Study finds homicidal poisoning rising, more likely in infants and elderly. uga.edu/news. May 7, 2009. Homicidal poisonings are rare but on the rise—and infants are the most common victims—according to a new University of Georgia study that aims to raise awareness of this often overlooked crime. Greene Shepherd, clinical professor in the UGA College of Pharmacy, and recent graduate Brian Ferslew examined seven years of recent federal mortality data and identified 523 deaths due to homicidal poisoning—a figure that corresponds to a rate of 0.26 poisonings per million people. The study found that although poisonings account for less than one percent of all homicides, they appear to be on the rise. The study documented a low of 0.20 cases per million in 2000 and a high of 0.35 in 2004. In 2005, the last year for which data is available, the rate was 0.3 per million people.[ See ]