Intimate Partner Violence and Homicide in America

Every day in the United States, nearly four women are killed by an intimate partner. In 2023, over 2400 females were killed by males: 9 out of 10 knew their killers, and in 57.1% of cases, victims were wives or intimate acquaintances of the perpetrator. Women are the victims of IPH (intimate partner homicide) in 77.9% of cases.

In this study, we’ll look closely at spousal homicide and all associated factors. We’ll consider who is carrying out spousal violence, the enforcement gaps linked to rising spousal homicide rates, the high disproportion of female victims, why a significant age gap between married partners is relevant, and the tragic suicide-spike knock-on effect of spousal violence. Ultimately, we’ll provide a clearer picture of the most dangerous states for spouses in America.

Let’s start with a broad look at spousal homicide in America.

Spousal Homicide in America

Every year in the United States, millions of spouses and significant others are victims of domestic violence. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, about 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner, with 1 in 4 women and 1 in 9 men experiencing severe IPH, sexual violence, and/or violent stalking.

Additionally, thousands of spouses/significant others are killed by their abusers, with the vast majority being women.

Most of the female victims of IPH were killed by males during an argument. In heterosexual relationships, most IPH female victims are killed by male abusers; most male victims of IPH are killed by women they first where are abused.

Of the 2400 killed women in 2023, the race of the victim was only established in 2331 cases.

• 1474 were white
• 733 were black
• 79 were Asian or Pacific Islander 
• 45 were American Indian or Alaskan Native.

The most common triggering IPH event is when a victim attempts to leave a relationship, with guns used in a growing number of cases (according to National Institute of Justice data).

Around 4.5 million women currently living in the U.S. have been threatened by an intimate partner with a gun, according to a University of Pennsylvania analysis from Susan Sorenson and Rebecca Schut. The percentage of females killed by males with a firearm has increased: from 51% in 2011 to 64.9% by 2023.

The Most Dangerous States For Spouses in the USA

More than 55% of murdered women in the U.S. are killed following intimate partner violence. And in some states, IPV is particularly acute.

Oklahoma has the highest domestic violence rate in the country: 49.1% of women and 40.7% of men experience intimate partner violence, rape, or stalking during their lifetimes. The state also ranked third nationally for women killed by men in single-victim homicides.

Kentucky has the second-highest domestic violence rate, with 45.3% of women and 35.5% of men victims. In a single day in 2019, Kentucky domestic violence programs served 1,420 survivors, while 128 requests for help went unmet due to limited resources. Kentucky also ranked 11th nationally for femicides.

Missouri ranks third for domestic violence, with 41.8% of women and 35.2% of men suffering intimate partner violence (or stalking). In 2018, the state recorded more than 45,000 domestic violence incidents, a 10% increase from 2014 figures.

Nevada has a long history of elevated domestic violence and sexual assault rates. About 48.1% of Nevada’s women and 30.9% of its men suffer intimate partner violence during their lifetimes, while domestic violence services received more than 65,000 contacts in 2014 alone. Nevada also has one of the USA’s highest rape rates.

Arizona ranks fifth nationally for domestic violence, with 42.6% of women and 33.4% of men victims of intimate partner violence, sexual violence, or stalking.

Nearly 304,000 Arizona women have experienced intimate partner stalking, with 96 domestic violence-related deaths recorded in the state in 2019.

Murder-Suicide: On the Rise in the U.S.

During the first half of 2025, there were 237 murder-suicide events in the United States featuring 526 victims. By a considerable margin, Texas suffered the highest number. By that metric, it’s the most dangerous state for spouses in the U.S.

The following states are those that suffered the fewest murder-suicide events during the study period, with eight states subject to no murder-suicides.

The combination of the murder of a female partner followed by male suicide is on the rise in the United States. Intimate partner murder-suicides also often involve additional fatalities, usually children. The family mass-shooting in this context is the most common type of mass-shooting in the U.S.

Men are the perpetrators in over 90% of murder-suicides, with over two-thirds of cases the culmination of longstanding intimate partner violence. Children are killed in 16% of murder-suicide incidents, according to a 2026 Violence Policy Center study.

In about 80% of murder-suicide cases, the killer is known to authorities or had a documented history of abusive behavior before the fateful incident. The United States is currently subject to three times as many familicide cases per year as Canada, eight times as many as Britain, and 15 times as many as Australia.

In Texas, a 2025 murder-suicide case drew attention to concerns around the issue of repeat violent offenders and bond supervision. According to official accounts, 26-year-old Austin Collette killed his girlfriend before taking his own life, despite previously pleading guilty to a separate homicide case and sabotaging ankle monitor restrictions while out on bond.

Intimate Partner Violence: An Overview

Intimate partner violence (IPV) accounts for roughly 15% of all violent crime. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one in three women and one in four men in the United States have experienced physical violence, rape, or stalking by an intimate partner during their lifetime.

Each year, more than a million people report violent attacks by intimate partners, with healthcare costs related to domestic violence exceeding $4 billion.

From 2020 to 2024, 31% of aggravated assault cases were classified as domestic in nature. Personal weapons (hands, fists, and feet) were the most commonly reported weapons used in both domestic and non-domestic violent crimes. Over the same period, there were 11,466 IPH victims, with more than 1.1 million victims experiencing violent crimes tied to a domestic relationship, and nearly 700,000 victims sustaining injuries.

