There are currently over 250,000 cold cases throughout the United States, and it is estimated that approximately 6,000 new cases are added to that figure each year, according to FBI Uniform Crime Reporting. According to the Murder Accountability Project, there were 19,719 homicides throughout the United States in 2020. Of that number, only 10,114 homicides were solved and cleared.
In New York State, the murder clearance rate is only 60 %The term ‘clearance’ means that a suspect was at least identified and ultimately charged. It doesn’t account for convictions, which are a smaller subset of cleared cases. Regardless, the overall murder clearance rate is declining.
In New York State, there are over 30,00 unsolved homicide cold cases, according to the murder accountability project.
When a person is murdered, and that case goes cold, the impact is felt beyond the victims, their families, and their respective communities. That is true in the case of Kristin O’Connell, who was murdered in a small rural town in upstate NY in 1985. Her mother, Phyllis, has waited 37 years for an arrest. Phyllis has had to fight bureaucratic inertia and hire a lawyer to advocate for DNA testing of the substantial physical evidence available.
She is fighting the very system that is supposed to bring justice for her daughter and their family. Help Kristin and the other families in NYS that are waiting to get justice for their loved ones.
Please support our efforts for the families of the over 30,000 unsolved homicide cold cases in New York State by doing the following:
1. Share this video on all of your social media platforms
2. Send a pre-written email to NY Senators showing your support of our campaign.
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