Murder in Large Urban Counties, 1988

"Murder in Large Urban Counties, 1988" 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
BUREAU OF JUSTICE STATISTICS 
ADVANCE FOR RELEASE AT 5 P.M. EDT                       
WEDNESDAY MAY 12, 1993
202-307-0784
 
     In a study of prosecuted murder cases, 
about 80 percent of murder victims knew their 
killers and 16 percent were related to their 
killers, the Bureau of Justice Statistics
(BJS) announced today.  BJS, a Department 
of Justice agency, said more than half of 
the victims had a romantic or social
relationship with their murderers.

     The data are based on an analysis of 
the homicide cases in which there was an 
arrest and prosecution in the nation's
75 most populous counties during 1988, BJS said.

     Almost half of the victims died in fights 
with the offender arising from property disputes, 
domestic arguments, insults or feuds.  An 
estimated 11 percent were involved with
the killer in illegal drug activities and 
12 percent were collaborating in other 
criminal activities with their killer.

     More than 30 percent of the female 
victims were killed by a husband compared 
to 10 percent of the male victims.  Ten
percent of the female victims were killed 
by other women.

     "These data are from an analysis of 
almost 10,000 homicide cases involving 
more than 8,000 victims," said Acting
BJS Director Lawrence A. Greenfeld.  
"About 75 percent of the victims were male, 
just over 50 percent were black and almost
half were between 15 and 29 years old."

     "About half were killed with handguns--
55 percent of the blacks and 45 percent of 
the whites," Greenfeld said, "as well as 
54 percent of the males and 36 percent 
of the females."

     BJS estimated that 95 percent of the 
defendants convicted of murder were 
sentenced to incarceration--74 percent to a
prison term, 18 percent to a life sentence, 
2 percent to capital punishment and 2 
percent to probation.  Approximately
4 percent of the cases were either still 
pending at the end of the study or their 
sentences were not available.

     Men charged with murder were more 
likely than women to be convicted, and 
when convicted, men received harsher sentences
than women.  No significant differences 
existed between white and black murder 
defendants in the likelihood of conviction or
the  severity of sentence.

     Ninety-four percent of the black murder 
victims were killed by other blacks, and 
76 percent of the white victims were killed 
by whites.

     Female murder victims were about twice 
as likely as were male victims to have been 
killed by a family member (31 percent of 
the female victims vs. 12 percent of the male
victims).

     The relationships of the murder 
victims to their killers in the 75 most 
populous counties during 1988 according to the
gender of the victims were as follows:
  
                              Murder Victims
                              Male      Female
 
Family member  . . . . . . .   12%        31%
Casual acquaintance  . . . .   30         21
Friend . . . . . . . . . . .   13          8
Romantic partner . . . . . .    7         18
Stranger . . . . . . . . . .   21         16
Drug user or buyer   . . . .   14          4
Partner in a non-drug crime     5          3
Other  . . . . . . . . . . .    3          4
Relationship unknown . . . .    5          2
 
(Percentages may add to more than 100 percent 
because of multiple responses.)  

The murder weapon or method according to the sex
of the victims was as follows:
 
                              Murder Victims
                              Male      Female
Handgun . . . . . . . . . . .  54%        36%
Shotgun . . . . . . . . . . .   5          4
Rifle . . . . . . . . . . . .   4          4
Knife . . . . . . . . . . . .  21         19
Blunt instrument  . . . . . .   5          7
Fist, feet, etc.  . . . . . .   3          9
Strangulation . . . . . . . .   1          8
Car or truck  . . . . . . . .   2          3
Fire  . . . . . . . . . . . .   1          3
Other . . . . . . . . . . . .   4          7
 
(Other includes asphyxiation, drowning, throwing 
from a height, neglect, scalding and machine gun.)

     BJS said the 75 most populous counties 
in the U.S. accounted for almost 40 percent 
of the population and represented about half 
of those arrested for murder and just
under half of those murdered throughout 
the nation during
1988.

     Single copies of the BJS report, "Murder
 in Large Urban Counties, 1988" (NCJ-140614) 
as well as other BJS statistical information 
and publications may be obtained from the 
National Criminal Justice Reference Service, 
Box 6000, Rockville, Maryland 20850.  The 
telephone number is 1-800-732-3277.

     Data from tables and graphs used in many 
BJS reports can be made available in spreadsheet 
files on 5 1/4" and 3 1/2" diskettes by calling
(202) 307-0784.  For additional information and 
statistics on drugs and crime issues contact
BJS's Drugs and Crime Data Center and 
Clearinghouse on 1-800-666-3332.
 
93-55 (JK)
After hours contact: Stu Smith 301-983-9354

END OF FILE