RECENT COMMENTS
East End murder count still better than last year
Through yesterday the city has had 34 homicides, two more than last year’s extraordinarily low count of 32. While the city count has crept back up, the 2009 murder count in the East End is still below even last year’s: so far in 2009 we’ve had but 8 killings in the past 9 months (compared to 10 at this time in 2008 and final count of 12).
I would like to have been able to say where the city’s homicides are happening, but there is no reliable public record of where these crimes are occuring. Both the RPD’s Crime Incident Information database and the RTD’s Homicide Report are missing records and are not reliable for current data. Anecdotally, it seems like the spike is in southside – can anyone put their hands on some reliable numbers to help out?
Is there a difference between a murder and a killing? If you’re counting murders, I’m not sure the 21st and Leigh street killing should qualify.
That young man’s trial has seemed to drop off the news radar (or maybe I missed it). Anyone know the status?
Murder is a legal term that generally implies intent to kill, without justifiable cause. In some states murder includes any killing in the course of committing a felony such as robbery or burglary regardless of intent. Not all homicides are murders.
Yes, and I keep tripping over that in thinking about this. Last year that 10-year-old shot that 5-year-old and that’s not in my count for last year. I do count that self-defense robbery at the alleged drug house from last year, though I’d have a difficult time explaining why. It comes down to adults killing adults, mostly.
I haven’t heard anything since June on the Holman shooting (everything tagged “Jamall Holman”). (Anybody know how to follow on where something is in the legal system?)
Driver has a hearing date of 10/29 for MURDER-2ND DEGREE and USE OF FIREARM.
via the Circuit Court Case Information (http://wasdmz2.courts.state.va.us/CJISWeb/circuit.html)