Primary data were obtained from the Supplementary Homicide Reports which police agencies file with the Uniform Crime Reports. The data cover the sex, age, and race of victims; the sex, age, and race of suspected killers; the date and place of the homicide; the weapon used; the commission of any separate felony accompanying the homicide; and the relationship between the victim and the suspected killer. The eight States returned some 379 death sentences over the study period, January 1, 1976, through December 31, 1980. There has been racial discrimination in the imposition of the death penalty under post-Furman statutes in the States studied. The discrimination was based on the victims' race and was remarkably stable and consistent. The legitimate sentencing variables considered could not explain disparities, whether these variables were controlled one at a time, organized into a scale of aggravation, or subjected to multiple regression analysis. These findings are consistent with a large body of previous research. The study explores some causes of discrimination in capital cases. Appended data tables and 278 footnotes.