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This case, trialed in the 1980's was of a man named Guy Paul Morin, who was imprisoned for committing first-degree murder against a nine year old child. He was later found innocent through the use of DNA testing, which was implemented into investigations 11 months after he was convicted.

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This article explains the legal definition of the word Murder. It also talks about all of the consequences of murder.

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Murder
The unlawful killing of another human being without justification or excuse.
Murder is perhaps the single most serious criminal offense. Depending on the circumstances surrounding the killing, a person who is convicted of murder may be sentenced to many years in prison, a prison sentence with no possibility of Parole, or death.

The precise definition of murder varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Under the Common Law, or law made by courts, murder was the unlawful killing of a human being with malice aforethought. The term malice aforethought did not necessarily mean that the killer planned or premeditated on the killing, or that he or she felt malice toward the victim. Generally, malice aforethought referred to a level of intent or reck-lessness that separated murder from other killings and warranted stiffer punishment.

The definition of murder has evolved over several centuries. Under most modern statutes in the United States, murder comes in four varieties: (1) intentional murder; (2) a killing that resulted from the intent to do serious bodily injury; (3) a killing that resulted from a depraved heart or extreme recklessness; and (4) murder committed by an Accomplice during the commission of, attempt of, or flight from certain felonies.

Some jurisdictions still use the term malice aforethought to define intentional murder, but many have changed or elaborated on the term in order to describe more clearly a murderous state of mind. California has retained the malice aforethought definition of murder (Cal. Penal Code § 187 [West 1996]). It also maintains a statute that defines the term malice. Under section 188 of the California Penal Code, malice is divided into two types: express and implied. Express malice exists "when there is manifested a deliberate intention unlawfully to take away the life of a fellow creature." Malice may be implied by a judge or jury "when no considerable provocation appears, or when the circumstances attending the killing show an abandoned and malignant heart."

In Commonwealth v. LaCava, 783 N.E.2d 812 (Mass. 2003), the defendant, Thomas N. LaCava, was convicted of the deliberate, premeditated murder of his wife. LaCava admitted to the shooting and the killing, but he claimed that due to his diminished mental capacity, he could not form the requisite malice when he committed the killing, so as to be convicted of first degree murder. The Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts found that Massachusetts law permits psychiatric evidence to attack the premeditation aspect of murder. However, the judge's instructions to the jury regarding the definition of murder was sufficient to render the error harmless, according to the court.

Many states use the California definition of implied malice to describe an unintentional killing that is charged as murder because the defendant intended to do serious bodily injury, or acted with extreme recklessness. For example, if an aggressor punches a victim in the nose, intending only to injure the victim's face, the aggressor may be charged with murder if the victim dies from the blow. The infliction of serious bodily injury becomes the equivalent of an intent to kill when the victim dies. Although the aggressor in such a case did not have the express desire to kill the victim, he or she would not be charged with assault, but with murder. To understand why, it is helpful to consider the alternative: When a person dies at the hands of an aggressor, it does not sit well with the public conscience to preclude a murder charge simply because the aggressor intended only to do serious bodily injury.Some murders involving extreme recklessness on the part of the defendant cause extreme public outrage. In People v. Dellinger, 783 P.2d 200 (Cal. 1989), the defendant, Leland Dellinger, was found guilty of the murder of his two-yearold stepdaughter. The primary cause of the child's death was a fractured skull caused by trauma to the head. However, other evidence showed that the child had large quantities of cocaine in her system when she died. Moreover, her mother discovered that the defendant had fed the child wine through a baby bottle. Due to the defendant's "wanton disregard for life," the verdict of murder was proper, according to the California Supreme Court.

A person who unintentionally causes the death of another person also may be charged with murder under the depraved-heart theory. Depraved-heart murder refers to a killing that results from gross negligence. For example, suppose that a man is practicing shooting his gun in his backyard, located in a suburban area. If the man accidentally shoots and kills someone, he can be charged with murder under the depraved-heart theory, if gross Negligence is proven.

In Turner v. State, 796 So. 2d 998 (Miss. 2001), the defendant, Jimmy Ray Turner, was convicted of the murder of his wife. The couple had contemplated Divorce, but had apparently reconciled. After their reconciliation, they went together to the defendant's parents' house to return a borrowed shotgun. As they walked to the parents' house, the defendant, who testified that he did not think the shotgun was loaded, demonstrated to his wife how he carried the gun with his fingers on the trigger and walked with his arms swinging. His wife stopped suddenly, bumping into the defendant. The shotgun fired, killing the wife. Although the defendant was not charged with premeditated murder, he was indicted and convicted of depraved-heart murder due to his gross negligence in handling the shotgun.

Most states also have a felony murder statute. Under the felony murder doctrine, a person who attempts or commits a specified felony may be held responsible for a death caused by an accomplice in the commission of the felony; an attempt to commit the felony; or flight from the felony or attempted felony. For example, if two persons rob a bank and during the Robbery one of them shoots and kills a security guard, the perpetrator who did not pull the trigger nevertheless may be charged with murder.

The felonies that most commonly give rise to a felony murder charge are murder, rape, robbery, Burglary, Kidnapping, and Arson. Many states add to this list. Maine, for example, adds gross sexual assault and escape from lawful custody (Me. Rev. Stat. Ann. tit. 17-A, § 202 [West 1996]). Generally, felony murder liability lies only if the death was a reasonably foreseeable consequence of the felony, a felony attempt, or flight from the crime. For example, courts have held that death is a reasonably foreseeable consequence of armed robbery.

