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Unsolved

St. Louis police have struggled to solve killings in one of America's deadliest cities — leaving thousands of grieving family members in limbo. Learn why in this multi-part investigation by The Marshall Project, St. Louis Public Radio and APM Reports.

Aerial view of St. Louis, Missouri, with nearly 2,000 orange and cyan dots overlaid to represent unsolved and solved homicide cases over the past decade.
Feature June 3
Why 1,000 Homicides in St. Louis Remain Unsolved
In one of America’s deadliest cities, police have struggled to solve killings due to staffing shortages, shoddy detective work and lack of community trust.
By , The Marshall Project; Tom Scheck and Jennifer Lu, APM Reports; Rachel Lippmann, St. Louis Public Radio
A view from above the awning of the St. Louis Police Department headquarters' entrance, where a man is standing in front of the metal doors. The man’s face is not visible.
Feature June 10
5 Takeaways From Our Series on St. Louis Homicide Investigations
The police department has struggled to solve homicides, partly due to shoddy detective work, staffing shortages and eroding community trust.
By Rachel Lippmann, St. Louis Public Radio; Tom Scheck and Jennifer Lu, APM Reports
Clockwise from top left: Mary Ann Johnson; Calvin Fletcher; Angel Mays; Erica Jones; Monthane Miller-Jones; Carlos Amos; Ronda Williams.
Feature June 7
St. Louis Homicide Cases Often Go Unsolved. Victims’ Families Want Justice.
These St. Louis families have waited years for answers. They say police seem to have forgotten their loved ones.
By Shahla Farzan, Rachel Lippmann and Brian Munoz, St. Louis Public Radio; and Tom Scheck, APM Reports
In a photo collage in tones of yellow and black and white, from left, The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department (SLMPD) seal; two members of the St. Louis Police Department Crime Lab walking with their backs to the camera; DNA testing strips and a person using a microscope; dollar bills being cut with scissors; two members of the SLMPD overlaid on a chart that shows that in 2011, there were 921 officers and in 2024, there were 650 officers; Additional text says “Homicide numbers spiked as police staffing dropped.”
Feature June 6
As Murders Increased, St. Louis Police Struggled for Resources to Solve Cases
The city’s homicide unit has dealt with short staffing, long hours and a ballooning DNA backlog.
By Tom Scheck and Jennifer Lu, APM Reports; Rachel Lippmann, St. Louis Public Radio
In a photo collage, from left, a photo of Former St. Louis Metropolitan Police Officer Lafeal Lawshea, a Black man; a gun in a clear plastic bag; a police vehicle; crime scene markers; Retired Sgt. Heather Taylor, a Black woman; white pills; a document from the Missouri Circuit Court that has handwriting that says “Defendant’s motion to suppress evidence is…”; and a photo of former Officer Ronald Vaughan.
Feature June 5
Some St. Louis Detectives May Have Botched Homicide Investigations
Several officers in the homicide unit faced internal complaints that they slept on the job, failed to get key evidence and lied to superiors.
By Rachel Lippmann, St. Louis Public Radio; Tom Scheck and Jennifer Lu, APM Reports
A Black woman with blonde hair gestures outside of an abandoned brick home and a home with white siding while wearing a white hoodie that says “Whitney’s World!” on it.
Feature June 4
In St. Louis, a Racial Disparity in Whose Killings Get Solved
In the past decade, police solved fewer than half of the homicide cases with Black victims and two-thirds of the cases with White ones.
By Tom Scheck and Jennifer Lu, APM Reports, and Rachel Lippmann, St. Louis Public Radio
A collage shows, from left, a gun in red tones; the St. Louis skyline in black tones; a lawsuit document showing the Metropolitan Police Department of the City of St. Louis as the plaintiff and the words “sunshine law” circled in red; the back of a St. Louis police officer in uniform; a stack of clipped bundles of papers; and in the background, a list of homicide incidents and whether the case was closed or open, with “open” circled in red.
Feature June 3
How We Reported on Homicide Investigations in St. Louis
Getting and interpreting homicide clearance data involved litigation, complex analysis and patience.
By Jennifer Lu, APM Reports, and Rachel Lippmann, St. Louis Public Radio
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