Husbands attacking wives — could it be related to the weather?

No scientific study indicates the effect of cold weather on crime, but there's evidence that temperature can affect someone's behavior, a University of Iowa professor says.

The question arises after two Eastern Iowa men, within the last week, are accused of either killing or seriously injuring their wives.

On Jan. 11, James Blum, 70, of Washington, Iowa, is accused of smothering his wife, Patricia, 67, by pinning her face down on a sofa. He faces a second-degree murder charge.

On Jan. 18, Kenny Becker Sr., 61, of Hawkeye, is accused of shooting his wife, Gloria Becker, 54, in her arm and back with a shotgun. He faces an attempted murder charge.

David Watson, a UI psychology professor, said bad weather can make it difficult to get outdoors and be physically active. That can make a person feel bad about themselves and change their behavior.

“It's how you deal with the cold,” Watson said. “Cold weather can de-energize people. Temperature is tricky. There is a lot of literature regarding light and sunshine and how it affects people.”

Some people suffer from “seasonal affective disorder,” a form of depression that appears in the winter months when it's gloomy and the hours of sunshine are limited, he said.

Robert Baller, a UI associate professor of sociology, said one study seems to show a weather-crime link over 31 years of spousal homicides in Chicago. During those years, 144 spouses were killed in December, 139 in January, 120 in February, 148 in July and 131 in August.

The peak month for all homicides was August - with 2,259 followed by July with 2,224, according to the study.

Baller said property and violent crime rates peak between July and August and are lowest in January and February. The studies suggest heat-induced stress plays some role in violent crimes in the summer.

“Those are the very general patterns,” he said. “Unfortunately, we see a fair number of homicides in families in the winter for the same reasons - namely, they have more access to one another and they are stressed in December because of the holidays. As a result, the summer-winter difference is smaller for crimes among intimates.”