Most states divide the crime of murder into first and second degrees. In such states, any intentional, unlawful killing done without justification or excuse is considered second-degree murder. The offense usually is punished with a long prison term or a prison term for life without the possibility of parole. Second-degree murder can be upgraded to first-degree murder, a more serious offense than second-degree murder, if the murder was accomplished with an aggravating or special circumstance. An aggravating or special circumstance is something that makes the crime especially heinous or somehow worthy of extra punishment.

California lists some 20 different special circumstances that can boost a murder from second to first degree, including murder carried out for financial gain; murder committed with an explosive; murder committed to avoid or prevent a lawful arrest; murder to perfect or attempt an escape from lawful custody; murder of a law enforcement officer, prosecutor, judge, or elected, appointed, or former government official; murder committed in an especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel fashion where the killer lay in wait for, or hid from, the victim; murder where the victim was tortured by the killer; murder where the killer used poison; or murder where the killing occurred during the commission of, aid of, or flight from certain felonies. These felonies include rape, robbery, kidnapping, burglary, arson, train wrecking, sodomy, the performance of a lewd or lascivious act upon a child under age 14, and oral copulation with a child under age 14 (Cal. Penal Code § 190.2 [West 1996]).

If a murder does not qualify by statute for first-degree murder, it is charged as second-degree murder. A second-degree murder may be downgraded to Manslaughter if mitigating factors were involved in the killing, such as adequate provocation by the victim, or the absence of intent or recklessness on the part of the defendant.

Maine has simplified the law of murder. In Maine, a person is guilty of murder if he or she intentionally or knowingly causes the death of another human being, engages in conduct that manifests a depraved indifference to the value of human life and causes death, or intentionally or knowingly causes another human being to commit suicide by the use of force, duress, or deception (Me. Stat. tit. 17-A § 201 [1996]). Maine also has a felony murder statute. It does not divide murder into degrees.

Sentencing for murder varies from state to state, and according to degrees in the states that have them. Second-degree murder usually is punished with more than 20 years in prison. A person convicted of second-degree murder in Minnesota, for example, may be sentenced to prison for not more than 40 years. Some states, such as California, allow a sentence up to life in prison for second-degree murder.

In some states that have a first-degree murder charge, the crime is punished with a life term in prison without the possibility of parole. In other states, first-degree murder is punishable by death. A defendant's criminal history may affect sentencing for a murder conviction. The greater the criminal history, the more time the defendant is likely to serve. The criminal history of a murder defendant may even cause a murder charge to be upgraded from second degree to first degree. In California, for example, a murder defendant who has a prior conviction for murder faces an automatic first-degree murder charge.

The strongest defenses to a murder charge are provocation and Self-Defense. If the defendant acted completely in self-defense, this fact may relieve the defendant of all criminal liability. If it does not relieve the defendant of all liability, self-defense at least may reduce the charge from murder to manslaughter. Provocation rarely results in complete absolution, but it may reduce the defendant's criminal liability. For example, suppose that a family is being tormented by a neighbor for no apparent reason. The neighbor has damaged the family's property, assaulted the children, and killed the family dog. If the father kills the neighbor and is charged with murder, the father may argue that the provocation by the victim was so great that if he is to be found criminally liable at all, he should be found liable for manslaughter, not murder.

Women Murdered on the Job

The workplace can be a dangerous environment, exposing workers to hazards that can cause accidents, disease, and sometimes death. But the workplace also is a place where murders are committed. Statistics indicate that there is a large difference between the number of men and the number of women killed on the job. Fifteen percent of men who die at work are murdered, whereas 35 percent of female workplace deaths are the result of homicides.

It is believed that the high number of female workplace murders is based in part on the kinds of jobs women take in the economy. Many work in retail jobs, clerking at late-night convenience stores where robberies often occur and where security is often lacking. Analysts also believe that male perpetrators select retail stores where they believe that they can easily overpower a female employee.

Other workplace murders of women are committed by former boyfriends and husbands who are upset over a separation. Some psychologists believe that these men associate the woman's job with independence and the breakup of their relationship. Murdering a former wife or lover is a way for a man to reassert his dominance.

Finally, some murders of women appear to be committed out of resentment over the loss of a job at the workplace and the perception that women are to blame for the job loss. Roughly five percent of all the murders committed in the workplace, male and female, are committed by former or current employees.

A defendant's subjective belief that he or she was under attack by a victim at the time of a killing may be a basis for a claim of self-defense. In Henderson v. Texas, 906 S.W.2d 589 (Tex. App. 1995), the defendant, Sherri Henderson, was convicted of the murder of a victim whom she shot outside of a nightclub. The victim had engaged in a fight with the defendant's sister inside the club, and the fight later moved out-side. The defendant carried a gun that she had purchased a few days before, apparently for protection from her estranged husband. The facts in the case were in dispute, but the defendant found her sister bleeding from the head when she went to the parking lot. She claimed that she saw someone reach for a weapon, and she fired into a crowd, hitting and fatally wounding the woman who had fought her sister. The jury apparently believed the prosecution's claim that the defendant had intentionally shot at the victim after seeing her sister on the ground, and Henderson was convicted of murder. However, the Texas appellate court reversed the trial court's conviction, holding that evidence of the defendant's subjective beliefs regarding her attacker's identity and evidence of prior attacks on the defendant by her husband were relevant to her claim for self-defense.

Insanity is another defense to a murder charge. If a defendant was suffering from such a defect of the mind that he or she did not know what he or she was doing, or the defendent did not know that what he or she was doing was wrong, the defendant may be found not guilty by reason of insanity. In some states, the defendant may be found guilty but mentally ill. In either case, the result is the same: The defendant is confined to a mental institution instead of a prison.

