Review Process

Case Selection:

The team reviews two - three cases each year.

Cases deemed "eligible" for team review must meet the following criteria:

• Case must be closed to prosecution with no active appeals

• Case must be at least one-year old

• Case needs to be from within the Fourth Judicial District, Hennepin County area

Case Review:

Each case review begins with a case chronology which narrates the life events of both the victim and perpetrator, and serves as a primary reference point for members throughout the duration of the case review process.

A case chronology establishes a working timeline that includes the following information for consideration:

• Date of birth

• Major life events

• Interactions with various systems

• The date of domestic homicide

• Events preceding the homicide

Opportunities for Intervention:

By the conclusion of each review year, the Team compiles a comprehensive record of all key issues, observations, risk factors, and Opportunities for Intervention identified throughout the totality of cases reviewed.

These findings are integral to the development of the annual report:

• Opportunities for improved system identification and prevention of domestic violence are declared

• Recommendations are shared across agencies at a local, county, and state-level to help prevent future domestic homicides

• Presentations are offered upon request to help raise awareness