, it has a lot of different meanings. Most of us think of a narcissist as someone who is self-centered…