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Murder Content Updated 02/17/06

National Volume, Trends, and Rates

The UCR Program’s homicide data for 2004 showed that for the first time in 4 years, the estimated number of murders in the United States decreased. An estimated 16,137 persons were murdered nationwide, a decline of 2.4 percent from the 2003 figure. An analysis of 5- and 10-year trend data showed that the 2004 estimate increased 3.5 percent from the 2000 estimate, but decreased 25.3 percent from the estimated number of murders a decade ago (1995).

Nationwide, the 2004 data yielded an estimated rate of 5.5 murders per 100,000 inhabitants, a 3.3-percent decline from the 2003 rate and a 0.8-percent decrease compared with the 2000 rate. In addition, the 2004 rate was 33.2 percent lower than the national murder rate for 1995. (Based on Tables 1 and 1A.)

Regional Offense Trends and Rates

The UCR Program divides the United States into four regions: the Northeast, the Midwest, the South, and the West. (More details concerning geographic regions are provided in Appendix III.) A regional overview of the 2004 murder data follows.

The Northeast

In 2004, the Northeast accounted for 18.6 percent of the Nation’s population and 14.1 percent of the estimated number of murders. With an estimated 2,269 murders, the Northeast registered a 1.9-percent decline when compared with the 2003 estimate. The offense rate for this region was estimated at 4.2 murders per 100,000 residents, a 2.1-percent decline compared with the 2003 rate. (See Tables 3 and 4.)

The Midwest

The Midwest accounted for 22.4 percent of the United States’ total population and 19.3 percent of the estimated number of murders that occurred in 2004. There were an estimated 3,109 murders in this region, a figure 3.4 percent lower than the 2003 estimate. The Midwest experienced a murder rate of 4.7 offenses per 100,000 inhabitants, a 3.9-percent decrease from the 2003 rate. (See Tables 3 and 4.)

The South

The Nation’s most populous region, the South, accounted for 36.1 percent of the total population in 2004. Forty-three (43.0) percent of the estimated number of murders were reported in this region. The estimated 6,942 murders reflected a 3.7-percent decline when compared with the previous year’s figure. The region posted an estimated rate of 6.6 murders per 100,000 in population, a 5.0-percent decline from the 2003 rate. (See Tables 3 and 4.)

The West

Twenty-three percent of the Nation’s inhabitants lived in the West in 2004, and 23.7 percent of the estimated number of murders were reported in this region. The West was the only region of the country in which the number increased (0.8 percent) from 2003 to 2004 for an estimated 3,817 murders. This region experienced a murder rate (5.7 offenses per 100,000 inhabitants) that remained virtually unchanged from the 2003 rate. (See Tables 3 and 4.)

Figure 2.3

Murder

Percent Change from 2000

Community Types

The UCR Program aggregates crime data for three community types: Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs), cities outside MSAs, and nonmetropolitan counties outside MSAs. In 2004, MSAs accounted for 82.9 percent of the Nation’s population and 88.8 percent of the total estimated number of murders that occurred in the United States. With 14,334 homicides, MSAs experienced a rate of 5.9 murders per 100,000 residents. Cities outside MSAs accounted for 6.8 percent of the U.S. population and, with an estimated 704 murders, accounted for 4.4 percent of the murders in the Nation. The murder rate for these cities was 3.5 offenses per 100,000 in population. (Based on Table 2.)

In 2004, a little over 10 percent (10.4) of the Nation’s population was comprised of nonmetropolitan counties. These counties had 1,099 murders, which accounted for 6.8 percent of the total and a rate of 3.6 murders per 100,000 inhabitants. (Based on Table 2.)

Population Groups: Trends and Rates

The UCR Program uses the following population group designations in its data presentations: cities (grouped according to population size) and counties (classified as either metropolitan or nonmetropolitan). A breakdown of these classifications is furnished in Appendix III.

A review of the data for the two-year period 2003 to 2004 revealed that the Nation’s cities experienced a 5.1-percent decrease in the number of murders. Cities with populations under 10,000 residents had the greatest proportional decrease (-12.0 percent) in the number of murders. However, cities with 25,000 to 49,999 inhabitants were the only city group that experienced an increase (2.1 percent) in the number of homicides. A review of the county population groups showed that metropolitan counties also experienced an increase (1.9 percent) in the number when compared with the 2003 figure; however, nonmetropolitan counties had a 1.3-percent decrease. (See Table 12.)

