NPR Report: Over 200,000 Unsolved Murders in the United States Since 1980

According to a March 30, 2015 National Public Radio story, “Open Cases: Why One-Third of Murders In America Go Unresolved,” by Martin Kaste, criminologists estimate that at least 200,000 murders have gone unsolved in the United States since the 1960s. There are several challenges that law enforcement officials encounter when trying to solve murder investigations.

1. Prosecutors might want clear-cut investigations that can lead to plea bargains.

2. A pervasive “no snitch” culture (in particular in minority communities).

3. Poor communication between law enforcement and the general public.

4. Insufficient staffing/limited resources

5. Prioritization of cases

University of Maryland criminologist Charles Wellford suggests in the NPR story that the attention given to certain murder investigations depends on prioritization.  “Take for example, homicides of police officers in the course of their duty…they’re frequently done in communities that generally have low clearance rates… They’re stranger-to-stranger homicides; they [have] high potential of retaliation [for] witnesses.”  Wellford also says: “Those [uncleared] homicides tend to occur in poor communities, minority communities.  What is the impact of an unsolved homicide when those unsolved homicides are primarily in the very communities [where] we’re trying to build stronger relationships with law enforcement?”

In Virginia, the Richmond Police Department has drastically improved the rate at which it solves open murder cases in the city.  The city of Richmond’s police department has become a model for other police departments nationwide to follow in terms of solving homicides.

Nationwide, police do not make an arrest in more than 1/3^rd of homicides, according to a January 19, 2015 Scripps News article by Thomas Hargrove.  Several major metropolitan police departments have numerous cold cases.  Atlanta, GA has about 1,800 unsolved homicide cases dating back to 1965; Phoenix, Arizona has approximately 2,400 unsolved cases; and Cleveland, Ohio has about 2,100 unsolved murder cases. 

“The numbers of murders have increased so substantially over the years that the cold cases are overburdening many police departments.  Active duty detectives have a never-ending run of homicides.  To work older cases, they need some sort of support.  It’s a question of economics and of having sufficient numbers of personnel so that our people can do the routine policing on the streets,” says Paul Marino – a Florida attorney and a retired supervisor at the Hillsborough Sheriff’s Office.

With over 200,000 unsolved homicides in the United States over the past several decades, there are thousands of families who have been deprived the chance to know who has murdered their family member or friend.  Regardless of the character or life circumstances of the murder victim, we as a society have an obligation to successfully locate and prosecute people who commit murder.  Below, I have recommendations to reduce the number of unsolved homicides that currently exist in the United States:

1. Create a statewide/national inventory of unsolved homicides cases.

2. In light of recent protests in cities such as: Baltimore, Ferguson, and Milwaukee, improve communication between police departments and communities.  Dismantle the “no snitch” mentality and increase police accountability and transparency.

3. Introduce a public awareness campaign regarding bringing information forward about homicide cases.

4. Incentivize solving homicide cases. (Commendations for police officers and community members, tax breaks, promotions, financial rewards).

5. Re-evaluate recruitment efforts/best practices for police departments nationwide.

6. Reduce bureaucratic red tape for cities with high murder rates.