Violent Trends: An interactive look at Stanislaus County homicides

Their faces tell just one piece of the story. They were young and old, a range of races. They came from all corners of the county, though the majority were concentrated inside Modesto's city limit.

Thirty-six people were homicide victims in Stanislaus County in 2008, more than during any year in recent history. Twenty of those killings were in Modesto. They took place all over the city.

Countywide, a third were victims of domestic violence, including some killed by parents, partners or former partners. Some of the killers then took their own lives. Many of the incidents were gang-related. Still others were the result of robberies gone wrong, a drug-induced car crash and fights that turned deadly.

Not all the victims were innocent. Some died breaking into homes to harm or steal from their inhabitants. Some family members turned on children or wives they should have protected.

There is no way to explain all the deaths. And because homicides are so unpredictable, law enforcement officials say, there's really no way to address a spike in the numbers.

But the deaths can be mapped and the facts and circumstances analyzed, as The Bee has done for this report. Suspects who have not been tried in court remain innocent until proven guilty. The data in this report is based on information from law enforcement agencies as well as independent reporting on the various cases.

Since Jan. 1, 2006, Stanislaus County has recorded 94 homicides. Some have been deemed justifiable, including cases in which a police officer killed a man who beat his son to death in a rural area outside Turlock, or a terrified couple who killed a stalker who broke into their home.

Of the 94 cases, about 47 percent involve suspects still awaiting trial; 33 percent are open, with no arrests.

Just 20 percent are closed, meaning the suspect was convicted or made a plea in connection with the crime; the charges were dropped, such as in cases of self- defense; or the suspected killer committed suicide.

Demographically, 2008 showed several changes compared with previous years. The number of white victims jumped to 16 from eight in 2007. Most of these victims were male and ranged in age from 1 to 71. In previous years, Latino victims, ages 18 to 39, outnumbered other groups.

The number of female victims nearly doubled, from four in 2007 to seven in 2008.

Gun is the weapon of choice

As in other years, guns were the most commonly used weapon for killers: Half of the 36 cases involved guns.

Fatal stabbings jumped in 2008 to five, from just one in 2007. In 2006, four people were stabbed to death.

The ages of victims appear to be shifting. In 2006, 13 victims were ages 18 to 29. The number in that age range has dropped steadily to seven in 2008. For all other age ranges, the number of victims grew.

Older victims in particular were more common. In 2006 and 2007, just six people 40 or older were killed. In 2008, that number jumped to 15.

In 2008, November and December were the deadliest months, followed by February and April. Overall, from 2006 to 2008, there were 13 homicides each in November and December, and 12 in February.

Spring and fall were the most dangerous seasons, with 28 percent of the homicides from 2006 to 2008 happening in the spring and 31 percent in the fall.

Family violence

Stanislaus County Undersheriff Bill Heyne said that during the holidays many families come together, which potentially could increase violence. For the most part, though, he said there isn't any particular reason for which months end up with the highest number of homicides.