An examination of the 2004 data showed that cities collectively had a rate of 6.6 murders per 100,000 residents. The largest cities (those with 250,000 and over in population) experienced the highest rate among the city population groups (12.5 murders per 100,000 inhabitants). The smallest cities (those under 10,000 in population) had the lowest murder rate (2.4 offenses per 100,000 inhabitants). The homicide rates for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan counties were 3.9 and 3.7 per 100,000 residents, respectively. (See Table 16.)

Offense Analysis

Supplementary Homicide Reports

The UCR Program’s Supplementary Homicide Reports provide information regarding the age, sex, and race of both the murder victim and the offender; the type of weapon used in the offense; the relationship of the victim to the offender; and the circumstance surrounding the incident. Of the estimated 16,137 murders that occurred in the United States in 2004, law enforcement agencies contributing data to the UCR Program submitted Supplementary Homicide Reports for 14,121 of the murders. An overview of the information gleaned from these supplemental reports follows.

Victims

Based on 2004 supplemental homicide data (where the age, sex, or race of the murder victims were known), 90.2 percent of murder victims were adults and 9.8 percent of the victims were juveniles. Of the total number of homicide victims, 78.0 percent were male and 22.0 percent were female. Where the races of the victims were known, 49.8 percent of the victims were white, 47.6 percent were black, and 2.6 percent were American Indian/Alaskan Native or Asian/Pacific Islander. (Based on Table 2.4.)

Offenders

The data for 2004 concerning the murders for which the offenders were known showed that 91.7 percent of the offenders were adults and 8.3 percent were juveniles. A breakdown of the data by gender showed that 90.1 percent of the offenders were male and 9.9 percent were female. In homicides where the race of the offender was known, 50.0 percent were black, 47.6 percent were white, and 2.4 percent were other races. (Based on Table 2.5.) Data from single victim/single offender incidents showed that 92.2 percent of black victims were murdered by black offenders, and 84.8 percent of white victims were murdered by white offenders. (Based on Table 2.7.)

Weapons

Of those incidents in which the murder weapon was specified, 70.3 percent of the homicides that occurred in 2004 were committed with firearms. Of those, 77.9 percent involved handguns, 5.4 percent involved shotguns, and 4.2 percent involved rifles. Approximately 12.4 of the murders were committed with other types or unspecified types of firearms. Knives or cutting instruments were used in 14.1 percent of the murders; personal weapons, such as hands, fists, and feet, were used in 7.0 percent of murders, and blunt objects (i.e., clubs, hammers, etc.) were used in 5.0 percent of the homicides. Other weapons, such as poison, explosives, narcotics, etc., were used in 3.6 percent of the murders. (Based on Table 2.9.)

Victim/Offender Relationships

Of the homicides for which law enforcement provided supplemental data to the UCR Program, the victim-offender relationship was unknown for 44.1 percent of the victims. For the incidents in which the relationships were known, 76.8 percent of the victims knew their killers and 23.2 percent were slain by strangers. Among the incidents in which the victims knew their killers, 29.8 percent were murdered by family members and 70.2 percent were killed by acquaintances. (Based on Table 2.11.) The 2004 data also revealed that 33.0 percent of female victims were killed by their husbands or boyfriends, and 2.7 percent of the male victims were slain by their wives or girlfriends. (Based on Tables 2.4 and 2.11.)

Table 2.9: Murder Victims by Weapon, 2000-2004

Table 2.10: Murder Victims by Age by Weapon, 2004

Table 2.11: Murder Circumstances by Relationship, 2004

Figure 2.4

Murder by Relationship¹

Percent Distribution.² Volume by Known Relationship, 2004
1 Relationship is that of victim to offender.
2 Due to rounding, the percentages may not add up to 100.0
NOTE: Figures are based on 14,121 murder victims for whom Supplementary Homicide Report Data were received.

