Domestic Violence Homicides in North Carolina

The North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCCADV) has collected information regarding domestic violence homicides in North Carolina since January 1, 2002. Information is gathered from public sources, primarily from media reports. This list serves as a memorial to the victims and families and provides a current representation of the deadly impact domestic violence can have in North Carolina. NCCADV thanks the media, as well as the advocates, allies, and surviving family members who provide assistance and support for this project.

The North Carolina Violent Death Reporting System (NC-VDRS) also collects data on domestic violence homicides. NC-VDRS has collected data since 2004 and uses medical examiner records, vital statistics and law enforcement reports to capture domestic violence related homicides among North Carolina residents. Because data is collected from multiple sources, these reports are generally released 2 years after the calendar year in which homicides were perpetrated. Fact sheets that provide aggregated information on these homicides can be found at: http://www.injuryfreenc.ncdhhs.gov/About/ncVDRS.htm

The Attorney General's Office also releases a report that provides information about domestic violence homicides in North Carolina. Under a state law enacted in 2007, law enforcement agencies are required to report homicides in which the offender had a personal relationship to the victim as defined by Chapter 50-B of the NC General Statutes yearly to the State Bureau of Investigation. The Attorney General's Office analyzes these reports and releases a summary report each year providing statewide statistics on domestic violence and family violence homicides. The 2010 report can be found here: http://www.ncdoj.gov/ 

Beginning in 2008, NCCADV began collecting information on family violence homicides which were included in a separate list on our website. Family violence homicides are homicides that are not covered in the domestic violence homicide list and occur when one family member murders another family member. NCCADV supports honoring the families and victims in family violence homicides and acknowledging the devastating impact these homicides have on individuals, families and communities. Because the Attorney General's Office releases a report capturing this data, beginning in 2011, NCCADV will no longer collect and post family violence homicide information. We support the Attorney General's efforts to maintain this database and capture this data. NCCADV thanks the media, as well as the advocates, allies, and surviving family members who provided assistance and support for this project.

In Memory
The North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence has collected homicide information in memory of all the lives lost to the epidemic of domestic violence in our state. We hope that by raising awareness of the deadliness of this crime that others will be saved. Our hearts go out to all of the families and friends of those who have lost a loved one to domestic violence. We appreciate your support in working to end domestic violence. Too many lives have been lost… one life is too many.

Definitions

Domestic Violence Homicides
Domestic violence homicides occur when a person murders their current or former intimate partner and/or their children. A domestic violence homicide includes the murder of third parties. Examples include the murder of relatives of the person’s former or current intimate partner, someone attempting to protect their current or former intimate partner, or the current intimate partner of the person’s ex-partner. Domestic violence homicides include acts of self defense against an abusive partner. Current or former intimate partner relationships are indicated by an asterick (*).

Disclaimer
This information is not intended to be an official record of all domestic violence homicides and family violence homicides in North Carolina for the time period covered and shall not be used for any purpose without prior permission from the North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Homicides are included based on case specific information that demonstrates a correlation between domestic violence and the death of the victim or family violence and the death of the victim. Nothing included in this information is intended to represent a legal standard of guilt or innocence.