Femicide in New York City 1990 to 1999

This article reports results of an ongoing study of femicide in New York City. Using medical examiner records, femicides occurring between 1990 and 1999 were categorized according to whether an intimate partner perpetrated the homicide. Descriptive analyses results revealed that most femicide victims were young, Black, and killed in poor neighborhoods. Among cases with a known perpetrator, 40% were intimate partner femicides. Whereas the rate of nonintimate partner femicide decreased between 1990 and 1999, the rate of intimate partner femicide remained relatively stable. Multivariate analyses revealed that the strongest predictors of femicide by an intimate partner included having children under 18, living in a private residence, and being foreign born. Homicide followed by the suicide of the offender was also strongly associated with intimate partner femicide. Intimate Partner femicide exhibits a unique epidemiology, and this knowledge should be used to plan and guide prevention activities.