On an average day in the United States:
- 1,643 people go missing
- 47 people are murdered
- 247 people are raped
- 333 people are robbed
- 1,284 are victims of aggravated assault.
Added to the mix are the 11,357 property crimes, which includes arson, burglary, larceny, and auto theft.
Law enforcement has the task of dealing with all of these, and if a crime isn’t solved quickly, it soon becomes buried under an ever-growing pile of other unsolved cases. This doesn’t mean the police aren’t doing their jobs. Most of them are doing the best they can with limited resources. Eventually, the leads dry up, and newer crimes take center stage. Weeks, months, and years go by with no answers.
That is where podcasters, web sleuths, and armchair detectives step in. While they can’t take the place of experienced investigators, they do have time and the internet. These people actually comb through databases matching John and Jane Doe’s to missing persons, bringing closure to families.
And now, with advancements in DNA technology, detectives can solve even more cold cases. True crime junkies rejoiced when the Boy in the Box was finally named and the reunion of Melissa Highsmith with her family 50 years after her abduction.
Sometimes a cold case is solved when a story is revisited through a podcast or a website. Christopher Dawson of Sydney, Australia, got away with murdering his wife for over 40 years until an investigative podcast brought in new leads, leading to his arrest.
While many enjoy reading or listening about cold cases for entertainment, they provide a valuable service. They remind people that there are mysteries that still need to be solved, and somebody, somewhere, has those answers. It only takes one person with the missing piece of the puzzle.
That’s why it’s so important to keep cold cases alive.
Loved ones have not forgotten, and neither can we.