Which group of states has a higher homicide rate?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Group A: Texas, Florida, Virginia, Missouri, California, Oklahoma

Group B: North Dakota, Vermont, Alaska, Iowa, Minnesota, Maine

Now can anyone tell me what all the states in each group have in common with each other?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

BRTD that doesn't prove anything. Your assertion seems to be that the death penalty causes high murder rates. But its also possible that high murder rates piss everyone off and cause them to demand the death penalty. It is also possible that there is no correlation at all, simply coincidence.

Michigan does not have a death penalty but the murder rate in Detroit is very high. How does that factor in?

The point is the death penalty does not function as a deterrent.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Yes, there are