Table 2.12: Murder Circumstances by Weapon, 2004

Circumstances

The supplemental homicide data showed that the circumstances were unknown for 35.0 percent of the murders that occurred in 2004. For the murders for which the circumstances were known, 22.8 percent of the murders involved another felony, such as forcible rape, robbery, or burglary. Investigators suspected that another 1.3 percent of homicides likely resulted during another felonious activity. Law enforcement cited that arguments, including those over money or property, were the cause for 44.4 percent of the murders. Other circumstances, such as brawls and juvenile gang killings, were noted in 12.8 percent of the murders. Specific circumstances were not provided for 18.8 percent of the incidents. (Based on Table 2.13.)

Clearances

Law enforcement agencies reporting crime to the UCR Program can clear, or “close,” the offense in one of two ways: by arrest or, when elements beyond the control of law enforcement prevent the agency from arresting and formally charging the offender, by exceptional means. (Additional information regarding clearances is provided in Section III, Offenses Cleared.) Of all the crime categories, murder typically has the highest percentage of clearances. This trend continued in 2004 as law enforcement cleared 62.6 percent of the murders that occurred in the Nation. (See Table 25.)

Table 2.13: Murder Circumstances, 2000-2004

Table 2.14: Murder Circumstances by Victim's Sex, 2004

Table 2.15: Justifiable Homicide by Weapon, Law Enforcement, 2000-2004

Table 2.16: Justifiable Homicide by Weapon, Private Citizen, 2000-2004

In the Nation’s regions, law enforcement in the Northeast cleared 66.0 percent of their murders; agencies in the South and West cleared 65.7 percent and 58.3 percent, respectively; and law enforcement in the Midwest cleared 58.1 percent of their murder offenses. (See Table 26.)

Clearance data for the Nation’s cities, metropolitan counties, and nonmetropolitan counties revealed that law enforcement agencies in these population groups cleared 61.2 percent, 64.4 percent, and 74.2 percent, respectively, of their murder offenses in 2004. Of the city population groups, law enforcement in cities with populations of 10,000 to 24,999 cleared the highest percentage of their homicides (74.4 percent), and law enforcement in the largest cities (those with 250,000 or more inhabitants) cleared the lowest proportion (58.0 percent). (See Table 25.)

Clearances and juveniles

Special conditions exist concerning clearances and juveniles. Data users should know that when an offender under the age of 18 is cited to appear in juvenile court or before other juvenile authorities, the UCR Program considers the incident for which the juvenile is being held responsible to be cleared by arrest, although a physical arrest may not have occurred. In addition, clearances that include both adult and juvenile offenders are classified as clearances for crimes committed by adults. Additional details concerning clearances as they relate to juveniles are provided in Section III, Offenses Cleared.

The percentage of clearances reflecting juveniles’ involvement in crime is typically proportionately lower for murder than for any other offense. This trend continued in 2004 as individuals under age 18 accounted for nearly 5 percent (4.7) of the murder clearances nationwide. In the Nation’s cities collectively, 4.8 percent of murder clearances involved only juveniles. Among the city population groups, the Nation’s largest cities (those with 250,000 or more residents) reported the highest percentage (5.7 percent) of clearances that involved solely juveniles. The lowest percentage of such clearances (1.8 percent) occurred in cities with populations of 10,000 to 24,999. In the two county groups, 5.8 percent of the murder clearances that involved solely juveniles were reported in the metropolitan counties and 2.3 percent of the clearances were reported in the nonmetropolitan counties. (See Table 28.)

Justifiable Homicide

Certain willful killings must be reported as justifiable, or excusable. In the UCR Program, justifiable homicide is defined as and limited to:

• The killing of a felon by a peace officer in the line of duty.
• The killing of a felon, during the commission of a felony, by a private citizen.

Because these killings are determined through law enforcement investigation to be justifiable, they are tabulated separately from the murder and nonnegligent manslaughter classification.

During 2004, law enforcement agencies provided supplemental data for 666 justifiable homicides. A breakdown of those figures revealed that law enforcement officers justifiably killed 437 felons and private citizens justifiably killed 229 felons. Tables 2.15 and 2.16 provide additional information about justifiable homicides.

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