The Insanity Defense has many critics, and it especially comes under fire when a defendant commits an atrocious killing. In 2001, the nation was shocked by the story about Andrea Yates, who drowned each of her five young children in a bathtub. The children's ages ranged from six months to seven years old at the time of the killings. Yates was estranged from her husband and contacted him shortly after the killings. She subsequently confessed to the crime but claimed the defense of insanity. Her counsel argued that because she suffered from schizophrenia, which had first surfaced several years earlier, she did not know the difference between right and wrong at the time of the killings. According to testimony, she had considered stabbing her first child shortly after his birth. The insanity defense failed, however, and Yates was convicted and sentenced to life in prison.

The modern law of murder is relatively static, but minor changes are occasionally proposed or implemented. Some legislatures have debated the idea of striking assisted suicide from murder statutes. Some have considered proposals making doctors liable for murder if they perform a third-trimester Abortion. Many have made changes with respect to juveniles. Juveniles accused of murder used to be tried in juvenile courts, but in the 1980s and 1990s, legislatures passed laws to make juvenile murder defendants over the ages of 14 or 15 stand trial as adults. This change is significant because a juvenile defendant convicted in the juvenile justice system might go free upon reaching a certain age, such as 21. A juvenile defendant who is tried in adult court does not have such an opportunity and may be sentenced to prison for many years, or for life without parole. A juvenile may be put to death upon conviction for murder but only if he or she was age 16 or older at the time of the offense ( Thompson v. Oklahoma, 487 U.S. 815, 108 S. Ct. 2687, 101 L. Ed. 2d 702 [1988]).

Mass Murders and Serial Killings

The public is often fascinated, although also horrified, by stories of mass murders and serial killings. This fascination is evidenced by the popularity of such films as Natural Born Killers and Silence of the Lambs. When a mass murder or serial killing occurs, it often receives considerable media attention. Stories are revisited for years following the incidents, as experts and novices alike try to determine the causes of why these tragedies occur and how they can be prevented. Although statistics show that mass murders and serial killings are more common now than they have been in the past, this type of killings is still rather rare.

Criminologists and other experts distinguish between a serial killer and a mass murderer, although the profiles of these perpetrators are often similar. A serial killer is most often a younger, white male, who targets specific strangers near his work or home. This type of killer is typically a sociopath who kills to satisfy delusional personal needs and desires through killing by physical force. Serial killers such as Jack the Ripper, David Berkowitz, Ted Bundy, and John Wayne Gacy are household names. A mass murderer is likewise often a young, white male, who acts deliberately and methodically in carrying out his killings. One of the most celebrated mass murderers was Charles Joseph Whitman, who in 1966 climbed a tower at the University of Texas at Austin and engaged in a 90-minute shooting spree. He shot 44 people, killing 14, before being fatally shot by a police officer. The motivation of either a serial killer or a mass murderer obviously varies by the killer, but experts note that it is often terror, power, revenge, or profit.

The United States and several other countries have been especially horrified by a number of school shootings in the past decade. One of the most horrific of these shootings occurred at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado on April 20, 1999. Two teenagers, Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, went on a shooting rampage throughout the school, killing 12 students and injuring more than 20, before finally killing themselves. Since 1996, more than 25 schools in the United States have suffered from school shootings, as have schools in such countries as Canada, Sweden, Scotland, and Germany. Because the perpetrators of these murders are usually teenagers, experts have investigated these shootings closely, in order to identify potential signs that an unbalanced student might consider resorting to violence.

Further readings

Fox, James Alan, and Jack Levin. 1998. "Multiple Homicide: Patterns of Serial and Mass Murder." Crime and Justice..

Hobson, Charles L. 1996. "Reforming California's Homicide Law." Pepperdine Law Review 23.

LaFave, Wayne R. 2000. Criminal Law 3d ed. St. Paul, Minn.: West Group.

Cross-references

Capital Punishment; Criminal Law; Death and Dying; Felony-Murder Rule; Homicide; Insanity Defense; Juvenile Law.

murder

n. the killing of a human being by a sane person, with intent, malice aforethought (prior intention to kill the particular victim or anyone who gets in the way), and with no legal excuse or authority. In those clear circumstances, this is first degree murder. By statute many states make killings in which there is torture, movement of the person (kidnapping) before the killing, as an incident to another crime (as during a hold-up or rape), and the death of a police officer or prison guard all first degree murders with or without premeditation, and with malice presumed. Second degree murder is such a killing without premeditation, as in the heat of passion or in a sudden quarrel or fight. Malice in second degree murder may be implied from a death due to the reckless lack of concern for the life others (such as firing a gun into a crowd, or bashing someone with any deadly weapon). Depending on the circumstances and state laws, murder in the first or second degree may be chargeable to a person who did not actually kill, but was involved in a crime with a partner who actually did the killing or someone died as the result of the crime. (Example: In a liquor store stick-up in which the clerk shoots back at the hold-up man and kills a bystander, the armed robber can be convicted of at least second degree murder. To be murder the victim must die within a year of the attack. Death of an unborn child who is "quick" (fetus is moving) can be murder, provided there was premeditation, malice, and no legal authority. Thus, abortion is not murder under the law. (Example: Jack Violent shoots his pregnant girlfriend, killing the fetus). Manslaughter, both voluntary and involuntary, lacks the element of malice aforethought. (See: manslaughter, first degree murder, second degree murder, homicide, malice aforethought, premeditation)

murder
noun act of killing, act of slaying, act of taking life, assassination, caedes, destruction, destruction of human life, destruction of life, destructiveness, elimination, homicide, intentional killing, killing, liquidation, massacre, occisio, taking of human life, unlawful killing, violent death
Associated concepts: assault with intent to murder, attempted murder, felonious homicide, felony murder, firsttegree murder, premeditated murder, second-degree murder, voluntary manslaughter, willful murderSee also: assassination, destroy, dispatch, efface, extinguish, homicide, killing, manslaughter, slay

