M.D. Tenn. · MurderFY2018–FY2025

Districts › Middle District of Tennessee

Murder in the Middle District of Tennessee

Q: What is the typical sentence for murder offences in the Middle District of Tennessee?

The median prison term over FY2018–FY2025 was 290 months (24 yr 2 mo), with the middle half of terms between 110 and 420 months. — of cases carried a prison term. The national median for murder offences is 240 months.

Q: How does this compare with the rest of the country?

Nationally, murder offences had a median prison term of 240 months and a within-range share of 38% over the same period. The district's figures are above on median term and null the national within-range share.

Q: Which guidelines are involved?

The most common primary guidelines for these cases are §none, §2A1.1 and §2X3.1.

Q: Is this a prediction for a particular case?

No. The figures are aggregates of sentences already imposed, as recorded by the US Sentencing Commission. They are not legal advice and do not estimate the outcome of any case.

M.D. Tenn. · Sixth Circuit · Murder nationally

The datafile contains cases reported to the Commission with sentencing documents. Sentence length statistics use the Commission's capped variable (sentences of 470 months or longer, including life, are recorded as 470 months) and exclude sentences of probation or a fine only. Figures are aggregates of past cases and are not a prediction for any case.

<10cases, FY202545 over FY2018–FY2025

290median prison monthsnational, this offence: 240

—within guideline rangenational 38%

—cases with a prison termnational —

§ 1Length of prison terms

<10

23%

median 290 mo

under 6 mo6–11 mo1–2 yr2–3 yr3–5 yr5–10 yr10–15 yr15–20 yr20–30 yr30 yr+life

Share of cases with a prison term, by length of the term (44 cases with a prison term; life and terms of 470 months or more counted as life). Grey: murder offences nationally.

Interquartile range 110–420 months; mean 269. 10 cases at the Commission's 470-month cap (life or longer).

§ 2Summary

45 murder offences were sentenced in the Middle District of Tennessee across 8 fiscal years (FY2018–FY2025), <10 of them in FY2025; that is 2% of the district's caseload.

The median prison term was 290 months (24 yr 2 mo), longer than the national median for murder offences (240 months) and close to the Sixth Circuit median (262). Half of prison terms fell between 110 and 420 months; — of cases carried a prison term.

These are aggregates of past cases. The guideline range for any case depends on its offence level, criminal history and statutory minimums, and the sentence on the court's findings; no figure here estimates an outcome.

§ 3Position relative to the guideline range

Within guideline range <10Above range <10Below range, government sponsored 56%Below range, other 22%Not determinable 0

§ 4Compared with the district, the circuit and the nation

Measure	M.D. Tenn., murder	M.D. Tenn., all offences	6th Cir., murder	US, murder
Cases per fiscal year	<10	299	31	384
Share of district caseload	1.9%	100%	—	—
Median prison months	290	57	262	240
Mean prison months	269	76	—	271
Cases with a prison term	—	91%	—	—
Within guideline range	—	26%	34%	38%
Above range	—	3%	—	5%
Below range, government sponsored	56%	43%	47%	42%
Below range, other	22%	28%	17%	15%
Median final offence level	41	22	—	40

§ 5Trend by fiscal year

<10

’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25

Murder cases sentenced per fiscal year (fiscal years 2018–2025)

<10

300

<10

’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25

Median prison months by fiscal year (fiscal years 2018–2025)

Fiscal year	Cases	Prison	Median months	Within range	Below, gov.	Below, other	Above
FY2018	<10	fewer than 10 cases
FY2019	<10	fewer than 10 cases
FY2020	<10	fewer than 10 cases
FY2021	<10	fewer than 10 cases
FY2022	<10	fewer than 10 cases
FY2023	<10	fewer than 10 cases
FY2024	17	100%	300	—	59%	—	0%
FY2025	<10	fewer than 10 cases

§ 6Criminal history

Category I<10

Category II<10

Category III<10

Category IV27% · 11%

Category V<10

Category VI22% · 15%

Share of cases at each final criminal history category; grey figure: murder offences nationally.

§ 7Guidelines applied

§none · 180 cases in the district (all offence types)
§2A1.1 First degree murder · 36 cases in the district (all offence types)
§2X3.1 Accessory after the fact · 14 cases in the district (all offence types)
§2A1.5 · <10 cases in the district (all offence types)
§2A1.2 Second degree murder · <10 cases in the district (all offence types)

Primary guidelines the Commission associates with this offence type, with the district's caseload under each across all offence types.

§ 8Questions and answers

What is the typical sentence for murder offences in the Middle District of Tennessee?

The median prison term over FY2018–FY2025 was 290 months (24 yr 2 mo), with the middle half of terms between 110 and 420 months. — of cases carried a prison term. The national median for murder offences is 240 months.

How often are murder offences sentenced below the guideline range here?

Not enough cases to show.

How does this compare with the rest of the country?

Nationally, murder offences had a median prison term of 240 months and a within-range share of 38% over the same period. The district's figures are above on median term and null the national within-range share.

Which guidelines are involved?

The most common primary guidelines for these cases are §none, §2A1.1 and §2X3.1.

Is this a prediction for a particular case?

No. The figures are aggregates of sentences already imposed, as recorded by the US Sentencing Commission. They are not legal advice and do not estimate the outcome of any case.

§ 9Other offence types in the Middle District of Tennessee

§ 10Provenance

Source: United States Sentencing Commission, Individual Offender Datafiles, fiscal years 2018–2025 (US government works), aggregated by this site; the FY2025 file is dated 29 Apr 2026. Offence type is the Commission's OFFGUIDE code 22; district is CIRCDIST 44. Counts below 10 are hidden or pooled. Errors in this site's processing are corrected at the next build; see corrections. Methodology.