Overview
Tragically, every capital murder case involves at least one deceased victim. Vindication for victims and closure for victims’ families are often held out as primary reasons for supporting the death penalty. However, many people in this circumstance believe that another killing would not bring closure and that the death penalty is a disservice to victims.
The families and associates of the victims (sometimes called “covictims”) can play a key role in how a case proceeds in the courts. The prosecution may consult with the families on whether to seek the death penalty or to accept a plea to a lesser sentence. If death is pursued, family members may be asked to testify at the sentencing phase to describe the impact the murder has had on their own lives. Victims’ families often speak at legislative hearings on the death penalty, both in favor of and in opposition to a death penalty statute.
Statistically, the race of the victim can be relevant to the issues of arbitrary application and racial discrimination in the death penalty. Studies have shown that death cases disproportionately involve white victims in the underlying murder.
The Issue
Victims’ family members who oppose the death penalty are sometimes ignored if the prosecution is intent on seeking the most extreme punishment. In addition, victim impact statements at sentencing proceedings can be so dramatic and powerful as to overwhelm any mitigating factors presented about the defendant’s life history.
What DPI Offers
DPI keeps track of the race and gender of all victims in cases where there has been an execution. The voices of victims’ families are highlighted as offering an important and unique perspective on the death penalty.
News & Developments
News
Dec 11, 2025
Tennessee Co-Victim Says Capital Punishment is Not Restorative
“We don’t need more death. We need more care.” — Anna Lee, victim family member — In a December 9, 2025, opinion article in The Tennessean, Anna Lee, a murder-victim family member whose beloved great-uncle’s killer, Nick Sutton, was executed six years ago explains how the death penalty has not brought her family healing or justice. In the piece, Ms. Lee compassionately describes the long-term emotional and financial toll the capital punishment system imposes…
Read MoreNews
Sep 22, 2025
Victims’ Families in Kirk and Berry Cases Cite Religious Reasons for Opposition to the Death Penalty
Murder victims’ family members hold a wide range of views about what justice means. For some, the death penalty holds the promise of closure, while for others, it is a source of continued trauma and uncertainty. In two recent cases, victims’ family members have publicly expressed their opposition to the death penalty, citing their religious views and need to forgive. Will Berry was just 11 years old when Geoffrey West shot and killed his mother, Margaret Parrish…
Read MoreNews
Jul 21, 2025
Facts About the Death Penalty — Do All Victims’ Family Members Support the Death Penalty?
> “The assumption that all victims’ families favor the death penalty is so entrenched that families who oppose the death penalty sometimes experience discrimination within the criminal justice system from prosecutors, judges, or court-appointed victims’ advocates.” > > Victim advocacy group, Murder Victims for Human Rights There is a commonly held belief that use of the death penalty is always supported by the friends and families who have lost loved ones…
Read MoreNews
May 14, 2025
Murder Victims’ Family Members Ask Tennessee Governor Lee to Halt Scheduled Executions
On May 8, 2025, a group of family members who have lost loved ones to violence in Tennessee delivered a letter to Governor Bill Lee’s office requesting that he halt the state’s upcoming scheduled executions. In their letter, the group of 51“victims, survivors, and family members of those impacted by violent crime” argue the death penalty does not act as a healing tool for victims and takes away from state-funded resources that could help with their healing. For these…
Read MoreNews
May 07, 2025
Victims’ Families Remain Divided on Federal Death Penalty
Recent attention on the federal death penalty is highlighting the diverse opinions of victims’ families who have lost loved ones to violence. Like Americans from all walks of life, victims’ families hold a diverse set of views on capital punishment, shaped by their individual faith, political views, and personal reaction to being impacted by crime. Some support the death penalty, and others oppose it. Some victims’ family members are part of organizations…
Read More