Article Figures & Data
Tables
n % Wt % Age: weighted mean = 30.84 years; SD = 11.18; range, 14–63 Gender Male 73 77 87 Female 22 23 13 Ethnicity White 67 71 73 Black 22 23 24 Hispanic 3 3 2 Asian/Pacific Islander 3 3 2 Year of school completed Eighth grade or less 22 23 25 Ninth-eleventh grade 32 34 33 GED obtained Yes 14 15 13 No 36 38 42 Unknown 4 5 5 Twelfth grade or higher 40 42 40 Unknown 1 1 1 Marital Status Never been married 47 49 52 Divorced 22 23 23 Married 16 17 15 Separated 8 8 7 Widowed 1 1 2 Unknown 1 1 2 Parental Status No 38 40 40 Unknown 2 2 2 Yes 55 58 57 Some contact with child 40 42 39 No contact 6 3 6 Unknown 9 10 12 Employment Unemployed 48 51 51 Unknown 11 12 14 Employed 36 38 34 Full-time 10 11 9 Part-time 2 2 3 Unknown 24 25 23 Transient or Homeless Yes 4 4 4 No 84 88 89 Unknown 7 7 7 Upbringing Raised at one time by Both biological parents 70 74 71 Single biological parent 49 52 50 Biological and stepparent 33 35 35 Grandparents 17 18 18 Adopted or foster parents 11 12 11 Children's or group home 5 5 6 Any abuse as a child 43 45 43 Physically abused 36 38 35 Emotionally abused 29 31 29 Sexually abused 11 12 11 Any caregiver dysfunction 46 48 44 Caregiver alcohol abuse 41 43 40 Caregiver drug abuse 15 16 14 Caregiver criminal history 20 21 19 n % Wt % Number of victims: n = 130; weighted mean = 1.28; SD = 0.85; range = 1–7 Victim gender Male 68 52 52 Female 62 48 48 Same gender as offender Yes 61 47 49 No 69 53 51 Victim's ethnicity White 98 75 75 Black 21 16 16 Hispanic 3 2 2 Asian/Pacific Islander 3 2 1 American Indian 1 1 1 Unknown 4 3 4 Same ethnicity as offender Yes 114 88 88 No 12 9 9 Unknown 4 3 4 Relationship to offender Familial (nonspouse) 37 29 27 Acquaintance or friend 36 28 26 Intimate 26 20 21 Stranger 11 9 8 Unknown 20 15 18 Day of murder Monday 14 11 12 Tuesday 13 10 14 Wednesday 16 12 14 Thursday 27 21 19 Friday 14 11 9 Saturday 27 21 18 Sunday 18 14 14 Unknown 1 1 1 Accomplice† Yes 15 16 15 No 70 74 75 Unknown 10 11 10 Method of murder* Firearm 67 52 55 Knife or other sharp instrument 27 21 20 Strangulation or suffocation 12 9 9 Bludgeon with object or fists 13 10 10 Automobile 7 5 3 Burning 3 2 1 Drowning 3 2 2 Other 1 1 1 Unknown 2 2 2 Location of murder Victim's residence 43 33 27 Victim and offenders' shared residence 26 20 23 Public area (e.g. street, park) 23 17 18 Other residence or victim's vehicle 22 17 17 Place of business 11 9 10 Other 2 2 2 Unknown 3 2 3 Alcohol use prior to murder† No 19 20 18 Unknown 54 57 60 Yes 22 23 22 Alcohol impairment Yes 16 17 15 No 1 1 1 Unknown 5 5 6 Drug use prior to murder† No 23 24 23 Unknown 51 54 58 Yes 21 22 20 Drug impairment Yes 14 15 14 No 1 1 1 Unknown 6 6 7 * More than one weapon possible.
† Offender-level data (n = 95).
Schizophrenia Other Psychotic Disorders Bipolar Disorder Major Depression Mania n % Wt % n % Wt % n % Wt % n % Wt % n % Wt % Rage or anger 9 33 32 6 43 39 6 50 58 35 60 59 1 50 50 Intimate or familial situation 6 22 20 5 36 39 5 42 42 28 48 45 0 0 0 Nonintimate or nonfamilial situation 3 11 13 1 7 7 1 8 9 7 12 14 1 50 50 Hatred, animosity, or revenge 6 22 21 7 50 50 4 33 33 26 45 43 1 50 50 Related to other crimes 7 26 16 3 21 14 2 17 17 17 29 28 1 50 50 Money/property gained 5 19 12 3 21 15 2 17 17 14 24 24 1 50 50 Delusional 5 19 20 0 0 0 1 8 8 4 7 6 0 0 0 Gratification 1 4 4 1 7 8 2 17 17 5 9 8 0 0 0 Unknown 4 15 21 2 14 21 2 17 17 1 2 2 0 0 0 Other 1 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 4 4 0 0 0 * There are 95 offenders with 158 motives; more than one diagnosis per offender possible.
