There is a statistical bit that really needs to be cleaned up in the future. Does murder/manslaughter in this case mean criminal convictions for same?
The problem begins with the Medical Examiner, who at the Coroner’s Inquest reaches an official determination as to the cause of death. HHS issues a Handbook on Medical Certification of Death (a very informative .pdf file, which should be archived.)
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/misc/hb_cod.pdf
What matters, from the statistical point of view, as far as we are concerned, is the declaration of “homicide”, which only effectively means that a person was “caused to die”, either by their own, or someone else’s actions.
Only very limited statistics can be compiled from this, because it does not assign fault, if that fault, or a part of it, was criminal or civil, with the possibility of criminal or civil liability.
Next up, a prosecutor decides that a culpable murder or manslaughter was committed. But no statistic comes from this. He then forwards an indictment to a grand jury. And all they can do is determine if their is enough evidence to approve an indictment.
The trial phase again presents statistical problems, because of plea bargain, which may or may not include an admission of guilt or no contest, and the various findings by a trial jury of guilty, not guilty, innocent, not guilty by reason of insanity, and guilty but insane.
The bottom line is that there could be a dozen homicides, but only two legal findings of criminal guilt, and thus murder or manslaughter.
The Minnesota statistics are not for all homicides. The Minnesota annual report specifies that it is for murder and manslaughter.