---
title: 'STUDIES: Research Shows That Race of the Victim Matters in North Carolina Death Penalty'
description: 'A recent study in North Carolina found that the odds of a defendant receiving a death sentence were three times higher if the person was convicted of…'
canonical: 'https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/studies-research-shows-that-race-of-the-victim-matters-in-north-carolina-death-penalty'
section: news
date: '2010-07-27T14:34:15-04:00'
updated: '2025-03-14T14:28:25-04:00'
source: 'Death Penalty Information Center'
---

A recent study in **North Carolina** found that the odds of a defendant receiving a death sentence were three times higher if the person was convicted of killing a white person than if he had killed a black person. The study, conducted by Professors **Michael Radelet** and **Glenn Pierce**, examined 15,281 homicides in the state between 1980 and 2007, which resulted in 368 death sentences. Even after accounting for additional factors, such as multiple victims or homicides accompanied with a rape, robbery or other felony, researchers found that race was still a significant predictor of who was sentenced to death. The study will be published in the *North Carolina Law Review*. It is the first examination of the North Carolina death penalty since the state passed the **Racial Justice Act** in 2009. The law allows murder suspects and death row inmates to present statistical evidence of racial bias to ensure that the defendant’s or victim’s race does not play a key role in the defendant’s sentence.

 *Michael Radelet is a sociology professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Glenn Pierce is a research scientist in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Northeastern University in Boston.*

(M. Burns, "[Study: Race plays role in N.C. death penalty](https://www.wral.com/news/local/story/8017956/)," WRAL.com, July 22, 2010). See [**Race**](/race-and-death-penalty) and [**Studies**](/studies-and-additional-resources).