Violence Policy Center

VPC

IndexOnline NewsPress ReleasesFact SheetsPublicationsLinksHomeAbout VPC
Looking for something?

When Men Murder Women: An Analysis of 1996 Homicide Data

Females Murdered by Males in Single Victim/Single Offender Incidents

New York

104 females were murdered by males in New York in 1996

The homicide rate among females murdered by males in New York was 1.10 per 100,000 in 1996

Ranked 37th highest in the United States


Age

Eleven female homicide victims (11 percent) were less than 18 years old, and eight victims (eight percent) were 65 years of age or older.


Race

Female murder victims in which race was identified (98 victims) included: 55 white females, 39 black females, and four Asian or Pacific Islanders.


Most Common Weapons

In cases in which the weapon used in the homicide could be identified (102 cases), nearly four out of 10 female homicide victims (40 victims or 39 percent) were shot and killed with guns. More than eight out of 10 of these gun victims (33 victims or 83 percent) were killed with handguns. There were 35 females killed with knives or other cutting instruments, 17 females killed by bodily force, and seven females killed with blunt objects. The remainder of cases involved other non-firearm weapons.


Victim/Offender Relationship

In cases in which the relationship between the victim and the offender could be identified (83 cases), more than nine out of 10 female victims (77 victims or 93 percent) were murdered by someone they knew. Only six female victims (seven percent) were killed by strangers. Of victims who knew their offenders, two thirds (51 victims or 66 percent) were wives, common law wives, ex-wives, or girlfriends of the offenders. Among the 51 female intimates murdered, nearly half (25 victims or 49 percent) were killed with guns; 88 percent of these gun victims (22 victims) were shot and killed with handguns.


Circumstance

In cases in which the circumstance of the homicide could be identified (78 cases), 88 percent (69 cases) were not related to the commission of another felony. Of these cases, 80 percent (55 cases) involved arguments between the victim and offender.


Back to When Men Murder Women Table of Contents






All contents � 1998 Violence Policy Center