MURDER, crim. law. This, one of the most important crimes that can be committed against individuals, has been variously defined. Hawkins defines it to be the willful killing of any subject whatever, with malice aforethought, whether the person slain shall be an Englishman or a foreigner. B. 1, c. 13, s. 3. Russell says, murder is the killing of any person under the king's peace, with malice prepense or aforethought, either express or implied by law. 1 Rus. Cr. 421. And Sir Edward Coke, 3 Inst. 47, defines or rather describes this offence to be, "when a person of sound mind and discretion, unlawfully killeth any reasonable creature in being, and under the king's peace, with malice aforethought either express or implied."
2. This definition, which has been adopted by Blackstone, 4 Com. 195; Chitty, 2 Cr. Law, 724; and others, has been severely and perhaps justly criticised. What, it has been asked, are sound memory and understanding? What has soundness of memory to do with the act; be it ever so imperfect, how does it affect the guilt? If discretion is necessary, can the crime ever be committed, for, is it not the highest indiscretion in a man to take the life of another, and thereby expose his own? If the person killed be an idiot or a new born infant, is he a reasonable creature? Who is in the king's peace? What is malice aforethought? Can there be any malice afterthought? Livingst. Syst. of Pen. Law; 186.
3. According to Coke's definition there must be, 1st. Sound mind and memory in the agent. By this is understood there must be a will, (q.v.) and legal discretion. (q.v.) 2. An actual killing, but it is not necessary that it should be caused by direct violence; it is sufficient if the acts done apparently endanger. life, and eventually fatal. Hawk. b. 1, c. 31, s. 4; 1 Hale, P. C. 431; 1 Ashm. R. 289; 9 Car. & Payne, 356; S. C. 38 E. C. L. R. 152; 2 Palm. 545. 3. The party killed must have been a reasonable being, alive and in the king's peace. To constitute a birth, so as to make the killing of a child murder, the whole body must be detached from that of the mother; but if it has come wholly forth, but is still connected by the umbilical chord, such killing will be murder. 2 Bouv. Inst. n. 1722, note. Foeticide (q.v.) would not be such a killing; he must have been in rerum natura. 4. Malice, either express or implied. It is this circumstance which distinguishes murder from every description of homicide. Vide art. Malice.
4. In some of the states, by legislative enactments, murder has been divided into degrees. In Pennsylvania, the act of April 22, 1794, 3 Smith's Laws, 186, makes "all murder which shall be perpetrated by means of poison, or by lying in wait, or by any other kind of willful, deliberate, and premeditated killing, or which shall be committed in the perpetration or attempt to perpetrate, any arson, rape, robbery, or burglary, shall be deemed murder of the first degree; and all other kinds of murder shall be deemed murder of the second degree; and the jury before whom any person indicted for murder shall be tried, shall, if they find the person guilty thereof, ascertain in their verdict, whether it be murder of the first or second degree; but if such person shall be convicted by confession, the court shall proceed by examination of witnesses, to determine the degree of the crime, and give sentence accordingly. Many decisions have been made under this act to which the reader is referred: see Whart. Dig. Criminal Law, h.t.
5. The legislature of Tennessee has adopted the same distinction in the very words of the act of Pennsylvania just cited. Act of 1829, 1 Term. Laws, Dig. 244. Vide 3 Yerg. R. 283; 5 Yerg. R. 340.
6. Virginia has adopted the same distinction. 6 Rand. R. 721. Vide, generally, Bac. Ab. h.t.; 15 Vin. Ab. 500; Com. Dig. Justices, M 1, 2; Dane's Ab. Index, h.t.; Hawk. Index, h.t.; 1 Russ. Cr. b. 3, c. 1; Rosc. Cr. Ev. h.t. Hale, P. C. Index, h.t.; 4 Bl. Com. 195; 2 Swift's Syst. Index, h.t.; 2 Swift's Dig. Index, h.t.; American Digests, h.t.; Wheeler's C. C. Index, h.t.; Stark. Ev. Index, h.t.; Chit. Cr. Law, Index, h.t.; New York Rev. Stat. part 4, c. 1, t. 1 and 2.

MURDER, pleadings. In an indictment for murder, it must be charged that the prisoner "did kill and murder" the deceased, and unless the word murder be introduced into the charge, the indictment will be taken to charge manslaughter only. Foster, 424; Yelv. 205; 1 Chit. Cr. Law, *243, and the authorities and cases there cited.

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As he approached the scene of the supposed murder, he continued to revolve the circumstances in his mind, and was astonished at the aspect which the whole case assumed.

Three men had plotted the robbery and murder of Mr.

She must be a heartless creature to sit laughing at some jest within a few hours of her husband's murder.

Douglas and Barker know the truth about the murder, and are conspiring to conceal it, then I can give you a whole-souled answer.

However, we will suppose that they are an extraordinarily astute couple, who deceive everyone upon this point, and conspire to murder the husband.

Then again, if a woman and her lover conspire to murder a husband, are they going to advertise their guilt by ostentatiously removing his wedding ring after his death?

This leads to his murder by someone who is, we will suppose, an avenger, someone from outside.

As it is, he must know that he will be reported to the police by the hotel manager and that his disappearance will be connected with the murder.

I am beginning to form a theory of my own as to these two murders, but it needs building up.

