Statistics show that there have been a significant number of homicides and disappearances in Portland, Oregon that have gone cold since 1980. Unsolved, or "cold," cases are ones that haven't been any new developments in the investigation in quite some time. Hundreds of such situations have occurred in Portland, leaving many families without answers or resolution.
There has been a steady rise in the number of unsolved cases in Portland since the 1980s. People of different ages, races, and sexes are represented in the cases. Some involve children who were kidnapped or disappeared without a trace, while others are connected to adults who were murdered under mysterious circumstances. Regrettably, as more time passes, the likelihood of solving these crimes lowers and the perpetrators are never caught.
The bulk of missing persons investigations in Portland, Oregon, involve people who went missing or were murdered in the late 1990s and early 2000s, according to the Portland Police Bureau's Missing People Section. Although some families have persisted in their pursuit of answers and justice since the 1980s, others have been left in the dark about the whereabouts of their loved ones.
The growing number of unsolved mysteries in the Portland area can be attributed to a number of causes. Such examples are the increased drug use, gang violence, and overall population of the city. Inadequate resources, finance, and technology are also major factors in why these crimes go unsolved.
The Portland Police Bureau is still looking into hundreds of instances that have yet to be solved. Many cases cannot be resolved because there is insufficient evidence or witnesses. Insufficient law enforcement resources, a lack of forensic technology, and other reasons beyond the control of the police might cause certain cases to go cold.