For rapes committed in both domestic and non-domestic relationships, the most common victim age was between 13 and 16 years old. In domestic cases, victims were usually current or former partners or children, while non-domestic victims were usually acquaintances of the perpetrator.

International studies also show the severe impacts of domestic violence. One study in Sharkia Governorate found a domestic violence rate among reproductive-age women of 88%, with psychological abuse the most frequently occurring factor, followed by physical and economic violence. Husbands were identified as the main perpetrators.

The health consequences of intimate partner violence are significant. IPV increases the likelihood of unintended pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, HIV, miscarriage, stillbirth, preterm birth, depression, PTSD, anxiety, insomnia, substance abuse, and suicide ideation and attempts. World Health Organization research found that women who experienced partner violence were far more likely to suffer depression, alcohol abuse, miscarriage, and preterm birth compared to women who hadn’t.

In intimate partner murder-suicides, the average age gap between offender and victim was 5.2 years. Research suggests homicide risk increases as partner age differences widen.

The home remains the most common location for murder-suicides, accounting for 80% of incidents overall and 85% of intimate partner-related cases. Research consistently identifies the home as the most dangerous setting for victims of intimate partner violence.

Most murder-suicides involved one victim (84%), while 10% involved two victims and 6% involved three or more.

Adults aged 55 and older accounted for 25% of murder-suicide offenders. Although older adults rarely commit homicide overall, they are disproportionately represented when we examine suicide statistics.

Trending Alpine Divorces

Separation, divorce, and child custody disputes are frequently identified as precursors to family violence. One study of mass shootings found that nearly half of family homicides involving multiple victims had also involved family court appearances. And the landmark Campbell et al. (2003) study found that 44% of women murdered by intimate partners had already left or were attempting to leave the relationship.

Research also highlights major misconceptions surrounding abuse allegations in custody disputes. A study by Haselschwerdt et al. found that custody evaluators without domestic violence training wrongly believed 40-80% of domestic abuse allegations were false. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services later confirmed that only 0.04% of child abuse reports are intentionally false.

More recently, a viral TikTok trend known as ‘alpine divorce’ referencing patterns of abandonment and coercive behavior within relationships generated more than 25 million views by March 2026. The term references a situation in which a partner abandons someone in a remote outdoor location, often during a hiking or climbing trip.

The phrase would appear to originate from Robert Barr’s 1893 short story An Alpine Divorce, in which a man plots to kill his wife during a trip through the Swiss Alps.

Public attention regarding the term spiked when mountaineer Thomas Plamberger was convicted of gross negligent manslaughter after abandoning his girlfriend, Kerstin Gurtner, on Austria’s Grossglockner mountain (Gurtner later died of hypothermia). The case sparked debate about responsibility, coercion, and partner safety in extreme outdoor environments.

Relationship experts interviewed by Yahoo News described ‘alpine divorce’ behavior as a sign of dominant, coercive control that limits a partner’s safety, autonomy, or freedom.

The trend has also highlighted the growing role of digital evidence in family law disputes. Family attorneys have long encouraged clients to fully document troubling behavior patterns, with social media posts, text messages, and location data all potentially key means of establishing abusive patterns.

Cases of ‘Alpine divorce’ continue to emerge, retaining the trend’s prominence in the public consciousness: on April 9, 2026, in Hawaii, a doctor was found guilty of attempting to kill his wife during a ‘romantic’ mountain hike.

Lessening the Impact of Domestic Violence and Homicide

Clearly, intimate partner violence and homicide are consistently significant problems in the United States, with murder-suicides a linked, rising issue. For many states, the problem is especially acute: in such cases, immediate moves to provide better deterrents and protections are paramount. 

Despite a small decline in IPH numbers over the last 40 years, other factors have dramatically shifted. For example, in 1976, women and men were killed by intimate partners in similar numbers. As things stand, women are far more likely to be the victims of an IPH, with men far and away the biggest perpetrators of all types of domestic violence. 

20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner, with 1 in 4 women and 1 in 9 men experiencing severe IPH, sexual violence, and/or violent stalking

Generally, worries about enforcement efficacy, adequate risk-appreciation (only 47% of female IPH victims are fully aware of how dangerous their abuser is), and gun involvement represent enormous challenges for the authorities and for those vulnerable to intimidation, assault, and worse. Some changes intended to improve matters have already been made. 

22 states and the District of Columbia have imposed ‘extreme risk protection order’ laws. Widely known as ‘red flag’ laws, they enable civil courts to temporarily prevent high-risk individuals from harming themselves or others by possessing or purchasing firearms. With thousands of people dying every year from domestic violence, the laws should save lives, with further measures urgently needed.

If your case involves spousal abuse, you need a legal professional by your side as soon as possible. Take the proper steps to protect yourself and your family members by hiring a Houston domestic violence lawyer.

At the Law Offices of Tad Nelson & Associates, we’re uniquely qualified to handle these types of cases, as our law firm is committed to both Texas family law and Texas criminal law. Get in touch with us today for the help you need.