Fatal Attraction

An 18-year-old was arrested on Thursday, January 9, on charges of
first-degree murder for allegedly poisoning a friend with cyanide as they
were playing video games in Baltimore, Maryland. Prosecutors are accusing
the teenager, Ryan Furlough, of killing Benjamin Vassiliev because he was
in love with Vassiliev's girlfriend. According to court documents,
Furlough had been thinking of murdering Vassiliev since October 2002,
with intense jealousy as his suspected motive.

Fortunately, jealousy does not usually lead to homicide, although
it does frequently manifest in less violent manners. "It is a common
human quality; we see it in some form every day," says Bob Lefton, Ph.D.,
CEO of Psychological Associates and an expert on jealousy. "It is just
that, in some people, it builds up and gets out of control."

Jealousy stems from resentment and anger, explains Lefton. People
can grow resentful of others' accomplishments, or suspicious of
imbalanced relationships. Also, losing status, friends or affection can
spark a similarly negative reaction. It is an expression of untamed
anger.

"Jealousy is a natural human emotion," says Lefton, one that most
can successfully manage. But if it becomes overwhelming, recognizing an
ensuing loss of control becomes increasingly difficult. "There is no
gauge that says, 'Hey, I'm over the line on this.' It is a very
subjective evaluation," says Lefton.

So what could have stopped Furlough from poisoning his friend?
Lefton surmises that the young man did not have anyone willing to hear
his frustrations. A concerned and caring listener might have diffused
Furlough's anger, or at least prevented it from escalating to murder. "If
he had sought help, perhaps he could have had a more constructive way of
expressing the resentment and anger felt towards his rival."

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