Sir Edward Bransome," the Inspector continued, "I have a theory of my own as to these murders, and though it may take me some time to work it out, I feel myself day by day growing nearer the truth.

The murder of Stangerson was an incident which was entirely unexpected, but which could hardly in any case have been prevented.

The public," it said, "have lost a sensational treat through the sudden death of the man Hope, who was suspected of the murder of Mr.

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The unlawful killing of another human being without justification or excuse. Murder is perhaps the single most serious criminal offense. Depending on the circumstances surrounding the killing, a person who is convicted of murder may be sentenced to many years in prison, a prison sentence with no possibility of Parole, or death.

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This documentary clearly outlines the case of Guy Paul Morin and all of the people involved in it. This video gives a good synopsis of what happened back in 1984

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Guy Paul Morin : Odd Man Out (1992) - the fifth estate

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This video goes into detail about homicide and the various defences to the crime.

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GET THE COMPLETE COURSE FOR $10! - http://bit.ly/Criminal-Law Recommended Reading: Q&A Criminal Law by Norman Baird (Kindle Edition) - http://amzn.to/2gKV2YZ Q&A Criminal Law by Norman Baird (Paperback Edition) - http://amzn.to/2fmeiLQ Smith & Hogan's Criminal Law by David Ormerod and Karl Laird - http://amzn.to/2gtzpfc For complete courses, including Spider Graphs and Case Summaries, visit: English Legal System: http://www.udemy.com/learn-english-law/ Criminal Law: http://bit.ly/Criminal-Law Contract Law: http://bit.ly/Contract-Law Constitutional Law: http://bit.ly/PublicLaw Property Law: http://bit.ly/PropertyLaw Tort Law: http://bit.ly/TortLaw Commercial Law: http://bit.ly/Commercial-Law GET ALL COURSES FOR $69!

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This is where Guy Paul Morin spent 10 months in the Whitby jail awaiting trail for 1st degree murder.

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This article on the case of Guy Paul Morin goes into extreme detail about all of the aspects of the case. even specific dates are mentioned.

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Guy Paul Morin Case | The Canadian Encyclopedia

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History, politics, arts, science & more: the Canadian Encyclopedia is your reference on Canada. Articles, timelines & resources for teachers, students & public.

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This article goes into detail on the different divisions of murder which are 1st degree and 2nd degree. The article also defines manslaughter as the unintentional killing of a person based on the individuals actions, such as fatal car accidents.

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Study of crime rates in Canadian Major cities

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Study of crime rates in Canadian Major cities

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This study ranks Canada's biggest cities by their crime rates. Coming in 16th place is the city of Toronto, with a scary rating of 2.57 homicides/murders per 100,000 people.

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We've looked at the crime rate in small size cities to find out which places in Canada are the kind you might want to avoid. Now it's time to look at the big, bad Metropolitan Census Areas (CMAs), which is what Statistics Canada calls the main urban areas, in Canada. The big bad cities.

The question we have to ask is: are you safer in a large city in Canada or in a smaller town?

The answer depends on where in Canada your small town is located. Some small towns are among the safest places to live in the country. Others, like the ones we investigated in part 1 of this article, are places where the crime is so bad you should think twice before moving there.

The answer also depends on what type of crime we're talking about. If break & enter worries you, then small cities on the prairies are definitely no-go places for you. But if other types of crimes are your main concern (armed robbery perhaps), then Canada's biggest cities might not be your ideal location to settle and live. Remember, we're talking about crime rates that, relative to most countries in the world, are quite low. But the fact that armed robberies are much lower in Toronto than Detroit doesn't do you much good if you get a handgun stuck in your face during a trip to your local Mac's convenience store - assuming it hasn't been rebranded as a Circle K store by then.

It's time to look at 16 Cities you should be careful about moving to in Canada.

Census Metropolitan Areas with the Highest Crime Rates

16. Toronto, Ontario - population 2,876,095

by Taxiarchos228 / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

With a homicide rate soaring to 2.57 per 100,000 bringing it well above Canada's rate of 1.68 is it any wonder many people stay away from Canada's largest city? Think about it, the homicide rate is slightly more than double London's rate of 1.2 per 100,000 and getting uncomfortably close to New York's terrifying rate of 3.4 per 100,000 population. If this keeps up, you'll have all sorts of cop shows actually filmed in Toronto's dangerous alleyways with the city masquerading as an American city. Oh wait. That's already been happening for around 30 years. And Toronto's crime rates - with a Crime Severity Index (CSI) of 59 - ranks it at 124 th worst among Canadian cities and towns.

Is Toronto, in fact, dangerous? Historically the city is as safe as it's been for the past several decades and while 1 homicide is one too many, 2.57 is a reasonable rate for a city that now has almost 3 million inhabitants. The Violent CSI, however, comes in at 104 which puts Toronto in the much less impressive 32 nd spot among towns and cities in Canada. The assault rate and the sexual assault rates are about the same or slightly less than the nation's average rates. But robbery and firearm offences are more than double the average. Impaired driving is at a much lower rate than the average. Drugs offences are average or less-than-average. And youth crime is almost non-existent. Which is a little hard to square with violent gang activity in the city. It seems that a very small percentage of youth are involved in violent gang activity, or that most gang members are adults. And that's where much of the violent crime problem seems to come from, especially gangs with guns.

15. Halifax, Nova Scotia - population 426,083

by Wadyslaw / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

Canada's largest maritime city presents us with a bit of a puzzle. Almost every crime statistic is either less than or close to Canada's average. And Canada's average crime statistics are really quite low because the majority of towns and cities in the country have very little crime indeed. But there's one statistic in Halifax that jumps out at you: homicides. The homicide rate comes in at 2.82 per 100,000, which is higher than Toronto's and getting close to double the national average. Yet at the same time firearm offences are less than half Canada's already low average. How do they kill each other in Halifax? Drunken Sailors bashing each other's skulls in with half-empty kegs of beer? The CSI is 61 which is 121 st while the Violent CSI is 77 which is 71 st in Canada. This feels like a bit of a statistical anomaly that brings a very safe city into the top 16.

