NCJ Number
148197
Date Published
1994
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This paper presents statistics on all suspected murders recorded by the Queensland Police Service Information Bureau between 1980/81 and 1991/1992.
Abstract
It includes cases where a suspect was charged with murder, murder-suicides, and suspected murders where no suspect was found. The data was derived from 603 victims and 634 suspects. In 1988, the cost of a murder to the community was approximately $1 million, accounting for the victim's lost income, the cost of providing for dependents, the accused's loss of income, and the cost of imprisoning a murderer for 15 years. The number of reported murders per 100,000 people ranged from 1.38 to 2.52; unlike other offenses, murder showed no consistent upward trend for the decade under study. Suspect statistics include information on gender, age, marital status, employment status, and racial background. A pie chart on ways the murders were committed shows that firearms and sharp instruments were the most common causes of death. Victim statistics include information on gender, age, and relationship to the suspect. Special sections are devoted to intrafamily killings, spousal killings, child killings, parent killings, sibling killings, and murder suicides. An analysis of the time of murders reveals that the nighttime hours (between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m.) and the months of December and January are especially prone to murder. Family violence and alcohol play a significant role in the murders. 19 references