Interrogating U.S. Death Data: What an Examination of Reclassified Homicides Reveals

• In Event: Homicide Rates in the US and Abroad

Abstract

Nearly 3 million people die annually in the United States, and official data indicate that less than 1 percent are considered homicides. Data related to characteristics of these deaths also reveal insights particular to each manner and cause—including illness, accident, and suicide—yet their accuracy fundamentally depends on the veracity of initial classifications. The number of annually misclassified deaths is currently unknown, but mistakes certainly occur, as evidenced by instances when an initial cause of a death is later reclassified. This study examines dozens of these cases, focusing on those that initially had been classified as any manner other than homicide but were reclassified weeks, months, or years later as homicide within a five-year period (June 2017 to June 2022). Results reveal characteristics of these reclassified homicides that substantially differ from official homicide data, calling into question whether official statistics include all types of homicide. Implications include important considerations for several professional fields (including medical, legal, and criminal justice) and urge a reexamination of how death data are collected, recorded, and reported.

Authors

• Julie B. Wiest, West Chester University of Pennsylvania

• Jack Levin, Northeastern University