14. Kingston, Ontario - population 131,746

by Taxiarchos228 / Wikimedia Commons / Copyleft 1.3

This is the smallest CMA so far on our list with less than 150,000 residents and what seems to be a very healthy crime profile. Consider the following data: No homicides; an assault rate below the average; a firearms offences rate that's a mere 15% of the Canadian average at 0.76 incidents per 100,000 population; a robbery rate just over a third of the national average; a break & enter rate slightly below the national average; impaired driving less than half the average; drugs offences of all kinds below or well below the averages; and a youth crime rate that's about a quarter of the national average. Only sexual assault (65.28 vs. 56.56) and fraud (378 vs. 299) are above average. As well, Kingston's Violent CSI is a very low 44, well below the 75 level for Canada. Kingston's CSI comes in at 62, or 118 th across the survey of 229 towns and cities in Canada.

Ottawa is about an hour's drive up Highway 416 (take the exit off the 401 a few minutes East of Brockville). Toronto is around 3 hours (or less depending on how fast you like to drive) down the 401. And Montreal is a little over 3 hours back East up the 401. That's 3 NHL franchises within more or less 3 hours drive. It's got prisons, universities, and the Royal Military College as well as a cute harbour looking out onto Lake Ontario, with the Thousand Islands tourist area just a short drive away. And a very safe environment. What more could you ask for?

13. Hamilton, Ontario - population 561,022

by Laslovarga / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

Canada's steel town presents a very similar crime profile to Halifax, which makes sense seeing their populations are similar. Homicides come in at 2.14 which is above Canada's average of 1.68 but not by that much. Sexual assaults are above the national average, but assaults come in at 365 per 100,000 which is noticeably lower than the average of 431. Firearm offences are 4.28 compared to a national average of 6.79. Robberies are higher but break & enter is lower and impaired driving and drug offences are all less than the national average. Youth crime is minimal. The city's CSI is 63 while the Violent CSI comes in at 81. Which given the individual crime stats for the city is a little puzzling. But - as we explained in our other article - it's all about the weights assigned to each type of crime. And that is a closely guarded secret it seems. Hamilton is safe, if not quite as safe as its big brother just east long Lake Ontario's shoreline.

12. Montreal, Quebec - population 2,014,221

by Selbymay / Wikimedia / CC BY-SA 3.0

There was a time many years ago, when Montreal could be a truly violent city, leading Canada in armed robberies for example. Those days appear to be over, at least for now. In fact, as with many other cities, it's a bit of a mystery why Montreal isn't lower down the list in terms of its CSI which comes in at 72. Homicide rate? 1.19, way below Canada's average. Assault rate? 338 per 100,000 as opposed to an average of 431. Sexual assault rate? Below Canada's average. Firearms offences? Slightly below the national average. Fraud. Impaired driving. Cocaine trafficking. All below the national average. Youth crime? Well below Canada's average. So why is Montreal rated worse for crime than cities like Halifax and Hamilton? Its Violent CSI is a rather surprising 96 which ranks 40th out of the 229 cities and towns surveyed. That's far higher in terms of crime than the CSI index which ranks 97 th. While break & enter is slightly higher than the average, robberies are twice as high as Canada's average. Combine that with a firearms offence rate that's close to the average and it seems that armed robbery is a problem in Montreal. Could this be why the city's Violent CSI is so high? Maybe the city's long history of armed robberies is, in fact, still alive and thriving.

11. Calgary, Alberta - population 1,318,817

by SmartCanadian / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

This should be a safer city. It has good statistics on most indicators of crime. Assault and sexual assault are below average. Firearms incidents are well below average at 1.67 per 100,000 compared to 6.79 on average in Canada. Robberies and fraud are slightly above average, while break & enter has a rate of 590 per 100,000 compared to Canada's average of 439. Impaired driving is less than half the national average while drugs offences of all kinds are well below the average for Canada. Youth crime is quite low at 6.14 per 100,00 compared to 16.74 on average in Canada. But homicides come in at 2.27 per 100,000 which is noticeably above Canada's average of 1.68 and a little higher than Hamilton's rate of homicide. That leaves the city of Calgary with a CSI of 74, slightly above Canada's average of 70.06 and a Violent CSI of 62 which is below Canada's average of about 75. A handful less homicides in this medium-to-large city and Calgary would be ranked much lower than 93 rd out of 229 on the CSI index. For a city of its size, it's a quite a safe place.

10. London, Ontario - population 397,493

by Adam Colvin / Wikimedia Commons / Copyleft 1.3

London has had a history of being an orderly and peaceful smaller city with lots of insurance company workers living in nice brick homes on tree-lined streets. You would think it would be one of the safest CMAs in terms of its Crime Severity Index. So, having it in the top 10 for CMAs is surprising. And it's hard to tell exactly why it received a CSI of 77 overall which is somewhat above the Canadian average of 70.96. Looking into the details we get a homicide rate of 1.76 which is just above Canada's average and low for a top-10 CSI city. Assault, sexual assault and firearms offences are all below Canada's averages. Robberies are slightly above average while break & enter incidents are slightly below average. Impaired driving is slightly more than a quarter of Canada's average while drugs offences are below or well below the averages. Youth crime is less than a quarter of the average. So why the high CSI ranking? The only indicator that jumps out at you is the rate of fraud incidents at 443 per 100,000 people compared to a national average of 299. That's almost 50% higher than Canada's average. So maybe London, Ontario is the kind of city you have to watch out for being ripped off by some smooth-talking fraudster. Who would have thought?

