The Fates of "Cop Killers" in North Carolina: An Expansion and Update of Previous Research

• In Event: Poster Session

Abstract

The analysis presented here is an expansion and update of an on-going research project. Adding to a virtually non-existent literature, our analysis focuses on the fates of 115 individuals involved in the deaths of law enforcement personnel from June 1, 1977 through December 22, 2021. The first date is selected to include any cases that would potentially be eligible for capital punishment in North Carolina following the state's reinstatement of the death penalty after U.S. Supreme Court decisions led by Gregg v. Georgia (1976). The last date marks the most recent death to be included in the analysis. In North Carolina, as in most other states with the death penalty, the murder of law enforcement officers is a specific aggravating factor that allows for pursuing the death penalty. The results shown here reveal how “cop killers” fared in the judicial system, how many were killed in the process of apprehension, and the number who committed suicide either during or following their crime. Summary observations regarding the results are provided.

Authors

• Dwayne Smith, University of South Florida

• Beth Bjerregaard, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

• Sondra Fogel, University of South Florida