TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Leon County Sheriff's Office will release the next phase of their Anatomy of a Homicide Project in Spring 2026.
- The study is researching homicides in Leon County and the circumstances in which they occurred from 2021 to 2025.
- This is not the first study of its kind, LCSO released the first in September 2021 which analyzed 103 homicides in Leon County.
- Watch the video to find out what this new project will entail and to see the work involved.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Researchers at the Leon County Sheriff's Office are taking a closer look at homicides in our community and the circumstances surrounding them. It's part of their Anatomy of a Homicide Project
Tackling crime in our community takes an all-in approach, a message the Leon County Sheriff's Office is backing, with lots of data.
LCSO is developing the next phase of their Anatomy of a Homicide project, analyzing homicides and the situations in which they occur.
"Dig into that deeper of what's going on, you know, who are these people, what is the relationship to one another, what are the circumstances under which the homicide occurred," said Sara Bourdeau, Executive Director of Research Analysis, Planning, and Innovation Division at the Leon County Sheriff's Office.
Bourdeau was behind the first publication of this project in 2021.
The study looked at 103 homicides in Leon County from 2015 to 2020.
"There's a lot of factors that impact crime," said Bourdeau. "We've got poverty. We've got housing. We've got education, access to jobs. You've got a lot of influence from your families and from your environment, where you live."
Other factors include the influence of a neighborhood or a zip code. Bourdeau said looking at the circumstances means the community can address crime not just from an intervention perspective, but from a prevention perspective.
Using data, including 85% of offenders had been suspended or expelled from schools, to figure out how best to work with community partners.
Now, a new development of the study is underway, looking at homicides from 2021 to 2025.
Dr. Dixie Rocker, Research and Planning Administrator at the Division, said this time, they're analyzing more types of cases, including those of domestic violence.
Rocker said it's by arming the community with more knowledge, they can make better informed decisions.
"We can better inform the public, and even as community members, like me, as a parent, as an individual, teachers, anybody in the community," said Rocker.
Following the publication of the first study, LCSO said the Sheriff decided to establish the Council on the Status of Men and Boys, a community group working to address gun violence.
Rocker hopes this new study will empower the community to engage with law enforcement.
"I would really like it to have an impact to where they feel like they can do something to be part of the solution," said Rocker.
The new project is expected to be published in the Spring of next year. You can find the current 2015 to 2020 project here.
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