9. St. John's, Newfoundland - population 207,695

[ Public Domain]

While St. John's might be one of the more dramatically located cities in Canada, with its cliffs and ocean and colorful homes and history, the crime scene is stable. But it's also higher than Canada's averages in general. The homicide rate is 1.93, somewhat above the average of 1.68. Assaults and sexual assaults are somewhat higher than average while firearms incidents are surprisingly high at 17.33 per 100,000 compared to 6.79 for Canada as a whole. Who knew fishermen and oil workers used guns so much? Robberies? 87 vs. 60. Somewhat high. Break & enter? 602 vs. 438. Somewhat high. Fraud? 379 vs. 299. Somewhat high. Impaired driving? 394 vs. 194 per 100,000. More than somewhat high. So, even if drugs related incidents are below average, and youth crime is about half Canada's average, most crime indicators in St. John's are somewhat high. High enough to place the city into Canada's top 10 CSI index cities.

8. Windsor, Ontario - population 221,862

by Tbirdskelding / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

Windsor seems to have a property problem. That is, property crimes are what have driven the CSI to 85 in this city across the river from Detroit. Robberies, break & enter, and fraud are all around 50% higher than the national average. Homicides are below the national average. So are assaults and firearms offences, but sexual assaults are higher than average. Impaired driving is about half Canada's average, but some drug offenses are quite high and well above the country's average rate. Youth crime is higher than most CMAs at around 10 incidents per 100,000 but that's still below the national average of 16.74. Getting robbed or having your home or property broken into are not something Canadians appreciate. And who enjoys being the victim of fraud? So, Windsor's crime story is one of theft and fraud. That's not an insurmountable problem, and hopefully the city can work out some solutions to their crime problems in the years ahead.

7. Thunder Bay, Ontario - population 124, 164

by P199 / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

This is Canada's smallest Census Metropolitan Area and it likely owes its status as a CMA to its location between Southern Ontario and Manitoba and the Prairies. West of Sarnia, there's no other city of comparable size until you hit Winnipeg. A city of 124,000 residents is more vulnerable to statistical anomalies so one has to be cautious comparing what is a small city to its larger CMA peers. But Thunder Bay has had its history of crime problems in the past, so its position at number 7 is not surprising. It has a homicide rate of 6.91 which is about 4 times the national average. Not good. It has an assault rate almost 50% higher than average and a sexual assault rate over 50% higher than the national average. Not good. At the same time it has zero firearms incidents which seems a little odd given the high rate of homicide. Robberies are twice the average for Canada while break & enter is somewhat above average. Impaired driving is close to average while drugs offences are quite low and well below average, except for cocaine trafficking which is just slightly below average in terms of incidents per 100,000 population. Youth crime, however, is 50% higher than Canada's average. Overall, the city seems to display more of a prairies profile when it comes to its crime statistics, even if it is not nearly as dangerous a place as Saskatoon or Regina, for example. Its CSI is 89, clearly above the average of just under 71 while its Violent CSI is a troubling 130, which is getting close to double Canada's average rate of 75 per 100,000.

6. Winnipeg, Manitoba - population 735,552

by Wpg guy / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

We're now in the 100+ club zone. Our remaining Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs), all have CSI index rankings of over 100 which places them clearly in another class compared to the cities we've seen so far. Interestingly, Winnipeg is our first prairies city, which shows us that despite some very safe towns and smaller cities west of Ontario, the West has a crime problem with its larger cities as well. And all our final 6 cities are in either Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, or B.C.

So, how does Winnipeg earn its 108 CSI reading? Homicides are about double the national average at 3.26. Assaults are slightly above average, but sexual assaults are double Canada's average, which is a troubling statistic for anyone. Firearms offences are almost exactly the national average at 6.8 compared to 6.79 but that's far higher than most CMAs on our list. Robberies are 4 times Canada's average and break & enter incidents are about 50% higher than average. Fraud is lower than average by a bit and impaired driving and most drug offences are surprisingly low. Then there's youth crime. At 34.67 it's just over double the national average. This is starting to sound familiar. Like many prairie smaller cities, Winnipeg has a real problem with its youth crime rate. While the city has made improvements from previous years that have been far worse, it still has a way to go to show Canada what a wonderful place it can and should be. A Violent CMI of 159 is not acceptable for a cultured, prosperous city in Canada, or anywhere for that matter.

5. Vancouver, British Columbia - population 670,718

by Anastasia Shesterinia / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

A mild climate. Astonishingly beautiful surroundings. A truly diverse, multicultural population. A vibrant economy with ties to East Asia and the rest of the world. An Olympics host city. A harbour that puts the rest of the country's ports to shame. Come on guys. What are you doing in the top 5? This is a controversial matter because Vancouver claims to be, and by most measures is, a world class Alpha city. And it gets strange when you dig into the individual crime statistics.

Yes, the homicide rate is slightly higher than average but it's still fairly low for a big city at 1.94 per 100,000. Assault comes in at a rate of 396 per 100,000 which is below the average of 431. Sexual assault is fairly high at 70.82 compared to the average for Canada of 56.56. But firearms offences are about half the average. Both robberies and break & enter are almost double the national rate, while fraud is about 25% higher than average. Impaired driving is below average while drugs offences are average or slightly higher than average. Youth crime is only a quarter of Canada's average. So how did Vancouver earn a CSI of 114 placing it 5 th on our list? It must mean that property crimes (robbery, break & enter, and fraud) are given fairly high weights when calculating the Crime Severity Index.

