Expert Article Final

 WHAT ARE MY ODDS OF BEING MURDERED?

A Dive into the Underworld of True Crime 

By: Sofia Kristiansen

My parents think I am weird and my boyfriend is slightly afraid of me. Why’s that? It’s because of my addiction to true crime. Although more often than not gives me nightmares and a slightly concerning level of paranoia, I cannot keep myself away from a good Ted Bundy documentary. A couple of times I have gotten into my car in South Central and said out loud, “if there is someone in here, I have a weapon.” I never actually do have a weapon… but shh... Like I said before, I have an unhealthy level of paranoia that my family and friends blame me for because I refuse to accept the obvious solution of cutting out murder podcasts and shows from my life. I’m an addict. A couple of my favorite podcasts include My Favorite Murder and Crime Junkie, which is the seventh most popular podcast on Spotify. Why are people so obsessed with murder? It’s not just me? 

I will unleash a few statistics that might scare you, but the intent is actually to equip you with the tools to make yourself less of a target and explore why people like me are so fascinated with something so evil. I will share some tips and tricks to keep in mind as you patrol the streets at night and reveal some data pertaining to the nationwide homicide rates indicating which one of your loved ones poses the biggest threat... just kidding. 

Why Women Love True Crime

The main consumers of true crime are women. A study conducted by YouGov concluded that “women (58%) are more likely than men (42%) to say they enjoy true crime, and twice as likely to say it's their favorite genre”. Men are statistically more likely to commit violent crimes. In turn, more violent crimes are committed against women than men (National Coalition Against Domestic Violence). Roughly 70% of serial killer’s victims are women (YouGov). This data, lots of fact-checking, and some of my own presumptions have led me to the conclusion that women love listening to crime shows and podcasts because in a way it provides tips and tricks to avoid being in a bad situation. 

Simply put, women might feel that they will learn something by listening to these shows. I remember listening to an episode of Crime Junkie that detailed how a young girl was captured and shoved in the trunk of a car. Miraculously, she escaped by kicking out a tail light, watching the road that her capture drove down, and was able to run away once the driver pulled into an empty parking lot because she had recognized where she was and what parking lot they were parked in. Another episode of Crime Junkie described in vivid detail how a woman felt like she was being watched, so she put ceramic plates behind all of her doors and windows. She did this so that when someone entered the house a plate would shatter on the floor and alarm her. Sure enough, a plate broke one night and she was able to escape in time and call the police. Her stalker was later tracked through traces of blood found on a broken window that he had used to enter the house. Law enforcement used this DNA evidence to link this man to the crime scene and which ultimately led to his arrest. DNA left under the victim’s nails, blood, or even single hair strands can all be tested in a crime lab and result in the arrest of your attacker so put up a good fight! 

While these stories are under extreme circumstances, there are small takeaways to be collected by the listener. For instance, one might feel more compelled to lock their doors or carry pepper spray at night after hearing these accounts. Women fear being a victim more often than men, which could curtail into having a deeper interest in learning how to prevent becoming a victim themselves. Absorbing different crime content can allow the audience to feel prepared and educated. A major draw to true crime is the listener's desire to mentally prepare for the possibility of this happening to themselves and to more intricately understand how the criminal mind works.

Show Me the Statistics 

Down to the nitty gritty. An average person living in the United States has a 1 in 18,989 chance of being murdered according to the CDC’s most recent homicide report. To put that in perspective, there are 20,790 undergraduate students at USC. So… 1 undergrad in every student body will statistically speaking… you know what I am going to say. DO NOT FEAR! There are many factors that will make this seemingly high rate fluctuate from city to city. Higher rates of unemployment, mental illness, population density, and social and economic inequalities tend to attract higher crime rates (Expanded Homicide). SO stay away from those types of cities. Just kidding... While these contributing factors may lead you to believe that LA is most definitely the murder capital of the United States, it’s not. New Orleans is, so maybe skip that Mardi Gras trip you have been planning with your friends. 

Homicide Breakdown by Relationship 

*Persons listed are the victims — I have included the most prominent categories but not all are listed below (NCADV)

*Definition of Homicide — the killing of one person by another

Strangers only make up 9% of the total homicide rate. So while I mentioned that you have a 1 in 18,989 chance of being murdered, it is actually much lower than that if you have a good relationship with your partner and acquaintances around you. Moral of the story, be kind to everyone. Maybe let that quiet kid in class use your pen for the sign-in sheet. You never know who might have it out for you.

Kidnapping “Life” Hacks 

Now that the chances of being murdered have been shoved in your face, here are some tips and tricks to avoid casualty:

• 
  Shooting classes 

• Carry pepper spray 

• Avoid dark alleys 

• Don’t use dating apps 

• Don’t accept drinks from strangers

• Be nice to your acquaintances

My Apologies

After writing this piece I feel as though I owe an apology to the poor reader or readers that are now afraid of the world as I sometimes am. I am sorry for that, truly. But fear not, the odds are in your favor. Live your life as you did before and keep in mind the life hacks I have listed above and you should be fine. Given that acquaintances make up the biggest percentage of homicides, are our biggest fears creeping in the shadows or hiding in plain sight?

Works Cited

“CDC Wonder.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, https://wonder.cdc.gov/. 

Danilyuk, Pavel., “Students SHaring a Pen.” https://vista.today/2022/02/free-covid-19-tests-schools/students-sharing-a-pen/

DeAngelo, James., “Golden State Killer Police Sketch vs Mugshot.” https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Golden_State_Killer_police_sketch_vs_mugshot.png

“Expanded Homicide.” FBI, FBI, 12 Sept. 2019, https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2019/crime-in-the-u.s.-2019/topic-pages/expanded-homicide. 

Frederick, Eva.,“Ultrasensitive Protein Method Lets Scientists Id Someone from a Single Strand of Hair.” Science,https://www.science.org/content/article/scientists-can-now-identify-someone-single-strand-hair.

Hill, Michael., “Dateline NBC Updates New Look for Upcoming Season.”“https://www.newscaststudio.com/2016/09/26/dateline-nbc-new-graphics-set/

“NCADV: National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.” The Nation's Leading Grassroots Voice on Domestic Violence, https://ncadv.org/. 

Orth, Taylor., Senior Survey Data. “Half of Americans Enjoy True Crime, and More Agree It Helps Solve Cold Cases.” YouGov, 14 Sept. 2022, https://today.yougov.com/topics/entertainment/articles-reports/2022/09/14/half-of-americans-enjoy-true-crime-yougov-poll.