Homicides and the Lunar Cycle: Toward a Theory of Lunar Influence on Human Emotional Disturbance

Data on homicides were analyzed by computer to determine whether a relationship exists between the lunar synodic cycle and human emotional disturbance. A statistically significant lunar periodicity was demonstrated for homicides committed in Dade County, Fla., over a 15-year period. A similar, but nonsignificant, periodicity was found for homicides occurring over a 13-year period in Cuyahoga County, Ohio.