4. Edmonton, Alberta - population 969,068

by Darren Kirby / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

Edmonton has a CSI of 118, which is very high for a CMA. Yet, once again, none of its individual crime statistics stand out as being incredibly bad. It's just that the accumulation of fairly bad statistics in most categories means your CSI will inevitably be bad. Homicides at 3.92 per 100,000 are slightly more than double the national average. Fairly bad. While assaults are a little lower than average, sexual assaults come in at a rate that's about 50% higher than average. Fairly bad if not worse. Firearms offences have an incidence rate of 7.95 per 100,000 which is above the 6.79 average for Canada. Fairly bad for a larger city in Canada. Robberies are more than double the average. Bad to fairly bad. Break & enter is almost 50% higher than average. Fairly bad. Fraud is close to double the average. Bad to fairly bad. Impaired driving and cannabis trafficking are less than average but other drugs offences are almost double the averages. Fairly bad. Youth crime at 13 incidents per 100,000 population is lower than average but much higher than most CMAs. Fairly bad. Edmonton has a widespread crime problem across all types of crime. This will not be easy to solve.

3. Victoria, British Columbia - population 367,770 (Greater Victoria)

by Dmgerman / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0

The fact that what was once a quaint city of hilly streets, incredible views, and weather that did not seem Canadian, is now in the top 3 CMAs for high Crime Severity Indexes shows how crime can be a problem anywhere and everywhere. How does Victoria end up with a CSI of 119? Let's find out.

Homicide rates for Victoria are low, 0.95 which is slightly more than half Canada's rate. Firearms offences are low as well at 2.86 per 100,000 population, less than half Canada's average. But the assault rate is two and a half times the average and the sexual assault rate is over twice the average. Robberies and break & enter are about 50% higher while fraud is around 25% higher. Impaired driving and drug offences are noticeably higher than average while the youth crime rate is just under Canada's average, which once again, is high for a CMA. There's a problem with these numbers, however. The data gives Victoria's population as 104,777. But greater Victoria has a population of 367,770, which is over 3 times greater. Is it possible that the statisticians at Maclean's used crime figures for greater Victoria but used the city of Victoria's population as the base? If so, then all these numbers are 3 times too large, which would take Victoria out of the top 3 and put it way down on our list, where it belongs.

2. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan - population 266,064

by Daryl Mitchell / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0

Saskatoon must be tired of being at or near the top of these type lists, but facts are facts and their crime statistics suck, to put it bluntly. Everything is double or at least 50% higher than average. Homicides are double the average. Assault is 50% higher. Sexual assault is double the average. Robbery is double. Break & enter is about double. Fraud is almost 50% higher. The good news? Impaired driving is less than average while firearm offences are only about 25% higher than average. Drug offences are average or slightly higher. The bad news? The youth crime rate is atrocious at almost 147 incidents per 100,000 population. That's almost 9 times the average for Canada. That's a problem that Saskatoon and more than a few smaller cities and towns out West are still struggling with. We'll all have to be patient as far as a solution is concerned. And meantime we should all look elsewhere for a place to live and work when faced with a CSI of 128 and a Violent CSI of 129.

1.Regina, Saskatchewan - population 223,637

by Jd. 101 / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

Regina has similar but slightly higher CSI and Violent CSI numbers compared to Saskatoon, at 132 and 133 respectively. But its individual crime statistics don't seem to support this. The homicide rate is 3.58 per 100,000 compared to Saskatoon's higher rate, while it's assault and sexual assault rates are slightly over average levels compared to Saskatoon's being much higher. Firearms offences are noticeably higher at 25.93, which is over 3 times the average for Canada. Robbery, break & enter, and fraud are double, 50%, and about 30% higher than the averages which is less than Saskatoon. Impaired driving is noticeably higher, but drug offences are about the same or lower compared to Saskatoon. And youth crime while very high is 6 times the average compared to 9 times in Saskatoon. Could the difference be due to the higher firearms violations? Is armed robbery a much bigger problem in Regina? Either way, both cities have and have had crime problems for quite a while now and will have to show some innovative ways to make their cities safer for their residents.

We admit it. When we said we were about to list 16 major Canadian cities to avoid we knew perfectly well that you can't avoid 16 major cities in Canada if you're looking for a place to work and live. We don't have the same choice that people in the U.S. do, for example. No one who has a good job offer in Toronto will think twice about its CSI of 59 which is astonishingly safe for a large metropolitan city. But it's always a good idea to examine your assumptions about crime and safety in Canada and see where some of the dangers lie. Vancouver and especially Victoria have surprisingly high crime rates. We wonder if perhaps some of the statistics behind these are perhaps a little flawed in their methodology, but without the base data, it's hard to tell. What we do know is that Canadians value their peace and order (and good government) and any city that wishes to attract hard-working and skilled migrants or native-born workers needs to solve its crime problems. Getting the information out there is the first step.

Wondering where all the really bad cities are? Well, they're smaller.
Canada's Worst Smaller Cities for Crime

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Top 16 Worst Major Cities in Canada by Crime Rate 2019

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We've looked at the crime rate in small size cities to find out which places in Canada are the kind you might want to avoid. Now it's time to look at the big, bad Metropolitan Census Areas (CMAs), which is what Statistics Canada calls the main urban areas, in Canada.

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This is a photograph from July 30th 1992, when the jury convicted Morin of First degree murder. This depicts him being escorted to Whitby jail

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This image displays some of the remorse and pain that Guy Morin was faced with when being trialed for a murder that he did not commit.