How many murders go unsolved now?
Asked by: Karina Kautzer | Last update: February 16, 2026Score: 4.6/5 (36 votes)
Roughly half of all murder cases in the U.S. go unsolved, with clearance rates hovering around 50% or lower in recent years, meaning the killer isn't identified or arrested, leaving hundreds of thousands of homicides unresolved over decades. This significant portion, sometimes exceeding 60% in large cities like Chicago, represents a persistent challenge, with major factors including limited resources, the sheer volume of cases, distrust, and the complexities introduced by firearms.
What percent of murders in the US go unsolved?
Retired NYPD officer and John Jay College lecturer Jillian Snider has conducted her own research, estimating that 51% to 52% of killings go unsolved in the U.S., many involving young Black and Latino men. “Which is mind-boggling,” Snider said, “because 50 years ago, agencies were solving upwards of 90%.”
What percentage of murders are solved today?
In the United States, people often get away with murder. The clearance rate — the share of cases that result in an arrest or are otherwise solved — was 58 percent in 2023, the latest year for which F.B.I. data is available.
How many unsolved disappearances are there in the US?
As of 2014, an estimated average of 90,000 people in the United States are missing at any given time, with about 60% being adults, and 40% being children; in 2021, the total number of missing person cases was around 520,000.
What is the longest missing person case found alive?
There isn't one single universally recognized "longest" case, but recent reports highlight Audrey Backeberg, missing since 1962 (63 years) and found alive in 2025, and Luis Armando Albino, abducted as a child in 1951 and found alive over 70 years later, as contenders for extremely long periods. Many cases, like Lucy Ann Johnson (missing 52 years) and Sheila Fox (missing 52 years), involve individuals who intentionally left to start new lives, while others are due to amnesia or abduction, with technology like ancestry tests aiding recent discoveries.
Why are unsolved murders more common in certain communities?
How many people go missing without a trace a year?
The statistics are alarming. According to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons (NamUS) database, over 600,000 people go missing every year. There are approximately 4,400 unidentified bodies recovered each year, with approximately 1,000 of those bodies remaining unidentified after one year.
What is the hardest crime to solve?
Burglary is probably the most difficult to solve because its perpetrators do not have a motive that makes the victim's identity relevant. In most cases, they will elect to steal from an unoccupied home or dwelling, which may leave few, if any, witnesses.
Why do so many murders go unsolved in the US?
The FBI reports that since 1980 more than 250,000 murders in this country have gone unsolved. The question is why. For one reason, the estimated $5,000 to $10,000 cost to perform a thorough DNA analysis on a typical case is unaffordable for many small town investigators.
What are the top 10 unsolved murders?
The "top 10" unsolved murders often feature notorious cases like the Black Dahlia (Elizabeth Short), the elusive Zodiac Killer, and the unidentified Somerton Man (Tamam Shud), alongside famous cold cases such as the JonBenét Ramsey murder and the mystery of the D.B. Cooper hijacking, with lists varying by publication but consistently highlighting cases with tantalizing clues and enduring public fascination, like the <<!nav>>Lindbergh kidnapping<<!/nav>>](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lindbergh_kidnapping) or the [<<!nav>>Osage Murders<<!/nav>>.
What US city has the most unsolved murders?
As you previously learned, Chicago has the highest unsolved homicide rate in the country, but now you can better visualize which cities are higher and lower at a glance. Close the chart and the Chart Properties pane.
What state has the most murders?
Mississippi consistently ranks as the state with the highest murder rate in the U.S., often followed by Louisiana, Alabama, New Mexico, and Tennessee, with these states frequently showing rates significantly above the national average, driven by issues like poverty and concentrated violence in major cities.
What is the most mysterious death ever?
25 of the Most Mysterious Deaths in History
- Alexander the Great. ...
- Grigori Rasputin. ...
- Edgar Allan Poe. ...
- Agnès Sorel. ...
- Abby and Andrew Borden. ...
- Meriwether Lewis. ...
- Amelia Earhart. ...
- The Somerton Man.
Do unsolved cases ever get reopened?
Because violent crimes are not subject to the statute of limitations, and new technology advances allow for a more profound unveiling of evidence in many cases, more cold cases are being reopened. Even if the suspect(s) is named, there may be no arrest in many older cases if the suspect is no longer living.
Why are there no serial killers now?
The decline in serial killers has no known single cause but is attributed to a number of factors. Mike Aamodt, emeritus professor at Radford University in Virginia, attributes the decline in number of serial killings to less frequent use of parole, improved forensic technology, and people behaving more cautiously.
What happens to families of unsolved murders?
Strained family relationships– Unsolved murders can also put additional strain on family relationships, as survivors may struggle to cope with their grief, feelings of blame, resentment, guilt, and anger (Armour, 2002; Connolly & Gordon, 2015).
Why do most criminal cases never go to trial?
The government doesn't have the resources to try every case. Plus, it sometimes doesn't want to run the risk of acquittal. Defendants, on the other hand, usually receive lighter sentences and/or end up with less serious charges on their records by agreeing to plead guilty (or no contest).
Who suffers from crime most?
Women were more likely to have experienced violent crime. A higher proportion of women experienced domestic abuse (6.6%), stalking (4.0%), sexual assault (3.4%), and harassment (11.2%) in the last year, compared with men (3.0%, 2.3%, 0.8% and 6.6%, respectively).
Does Gen Z like true crime?
Yes, Generation Z is a huge demographic for true crime, consuming it heavily through streaming, podcasts, and social media platforms like TikTok, driven by curiosity, a desire for control and closure in a chaotic world, preparedness, and the ability to engage with stories through online communities. They often watch for understanding, safety tips, and the shared experience of amateur sleuthing.
What's worse than manslaughter?
The law identifies murder as the most serious homicide category because it requires intentional action and sometimes involves planning ahead. New York categorizes murder as first-degree and second-degree charges, which fall under Class A-I felonies, representing the most severe legal classification.
Who is the longest missing person ever?
The longest-running active missing person case in the U.S. is Marvin Clark, who vanished in Oregon in 1926 at age 73, with no confirmed resolution despite investigations and DNA tests, making him missing for nearly a century. Other long-duration cases involve those found alive, like Lucy Ann Johnson, who reappeared after 52 years (missing 1961-2013), and solved cases like the Martin family, found after 66 years, or Texas's oldest case solved after 52 years.
What state has the most disappearances?
The highest rate of missing persons by far is in sparsely populated Alaska, with 163.76 missing people per 100,000 of the population— far beyond any other state. The state with the lowest rate of missing persons is Massachusetts, at 2.32 missing persons per 100,000.