When Men Murder Women: An Analysis of 1996 Homicide Data

Females Murdered by Males in Single Victim/Single Offender Incidents

Pennsylvania

The homicide rate among females murdered by males in Pennsylvania was 1.14 per 100,000 in 1996

Ranked 36th highest in the United States

Age

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

Race

Forty-one female murder victims were white, 29 were black, and one was Asian or Pacific Islander.

Most Common Weapons

In cases in which the weapon used in the homicide could be identified (64 cases), nearly half of all female homicide victims (31 victims or 48 percent) were shot and killed with guns. More than three quarters of these gun victims (24 victims or 77 percent) were killed with handguns. There were 14 females killed with knives or other cutting instruments, eight females killed by bodily force, five females killed by strangulation, and three females killed with blunt objects. The remainder of cases involved other non-firearm weapons.

Victim/Offender Relationship

More than nine out of 10 female victims (67 victims or 94 percent) were murdered by someone they knew. Only four female victims (six percent) were killed by strangers. Of victims who knew their offenders, six out of 10 (41 victims or 61 percent) were wives, common law wives, ex-wives, or girlfriends of the offenders. Among the 41 female intimates murdered, nearly half (20 victims or 49 percent) were killed with guns; 85 percent of these gun victims (17 victims) were shot and killed with handguns.

Circumstance

In cases in which the circumstance of the homicide could be identified (61 cases), 93 percent (57 cases) were not related to the commission of another felony. Of these cases, 61 percent (35 cases) involved arguments between the victim and offender.

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