n % Wt % Diagnosis* Major depression 58 61 60 Schizophrenia 27 28 28 Other psychotic disorder 14 15 15 Bipolar disorder 12 13 14 Mania 2 2 2 Drug abuse and treatment Age at first use Weighted mean = 14.30; SD = 3.35; range, 7–25 Never used drugs 8 8 7 Unknown 48 42 47 History of drug abuse No 22 23 25 Unknown 5 5 6 Yes 68 72 69 Drug of choice Marijuana 45 47 47 Stimulants 12 13 10 Inhalants 4 4 5 Other 7 7 8 Drug treatment No 43 45 41 Unknown 8 8 8 Yes 17 18 20 Once 5 5 6 More than once 7 7 9 Unknown 5 5 5 Mental health treatment None 15 16 17 Once 18 19 18 More than once 43 46 47 Unknown 19 20 19 History of suicide attempts Yes 47 49 47 No 23 24 26 Unknown 25 26 27 Physical disability Yes 16 17 21 No 68 72 70 Unknown 11 12 9 Alcohol abuse and treatment Age at first use Weighted mean = 14.77, SD = 3.89, range = 5–25 Never used alcohol 2 2 1 Unknown 33 35 38 History of alcohol abuse No 24 25 26 Unknown 7 7 6 Yes 64 67 68 Alcohol treatment No 34 36 34 Unknown 5 5 5 Yes 25 26 30 Once 10 11 12 More than once 15 16 17 * More than one diagnosis per offender possible.
n % Wt % All disorders with a history of both alcohol and drug abuse 53 56 56 Major depression (n = 58) Alcohol abuse 37 64 68 Drug abuse 46 80 80 Both 33 57 61 Schizophrenia (n = 27) Alcohol abuse 18 67 63 Drug abuse 18 67 63 Both 14 52 45 Other psychotic disorder (n = 14) Alcohol abuse 9 64 58 Drug abuse 6 43 35 History of both 6 43 35 Bipolar disorder (n = 13) Alcohol abuse 10 83 80 Drug abuse 10 83 80 Both 9 75 70 Mania (n = 2) Alcohol abuse history 2 100 100 Drug abuse 2 100 100 Both 2 100 100 n % Wt % Sentence Death penalty 9 10 6 Life without parole 11 12 7 Fixed term 75 79 88 Length of fixed term Weighted mean = 64.84 y, SD = 36.67, range, 30–240 Number of prior arrests (n = 602) Weighted mean = 6.12, SD = 5.04, range, 1–29 Number of charges per arrest (n = 887) Weighted mean = 1.45, SD = 0.93, range, 1–8 Any prior arrests Yes 78 82 81 No 17 18 19 On probation Yes 12 13 15 No 69 73 70 Unknown 14 15 16 On parole Yes 4 4 4 No 81 85 84 Unknown 10 11 12 Prior Arrest Offenses Offenders With Arrests* Offense Frequency† n % Wt % n % Wt % Murder/manslaughter/homicide (includes attempts) 7 7 7 8 1 1 Sex offenses 13 14 13 21 2 2 Assault/battery offenses 44 46 42 127 14 13 Robbery 10 11 10 19 2 2 Crimes against people (general) 19 20 16 53 6 5 Weapon offenses 13 14 10 24 3 2 Arson 2 2 2 2 0 0 Theft/burglary offenses 53 56 55 198 22 24 Fraud 13 14 12 21 2 2 Juvenile/child offenses 24 25 24 61 7 7 Drug offenses 15 16 16 37 4 4 Vehicle/driving offenses 38 40 38 105 12 12 Escape/resisting offenses/failure to appear 30 32 33 59 7 8 Alcohol offenses (adults) 18 19 17 33 4 4 Property crimes (not theft/burglary/arson) 21 22 21 45 5 5 Disorderly conduct 20 21 17 45 5 5 Unknown 5 5 5 10 1 1 Other 16 17 13 19 2 2 * 95 offenders with multiple arrests.
† n = 887, e.g., 44 offenders were arrested for 127 assault/battery offenses.
