Forensic Evidence in Homicide Investigations, Cleveland, Ohio, 2008-2011 (ICPSR 36202)
Version Date: Feb 13, 2018 View help for published
Principal Investigator(s): View help for Principal Investigator(s)
J. Thomas McEwen, McEwen and Associates, LLC;
Wendy C. Regoeczi, Cleveland State University
https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR36202.v2
Version V2 (see more versions)
Summary View help for Summary
These data are part of NACJD's Fast Track Release and are distributed as they were received from the data depositor. The files have been zipped by NACJD for release, but not checked or processed except for the removal of direct identifiers. Users should refer to the accompanying readme file for a brief description of the files available with this collection and consult the investigator(s) if further information is needed.
The objective of this study was to determine how homicide investigators use evidence during the course of their investigations. Data on 294 homicide cases (315 victims) that occurred in Cleveland between 2008 and 2011 was collected from investigative reports, forensic analysis reports, prosecutors and homicide investigators, provided by the Cleveland Ohio Police Department, Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office, and Cuyahoga County Clerk of Courts.
The study collection includes 1 Stata data file (NIJ_Cleveland_Homicides.dta, n=294, 109 variables).
Citation View help for Citation
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Funding View help for Funding
Subject Terms View help for Subject Terms
Geographic Coverage View help for Geographic Coverage
Smallest Geographic Unit View help for Smallest Geographic Unit
Census tract
Restrictions View help for Restrictions
Access to these data is restricted. Users interested in obtaining these data must complete a Restricted Data Use Agreement, specify the reason for the request, and obtain IRB approval or notice of exemption for their research.
Distributor(s) View help for Distributor(s)
Time Period(s) View help for Time Period(s)
Date of Collection View help for Date of Collection
Data Collection Notes View help for Data Collection Notes
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These data are part of NACJD's Fast Track Release and are distributed as they were received from the data depositor. The files have been zipped by NACJD for release, but not checked or processed except for the removal of direct identifiers. Users should refer to the accompanying readme file for a brief description of the files available with this collection and consult the investigator(s) if further information is needed.
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Data from the interviews of homicide investigators and prosecutors are not available as part of this collection.
Study Purpose View help for Study Purpose
The overarching objective of this project was to determine how homicide investigators use evidence during the course of their investigations.
Study Design View help for Study Design
The Cleveland, Ohio Police Department (CPD) provided access to investigative reports and forensic analysis reports, as well as access to homicide investigators to discuss their assigned cases. In addition, the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office participated in the project by providing detailed forensic analysis reports on selected homicides. Prosecutorial case outcomes from the online Case Records Search System maintained by the Cuyahoga County Clerk of Courts were also utilized.
Investigative case files from the CPD included information on victims and offenders along with details on investigations. Each case file detailed evidence collected at the scene and from other locations during the course of an investigation. Early in the data collection effort at the CPD, it was determined that many investigative files were missing trace and DNA analysis report from the medical examiner's office and with his cooperation the police department's homicide case folders were made more complete and provided detailed information on forensic results for the study.
Sample View help for Sample
294 homicide cases (315 victims) that occurred in Cleveland, Ohio between August 2008 to December 2011 retrieved from the Cleveland, Ohio Police Department (CPD), the Cuyahoga Country Medical Examiner's Office, and the Cuyahoga Country Clerk of Courts Online Case Records Search System.
Time Method View help for Time Method
Universe View help for Universe
Homicide investigation cases that occurred in Cleveland, Ohio, between 2008 and 2011, as well as homicide investigators and prosecutors connected to some of these cases.
Unit(s) of Observation View help for Unit(s) of Observation
Data Source View help for Data Source
Cuyahoga Country Clerk of Courts Online Case Records Search System
Cuyahoga Country Medical Examiner's Office
Cleveland, Ohio Police Department (CPD)
Data Type(s) View help for Data Type(s)
Mode of Data Collection View help for Mode of Data Collection
Description of Variables View help for Description of Variables
Data file NIJ_Cleveland_Homicides.sav (n=294) contains 107 variables divided into 6 categories: victim demographics, offender information and prosecutorial outcome, types of evidence collected, such as: number of swabs, latent prints and analysis, number of weapons from the scene, DNA analysis, and weapons analysis.
HideOriginal Release Date View help for Original Release Date
2018-02-09
Version History View help for Version History
2018-02-15 The citation of this study may have changed due to the new version control system that has been implemented. The previous citation was:
- McEwen, J. Thomas, and Wendy C. Regoeczi. Forensic Evidence in Homicide Investigations, Cleveland, Ohio, 2008-2011. ICPSR36202-v2. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2018-02-13. http://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR36202.v2
2018-02-13 Change made to the study title.
Notes
These data are part of NACJD's Fast Track Release and are distributed as they were received from the data depositor. The files have been zipped by NACJD for release, but not checked or processed except for the removal of direct identifiers. Users should refer to the accompanying readme file for a brief description of the files available with this collection and consult the investigator(s) if further information is needed.
The public-use data files in this collection are available for access by the general public. Access does not require affiliation with an ICPSR member institution.
One or more files in this data collection have special restrictions. Restricted data files are not available for direct download from the website; click on the Restricted Data button to learn more.