FOLLOWING AN OVERVIEW OF THE CRISIS SITUATION THE CRIME OF MURDER HAS CAUSED IN AMERICAN SOCIETY, HISTORICAL AND SOCIAL ASPECTS OF MURDER ARE EXAMINED, WITH ATTENTION TO MURDER WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF FAMILY CONFLICT, THE HISTORY OF GANGLAND AND FRONTIER VIOLENCE, AND MURDER AS A CRIME OF PASSION. THE ROLE OF JUVENILES, WOMEN, AND HOMOSEXUALS AS VICTIMS OR PERPETRATORS OF INDISCRIMINATE, PREMEDITATED, CRIME-RELATED, OR MASS MURDER IS EXAMINED, AS ARE ORGANIZED CRIME SLAYINGS, APPARENTLY SENSELESS MURDERS, AND MURDER IN THE GHETTO. FINALLY, POLITICAL HOMICIDE, THE PROBLEMS POSED BY APPARENTLY INSANE MURDERERS, THE ROLE OF GUNS IN HOMICIDE, AND THE MURDER PATTERNS OF THE INSTITUTIONALLY DERANGED, ESCAPED CRIMINALS, AND SUPPOSEDLY REHABILITATED OFFENDERS ARE DISCUSSED, ALONG WITH THE BREAKDOWN OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AND FEDERAL EFFORTS TO REMEDY THE SYSTEM'S INABILITY TO STEM THE INCREASE IN HOMICIDE ACROSS THE NATION. A SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY AND AN INDEX ARE INCLUDED. (KBL)