Unsolved murders and disappearances have plagued Kansas City, Kansas, for decades. Around 200 murders dating back to 1980 remain unsolved, according to the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department (KCKPD). In addition, the KCKPD is now looking into approximately 50 incidents of missing persons.
According to the National Institute of Justice, there are currently over 200,000 cold cases of homicide in the United States, many of which date back decades. Many of the victims' loved ones in Kansas City, Kansas, have not been able to find peace because so many crimes go unsolved.
The passage of time since a crime has occurred is one of the most difficult obstacles to overcome when researching a cold case. There's a chance that witnesses and evidence are hard to find or have degraded over time, complicating matters. Although difficult, the KCKPD remains dedicated to solving cold cases and prosecuting those involved.
The KCKPD has a policy of re-examining evidence from cold cases in light of new developments in forensic science. DNA testing, fingerprint analysis, and other forensic methods can be used to verify previously untested evidence. Evidence reexamined with cutting-edge forensic methods has produced new leads in some cases.
The KCKPD also uses reinterviews with witnesses, victims' families, and suspects to glean more details about the case. Witnesses and suspects may have moved away, changed their names, or even passed away throughout the course of an investigation. By re-interviewing them, detectives may learn new details or discover fresh leads.
The KCKPD also makes use of technological resources, such as forensic databases, to research potential suspects and find new lines of inquiry. When it comes to serious crime, for instance, the KCKPD collaborates with the FBI's Violent Criminal Apprehension Program (ViCAP). This software aids forensic analysts and investigators in spotting trends in cold cases.