There is a cold case crisis in New York
%
NY State Clearance Rate 2021 (according to the Murder Accountability Project)
Unsolved Homicide Cases in NY State
Clearance rates fluctuated between 2017 and 2019 in New York State from 13% to above 60% depending on the region.
Why is There a Backlog?
→There is a lack of adequate financial and human resources to form specialized cold case units. So, cold cases are handled secondary to current cases. In rural or disadvantaged communities, there are even fewer resources
→Underfunding has resulted in inadequate staffing to properly address the more than 250,000 unsolved cold cases in the USA. As such, investigators and State crime labs are limited financially so they test only a handful of items per case
→Families do not know where to turn or how to ask for help. They feel invisible.
→Homicide victim’s families experience insomnia, feelings of insecurity, remorse about happiness, and perpetual anxiety about memories of the deceased and homicide being triggered. They also report loss of innocence, of peace of mind, and of trust and faith in other people
Help us introduce our proposal "Kristin's Law" to the NY State Senate for consideration for the 2024 legislative session