The study of homicide and the media has been progressive in recent years with murder being recognized as a high priority news item. However, most studies have related to the United States and not other cultures. This study used two sources in considering British context and in examining the coverage of homicide over a period of 23 years, 1977 to 1999, the Times Index and the Homicide Index. The focus was on the newspaper coverage of the top cases each year and over the whole period. Top homicide stories were identified in the Times over the 23-year period that developed a framework that began to distinguish what had been termed mega cases, mezzo cases, routine cases, and cases not reported at all. Thirteen cases were identified as having reached the top tier of coverage (mega cases) in the 23 years included in this study. Their unusualness seemed to contribute to their being a mega case, contributing 2,860 stories of a total of over 15,000 stories. The time factor was also seen as important. In addition, mega cases become cumulatively over time, a part of the cultural context within which we understand homicide and within which journalistic choices emerge through reporting. In time, they become our general knowledge of murder. Table and references