Homicide Injury Quantification: Correlations and Reliability of Injury Severity Scores Applied to Homicide Victims

No generally accepted method exists for quantifying the degree of injury in homicide victims. This study explores six different injury severity scores with the goal to recommend a valid method that is reliable and easy to use. To investigate this issue, 103 homicides are examined regarding the correlations between these scores. This study concludes that the Homicide Injury Scale is valid, easy to use, and has a satisfactory inter-rater reliability.