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Homicide in North Dakota, 2001

NCJ Number
203889
Author(s)
Colleen Weltz
Date Published
September 2002
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This 2001 Annual Report presents information about homicide in North Dakota for 2001 and offers a trend analysis for the years 1978 through 2001.
Abstract
In North Dakota during 2001, a total of nine homicides were reported to the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program. This represents 1.4 homicides per 100,000 people. Of these nine homicides, all of the victims were adults, one of the homicides was a result of a domestic violence incident, all of the identified assailants were male, all of the identified assailants were adults, and firearms were involved in four of the homicides. The remainder of the report offers a trend analysis of homicide in North Dakota from the year 1978 through 2001. During this time period, there were a total of 267 homicides, with an average of 11 homicides per year. Of these 267 homicide victims, 86 percent were adults and 51 percent were killed with a firearm. Twenty-three percent of all homicides during this period involved the use of “personal weapons,” such as fists and feet; 24 percent of male homicide victims and 12 percent of female homicide victims were killed with knives; while 47 percent of male victims and 57 percent of female victims were killed with firearms. During the period 1978 through 2001, the months of September and December had the highest volume of homicide deaths, followed by March. Forty-nine percent of the homicides during 1978 through 2001 involved domestic violence incidents; 67 percent of the female homicide victims and 34 percent of the male homicide victims were killed during domestic violence incidents. Victims of domestic violence homicide were more likely to be killed with a firearm than victims of non-domestic violence homicide. Data on clearance rates are offered; the average clearance rate for homicide in North Dakota was 94 percent during the period 1978 through 2001. Finally, the report offers information about identified assailant and weapons characteristics. During 1978 through 2001, 89 percent of the identified assailants were male and 86 percent were adults. Male assailants were more likely to use firearms during the commission of a homicide, while females were more likely to use knives. Tables