heric, where did you find those stats? Here is what I found:

The Year: 2007

Murder rate per 100,000 people

Louisiana        14.2
Maryland        9.8
Alabama               8.9
New Mexico        8.2
South Carolina        8.0
Georgia               7.5
Nevada               7.5
Arizona               7.4
Mississippi        7.1
Arkansas        6.7
Michigan        6.7
Florida               6.6
Missouri        6.5
North Carolina        6.5
Alaska               6.4

California comes in at 6.2.