To Kill Mary Maloney Analysis

Mary Maloney curiously waits for her husband to come home from work. With an eerie state of calmness, she prepares two empty glasses, a bottle of whiskey and soda water. Mrs. Maloney sits still in her pristine living room, lifelessly and emotionlessly waiting to hear her husband’s car pull up in their driveway at precisely 4:50 pm. The organization and attention to detail evident in all of Mary Maloney’s actions are uncanny, yet she continuously appears innocent to those around her. Slight nuances in her body language and facial expressions expose the artificiality of this persona. Only those with an attention to detail would notice that Mrs. Maloney’s eyes “[...]seemed larger, darker than before[...]”; they have a different look, a “new placid

Maloney. Despite her convincing but faux love and appreciation for him, the murder was not a spur of the moment decision--it was logically organized. Typically, behavioral specialists will be able to determine what type of offender they are dealing with based on key aspects of the assailant’s life--which tend to reflect the process of the murder. Mrs. Maloney can be seen as an organized murderer, based on her keen attention to detail even prior to the offense. Peter Vronsky describes an organized murderer in Serial Killers: The Method and Madness of Monsters, “[She] thinks through [her] crimes, often for weeks, months, and even years, before acting. [...] [she] is aware of [her] growing compulsion to act out [her] murderous desire. [...] [She] approaches [her] victims by socializing with them, charming them, or tricking them into a situation where [she] can overpower them. [...] [She] is intelligent, often educated, cunning, and controlled. [...] The organized killer is a perfectionist, constantly improving [her] technique with each murder” (Vronsky

She asked, “‘Would you like me to get you some cheese? [...]’ ‘No,’ he said. ‘If you’re too tired to eat out,’ she went on, ‘its still not too late. There’s plenty of meat and stuff in the freezer, and you can have it right here and not even move out of the chair.’ Her eyes waited on him for an answer [...]” (Dahl 2). Despite his obvious disinterest in a meal, she asked about cheese and crackers one more time. A frustrated Mr. Maloney expressed his objectivity, but that didn’t stop his wife, who “[...] moved uneasily in her chair, the large eyes still watching his face. ‘But you must eat! I’ll fix it anyway, and then you can have it or not, as you like.’ [...]” (Dahl 2). After Mr. Maloney expressed his disinterest once more, Mrs. Maloney knew it was the perfect time to act on her murderous thoughts; he had multiple drinks and was in an unsuspecting and vulnerable state. She headed to the basement to grab dinner--a leg of lamb--despite Mr. Maloney’s obvious frustration and disinterest. If acting on impulse, Mary would have hesitated or weakened the force used to hit him on the head, but through the act of the murder, Mrs. Maloney remains “controlled” and