Chapter 12 Supplement Homicide

• In 1998, the estimated number of persons murdered in the United States was 16,914. The 1998 figure was down 7% from 1997, and 28% from 1994 (FBI 17 October 1999, 14.)

• Down 7% from 1997, the national murder rate in 1998 was six per 100,000 inhabitants, the lowest since 1967. Five- and ten-year trends show the 1998 murder rate was 30% lower than in 1994, and 28% below the 1989 rate (Ibid.).

• Sixty-one enforcement officers were feloniously slain in the line of duty during 1998 (Ibid., 291).

• In 1998, 48% of murder victims were black, 50% were white, and the remaining 2% were other races. Seventy-six percent of murder victims were male and 44% were between the ages of 20 and 34 (Ibid., 14).

• Firearms were used in 55% of all murders committed in 1998. Knives were used in 13% of the cases; blunt objects in 5%; and personal weapons in 8% of all murders (Ibid., 282).

• A total of 16,019 murder offenders were also reported in 1998, of which 89% of those for whom sex and age were reported were male. Of those offenders for whom race was known, 49% were black and 49% were white (Ibid., 14-17).

• Males are over nine times more likely than females to commit murder, and male and female offenders are more likely to target males as victims (BJS January 1999).

• Of all persons murdered in 1997, 11%, or 2,100, were under the age of eighteen. Of these, 33% were under the age of six, 50% were ages fifteen through seventeen, 30% were female, 47% were black, 56% were killed with a firearm, 40% were killed by family members, 45% by acquaintances, and 15% by strangers (NCJJ September 1999, 17).

• In 1997, juvenile homicide rates were the lowest in the decade but still 21% above the average of the 1980s. In 27% of homicides by juveniles, the victim was also a juvenile (Ibid., 53 and 54).

• A firearm killed 70% of victims murdered by juveniles. Of all victims killed by juveniles, 14% were family members, 55% were acquaintances, and 31% were strangers (Ibid., 54).

• In 1997, an estimated 2,300 murders (approximately 12% of all murders) in the United States involved at least one juvenile offender. In 31% of homicides involving juvenile offenders, an adult offender was also involved (Ibid.).

• Recover is a collaboration between the District of Columbia's Chief Medical Examiner and the William Wendt Center to help survivors of sudden deaths through the process of grief. The Recover staff offer crisis response and follow-up grief counseling to survivors of all traumatic deaths, but the large majority are homicide co-victims.

In an endeavor to break the cycle of violence and pathology resulting from unresolved grief in relation to sudden and traumatic loss in an underserved population, Recover has placed a high priority on empowering grieving children to cope with their anger and distress following a traumatic death. Recover staff inquire if there are children who will be affected by the death, and offer to meet with the parents or caregivers to discuss how to best help children cope with the death of a loved one.

During the initial counseling process, staff assess the nature of the relationships with the deceased and the degree to which the death poses risks to the overall stability of the family. A Recover grief counselor/licensed therapist is on hand at the medical examiner's office daily to speak with families as they arrive to identify their lost loved ones. Free follow-up counseling is available at the Recover facility in the District. Since the debut of the program on November 1, 1999, staff have offered on-site and off-site counseling to families in connection with 850 traumatic deaths, including 145 homicides. Recover: Support for Survivors of Sudden and Traumatic Deaths, 730 11th Street NW, Washington DC 20001 (202-624-0010) (O'Brien 5 May 2000).

• The Grief Assistance Program (GAP) at the Philadelphia Office of the Medical Examiner grew out of the Widow and Widower's Bereavement Program at the Philadelphia Police Department. Licensed social workers, bereavement counselors, and peer victim counselors are available during working hours (and by beeper 24 hours a day) to provide crisis intervention for survivors of homicide, suicide, and other traumatic deaths. GAP's goal is to comfort the co-victims, offer them guidance about how to cope with their loss, assist them with death notifications to other family members, encourage them to return to the GAP offices for bi-weekly support groups for grief management and healing, and/or link them with other grief counseling programs in the city.

GAP also has developed a working relationship with certain funeral homes in Philadelphia through a program called Jumpstart, in which funeral homes create support groups for families who have suffered the loss of a loved one through a traumatic death. The Grief Assistance Program, Inc., Philadelphia Medical Examiner's, 321 University Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19143 (215-685-7411) (Williams 6 May 2000).

• Homicide Victims Memorial Wall. The Texans for Equal Justice (TEJ) established the TEJ Crime Victim Memorial Wall to honor loved ones and friends who were victims of homicide. The Wall Project pays tribute to the deceased and serves as a reminder of the sanctity of human life and the high cost survivors pay when a life is cut short by violence. The Memorial Wall, which is housed in the Montgomery County Courthouse in Conroe, Texas, consists of 12-inch by 15-inch walnut plaques with brass plates on which the victim's name, date of birth, and date of death are engraved. A duplication of the plaques, along with short biographies of the victims, can be seen on the Memorial Wall Web page at <http://www.tej/lawandorder.com>. Texans for Equal Justice, P.O. Box 241, Willis, TX 77378.

• Lunch for Homicide Survivors on Trial Days. The key to building community support for homicide survivors in Clark County in rural Arkansas has been to include the public in the process. While the Victim/Witness Coordinator in the District Attorney's office consults with the families of homicide victims during the charging phase of the criminal justice process, assists them in understanding what to expect at the trial, and accompanies them to court, the local churches and the Rotary Club expand support during the difficult trial phase by providing meals for homicide survivors, their extended families, and their local support group. On trial days, when most of the participants in the courtroom are lunching across the street from the courthouse in the community's only downtown restaurant, the survivors are hosted for lunch by church and Rotary members. The Victim/Witness Coordinator initiated the activity a few years ago, through her local church, prior to the prosecution of a high profile murder that drew unwanted attention to the surviving family and caused considerable discomfort. Victim/Witness Coordinator, Clark County District Attorney's Office, P.O. Box 579, Arkadelphia, AR (870-246-9868) (APRI January 2000).

• Family Dinners for Homicide Survivors. The District Attorney in Jefferson and Gilpin Counties, Colorado, and prosecutors assigned to cases meet with the survivors of all homicides to talk about the victims. They attempt to learn as much as possible about the victims through the families' eyes. Their goal is to represent in court as best they can who the homicide victims were and to honor them and their survivors. Victim/Witness Assistance Program, 1726 Cole Boulevard, Building 22, Suite 300, Golden CO 80401 (303-271-6800) (APRI January 2000).

Chapter 12 Supplement References

Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). January 1999. Homicide Trends in the United States, Bureau of Justice Statistics Crime Data Brief. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs.

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). 17 October 1999. Crime in the United States, Uniform Crime Reports, 1998. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice.

National Center for Juvenile Justice (NCJJ). September 1999. Juvenile Offenders and Victims: 1999 National Report. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

O'Brien, K. 5 May 2000. Interview with Kevin O'Brien, Program Director, Recover: Support for Survivors of Sudden and Traumatic Deaths, Washington, DC.

Williams, C. 6 May 2000. Interview with Christina Williams, Program Director, Grief Assistance Program, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.

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