Guidelines Manual, Chapter TwoFY2018–FY2025
§2A1.2
Second degree murder · 0.1% of federal cases · Guidelines Manual
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.
§ 1Length of prison terms
Interquartile range 168–327 months; mean 248. 60 cases at the 470-month cap.
§ 2Summary
§2A1.2 (second degree murder) was the primary guideline in 553 cases sentenced across 8 fiscal years (FY2018–FY2025), 0.1% of all cases, with 94 in FY2025. The Commission classes most of them as murder.
The median prison term under §2A1.2 was 235 months (19 yr 7 mo) (all cases nationally: 24 months); 100% of cases carried a prison term.
46% of sentences were within the guideline range. Of the rest, 25% were below the range on a government motion, 11% below it for other reasons and 19% above it. The departure and variance table below uses the Commission's nine SENTRNGE categories.
FY2025 had more cases than FY2018 (94 against 47). The median prison term was about the same in FY2025 as in FY2018.
§ 3Departures and variances
Within guideline range 46%Above range 19%Below range, government sponsored 25%Below range, other 11%Not determinable <10
| Commission category (SENTRNGE) | Cases | Share | All cases |
|---|---|---|---|
| Within range | 251 | 45.5% | 47.4% |
| Upward departure | 51 | 9.2% | 0.5% |
| Above-range variance | 55 | 10.0% | 2.6% |
| §5K1.1 substantial assistance | 43 | 7.8% | 9.5% |
| §5K3.1 early disposition | <10 | — | 9.2% |
| Government-sponsored departure | 28 | 5.1% | 1.9% |
| Government-sponsored variance | 62 | 11.2% | 8.0% |
| Downward departure | <10 | — | 2.1% |
| Below-range variance | 52 | 9.4% | 18.8% |
| Missing or indeterminable | <10 | — | — |
Shares are of cases with a determinable range status. Departures cite a provision of the Guidelines Manual; variances rest on the statutory sentencing factors (18 U.S.C. §3553(a)) after United States v. Booker.
§ 4Cases by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Cases | Prison | Median months | Within range | Below, gov. | Below, other | Above |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2018 | 47 | 100% | 259 | 51% | 23% | — | — |
| FY2019 | 45 | 100% | 180 | 36% | 24% | — | 27% |
| FY2020 | 27 | 100% | 210 | 63% | — | — | — |
| FY2021 | 45 | 100% | 210 | 36% | 29% | — | 22% |
| FY2022 | 80 | 100% | 218 | 48% | 24% | — | 20% |
| FY2023 | 110 | 100% | 262 | 45% | 24% | 14% | 17% |
| FY2024 | 105 | 100% | 210 | 51% | 22% | 10% | 18% |
| FY2025 | 94 | 100% | 251 | 40% | 30% | 12% | 18% |
§ 5Offence types the Commission assigns
| Primary offence type | Cases | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Murder | 553 | 100.0% |
§ 6Districts with the most cases
| District | Cases | Prison | Median months | Within range | Below, gov. | Below, other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Arizona D. Ariz. | 83 | 100% | 210 | 52% | 22% | — |
| Eastern District of Oklahoma E.D. Okla. | 64 | 100% | 297 | 58% | — | — |
| Northern District of Oklahoma N.D. Okla. | 50 | 100% | 294 | 36% | — | — |
| District of New Mexico D.N.M. | 47 | 100% | 180 | 26% | 51% | — |
| District of South Dakota D.S.D. | 29 | 100% | 300 | 59% | — | — |
| District of South Carolina D.S.C. | 26 | 100% | 84 | — | 46% | 39% |
| Eastern District of Michigan E.D. Mich. | 16 | 100% | 271 | — | — | — |
| Southern District of New York S.D.N.Y. | 13 | 100% | 156 | — | — | — |
| District of Minnesota D. Minn. | 12 | 100% | 214 | — | — | — |
| Southern District of Mississippi S.D. Miss. | 11 | 100% | 190 | — | — | — |
| District of Puerto Rico D.P.R. | 10 | 100% | 142 | — | — | 0% |
| District of North Dakota D.N.D. | 10 | 100% | 329 | — | — | — |
| District of Montana D. Mont. | 10 | 100% | 218 | — | — | — |
| Central District of California C.D. Cal. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Northern District of Texas N.D. Tex. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Eastern District of Washington E.D. Wash. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Southern District of Illinois S.D. Ill. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Western District of Missouri W.D. Mo. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Western District of Oklahoma W.D. Okla. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| District of Utah D. Utah | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
By circuit
| Circuit | Cases | Prison | Median months | Within range | Below, gov. | Below, other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia Circuit | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| First Circuit | 11 | 100% | 149 | — | — | 0% |
| Second Circuit | 25 | 100% | 156 | — | 42% | — |
| Third Circuit | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Fourth Circuit | 43 | 100% | 121 | 33% | 33% | 30% |
| Fifth Circuit | 35 | 100% | 192 | 60% | — | — |
| Sixth Circuit | 29 | 100% | 190 | 45% | — | — |
| Seventh Circuit | 14 | 100% | 409 | — | — | — |
| Eighth Circuit | 70 | 100% | 257 | 47% | 20% | — |
| Ninth Circuit | 128 | 100% | 238 | 54% | 19% | 8% |
| Tenth Circuit | 184 | 100% | 240 | 42% | 25% | 7% |
| Eleventh Circuit | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
§ 7Questions and answers
What is §2A1.2?
Section 2A1.2 of the Guidelines Manual: second degree murder. On this site a case is counted under a guideline when the Commission records it as the primary guideline (GDLINEHI) applied at sentencing.
What is the typical sentence under §2A1.2?
The median prison term over FY2018–FY2025 was 235 months (19 yr 7 mo), with the middle half between 168 and 327 months.
How often do sentences under §2A1.2 depart or vary from the range?
55% of sentences were outside the guideline range. Substantial-assistance motions under §5K1.1 accounted for 8% and below-range variances for 9%.
Which districts see the most §2A1.2 cases?
the District of Arizona (83), the Eastern District of Oklahoma (64) and the Northern District of Oklahoma (50).
§ 8Provenance
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. Guideline is the Commission's GDLINEHI field (primary guideline applied). Counts below 10 are hidden or pooled. Errors in this site's processing are corrected at the next build; see corrections. Methodology.