Murder
An Alabama Man Executed Thursday Faced Legal Battles Until His Death
The Supreme Court denied Domineque Ray's request to have his Muslim imam in the room during his lethal injection, raising questions of religious discrimination. But his trial and death sentence were an uphill battle from the start.
The Laquan McDonald Case and Police Brutality in America: An Essential Reading List
Jason Van Dyke has been sentenced to over six years in prison. Read Pacific Standard's most relevant stories on the Chicago policeman's murder of a black teenager.
Viewfinder: Mourning the Murder of a Polish Mayor
A mourner holds a candle for murdered Gdansk Mayor Pawel Adamowicz on January 17th, 2019, in Gdansk, Poland.
Twenty Years After Matthew Shepard's Death, What's Changed?
Shepard's murderer unsuccessfully claimed gay panic, a defense that's still legal in 47 states.
Jason Van Dyke Is Convicted on Murder and Aggravated Battery Charges
On Friday, a jury convicted Jason Van Dyke, a white Chicago police officer, of the second-degree murder of black 17-year-old Laquan McDonald.
Viewfinder: Far-Right Protesters and Anti-Nazi Counter-Protesters Clash in Germany
People holding German flags arrive at a right-wing protest gathering near a statue of Karl Marx the day after a man was stabbed and died of his injuries on August 27th, 2018, in Chemnitz, Germany.
Research Tells Us That Immigration Does Not Lead to Higher Crime Rates
Conservatives see Mollie Tibbetts' murder as proof of a need for more stringent immigration policies. Here's why they're wrong.
Chicago's Murder Problem Could Be Worse
The city has reputation for violence, but without some of the best trauma centers the situation could be much worse.
PS Picks: 'New York' Magazine's Story of the Worst Roommate Ever
PS Picks is a selection of the best things that the magazine's staff and contributors are reading, watching, or otherwise paying attention to in the worlds of art, politics, and culture.
Viewfinder: Mourning Murder in Germany
Candles and flowers are displayed outside a grocery store on January 2nd, 2018, where a 15-year-old girl was stabbed to death by her ex-boyfriend in the western German town of Kandel.
Domestic Violence and Murder in Kyrgyzstan
The Central Asian nation has a far greater number of female prisoners jailed for murder of a male family member than other countries in the region.
The Deadliest Year for Environmental and Indigenous Activists Yet
At least 200 people were killed in 24 countries last year in retaliation for standing up to environmentally destructive industrial projects.
Where Were the Usual Suspects in 'Murderer'?
By leaving out crucial statistics, the Netflix phenomenon plays into clichés about murdered women.
Letters to Prison
In 1989 in Fairbanks, Alaska, Byran Perotti killed Johnny Jackson in cold blood. The community's silence around the murder compounded the shock of the crime itself.
A Look at Those Who Kill Their Own Family Members
A distinct criminological profile emerges when researchers study the men and women who kill family members.
Is It Ethical to Watch Murder Caught on Tape?
The slaying of two Virginia journalists captures the horror of death in the age of photographic reproduction.
'A Thousand Ways to Kneel and Kiss the Ground': Re-Framing Islam in North Carolina
Scenes before a tragedy—and how art responds to murder.
How Do You Get Away With Murder?
It might not be as improbable as you think.
Reconsidering Juvenile Life Sentences—Again
A new Supreme Court case could affect thousands of prisoners serving life sentences without parole for crimes they committed as teens.
It’s Poverty, Not the 'Teenage Brain,' That Causes the Most Youth Crime
A new analysis of crime stats suggests that economics trumps biology in causing violent behavior in teenagers.
The Power of Confessions
The Etan Patz murder trial is the latest test case for measuring the power of a confession, whether or not it’s actually true.
The Links Between Mental Illness and Gun Violence
Vanderbilt University’s Jonathan Metzl and Kenneth MacLeish address our anxieties and correct our assumptions.
Making Police Departments More Diverse Isn’t Enough
Local police departments should reflect the communities they serve, but fixing that alone won’t curb unnecessary violence.
The Long Arm of Whitey Bulger
A compelling new documentary on Boston's infamous mob boss shows the lasting trauma of his reign of terror.