THE ANALYSIS ACCOUNTS FOR AS MANY OF THE MAJOR, QUANTIFIABLE FACTORS AS POSSIBLE THAT EXPLAIN STATE-TO-STATE VARIATIONS IN MURDER RATES, THEN TESTS WHETHER STATE TO STATE VARIATIONS IN EXECUTION RATES ALSO ADD EXPLANATORY POWER TO THE EQUATION. FIVE VARIABLES - CONVICTION RATES, AVERAGE PRISON SENTENCES, POVERTY, AGE, AND RURAL-URBAN MIGRATION - WERE FOUND TO EXPLAIN A GREAT DEAL OF THESE STATE-TO-STATE MURDER RATE VARIATIONS. VARIATIONS IN EXECUTION RATES, HOWEVER, ADDED NO EXPLANATORY POWER. THE AUTHOR CONCLUDES THAT BASED ON THIS DATA AND ANALYSIS, THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF AN EXECUTION DETERRENT. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)