Descriptive Characteristics of Capital Murderers
| Characteristic | State(n = 30) | Federal(n = 43) | Total(N = 73) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Testimony | |||
| Sentencing phase testimony | 70.0% (21) | 72.1% (31) | 71.2% (52) |
| Written report only | 30.0% (9) | 27.9% (12) | 28.8% (21) |
| Type of findings | |||
| Risk assessment | 93.3% (28) | 69.8% (30) | 79.5% (58) |
| Risk-related | 6.7% (2) | 30.2% (13) | 20.5% (15) |
| Risk rating (when present) | |||
| Below base rate | 55.0% (11) | 62.1% (18) | 59.2% (29) |
| At base rate | 25.0% (5) | 27.6% (8) | 26.5% (13) |
| Above base rate | 20.0% (4) | 10.3% (3) | 14.3% (7) |
| Sentence | |||
| Life | 66.7% (20) | 53.5% (23) | 58.9% (43) |
| Death | 33.3% (10) | 46.5% (20) | 41.1% (30) |
| Education level (when available) | |||
| Less than high school | 33.3% (3) | 85.7% (36) | 76.5% (39) |
| GED/diploma | 66.7% (6) | 14.3% (6) | 23.5% (12) |
| Age at commitment, y (range) | 34.5 (21.5–59.1) | 32.2 (20.2–56.8) | 33.1 (20.2–59.1) |
| Time at risk, y (range) | 4.6 (0.9–9.9) | 4.2 (0.3–10.7) | 4.4 (0.3–10.7) |
Unless otherwise noted, data are expressed as the percentage of the subgroup or total group (number of inmates).