Random police/detective question
 

Does anyone know how long the police will investigate a murder that lacks evidence before deeming the case unsolved?

Hypothetical: A drug deal gone wrong, it leaves two or three of the memebers of the exchange dead. Let's assume small/medium time dealers so there is no previous investigation, etc. The police have no "clues". How long until they tell the family members, "sorry, but we are no longer going to be investigating this murder..."

Thanks.
(The reasoning behind this question is completely uninteresting so please don't get excited)

Re: Random police/detective question
 

It is rare that the police will ever declare a homicide case unsolved. Cases may go "inactive" when leads dry up. Many large departments have task forces or other units that will routinely re-visit these cases to see if there are any new leads. I don't see anyone ever telling a victim's family "We are giving up."

Re: Random police/detective question
 

If there are absolutely no clues then I don't know what the police can possibly do. Pretend they're solving the case for a while and then quietly put it away? I'm no expert on the matter, but it seems like the case could only stay open for so long without any evidence at all.

Re: Random police/detective question
 

Ok, well how long until inactive?

Basically, if one was to commit murder (in a situation similar to the hypothetical that i described) how long would it be until the murderer could breathe a sigh relief, somewhat confident that they covered their ass enough so the police most likely do not have anything to connect him to the crime?

Re: Random police/detective question
 

I wanna say 7 years I think? I'm not positive, but i believe the Statute of Limitations prohibits any charges being brought on people for a crime committed 7 years before. But you can check me on that.

Re: Random police/detective question
 

[ QUOTE ]
Ok, well how long until inactive?

Basically, if one was to commit murder (in a situation similar to the hypothetical that i described) how long would it be until the murderer could breathe a sigh relief, somewhat confident that they covered their ass enough so the police most likely do not have anything to connect him to the crime?

[/ QUOTE ]

No statute of limitations on murder and surely you've seen shows on TV involving cold cases, so they can never relax.

Re: Random police/detective question
 

Yeah, they are called cold cases. Minor crimes (like misdemeanors) have statute of limitations but the more violent major crimes (murder, rape, etc) do not.

I'm not sure if there is an exact set time period before a case is considered cold. Each case is unique so it may vary depending on the case and the amount of evidence orpossible suspects at the detectives disposal.

I would think if there is a set time period it would even vary by police department.

Re: Random police/detective question
 

Depends how many times John Walsh profiles the crime. The killer should immediately flee to either South America or a south Seas Seas island (preferably one with topless natives) depending on what you, I mean he, can afford.

Re: Random police/detective question
 

[ QUOTE ]
I wanna say 7 years I think? I'm not positive, but i believe the Statute of Limitations prohibits any charges being brought on people for a crime committed 7 years before. But you can check me on that.

[/ QUOTE ]

Not in a murder. Homicide does not have a Statute of Limitations. You kill, you can go to jail at any time in your life.

Re: Random police/detective question
 

[ QUOTE ]
Ok, well how long until inactive?

[/ QUOTE ]

This is again depedent on the number of leads the police have. Even in your "no clues" scenario (which is very unlikely), there are still quite a few compulsory investigative procedures that are followed in a homicide. These can take up to 6-months or a year to resolve depending on the number of investigators and the resources of the department/agency.

As far as when the perpetrator can give a "sigh of relief" goes - I would say never. Sometimes letting a case go inactive can allow new leads to pop up solely because it hasn't been receiving a lot of attention.

Re: Random police/detective question
 

Once the regular cops can't get any further they call in a real expert, typically an extremely pale lady who looks like she's in constant agony.

Swede

Re: Random police/detective question
 

[ QUOTE ]
Sometimes letting a case go inactive can allow new leads to pop up solely because it hasn't been receiving a lot of attention.

[/ QUOTE ]

Also, new investigative techniques emerge, such as DNA testing.

Re: Random police/detective question
 

Ask the judge for the castration option.

Re: Random police/detective question
 

[ QUOTE ]
I wanna say 7 years I think? I'm not positive, but i believe the Statute of Limitations prohibits any charges being brought on people for a crime committed 7 years before. But you can check me on that.

[/ QUOTE ]

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y15...2/d22af3e9.jpg

Re: Random police/detective question
 

Um, I'm pretty sure it's called a statue of limitations.

lolllllllllll this forum sucks

Re: Random police/detective question
 

http://img468.imageshack.us/img468/1507/mh4gz.jpg

Re: Random police/detective question
 

[ QUOTE ]
http://img468.imageshack.us/img468/1507/mh4gz.jpg

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http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...el/orlysxy.jpg

Re: Random police/detective question
 

All,
ok, look im not talking about a statute of limitations. i know that murder cases stay open forever.

lets pretend THERE IS NO EVIDENCE. Not a single shred. The person is NOT going to be caught. How long does it take the police to admit, ok we're stumped, we apologize, we're leaving the case open but will no longer actively pursuing this investigation.

Also, if you are going to give me a serious response, could you please explain how you know this? I've seen just as many cop shows and movies as everyone else and I can blindly speculate too.

Sorry for the annoyed tone,
Funk

Re: Random police/detective question
 

if you killed them. there's evidence. people have already answered your question.

Re: Random police/detective question
 

Your question doesn't have a clear-cut answer. It depends on the profile of the victim, unusual circumstances of the crime, which jurisdiction is involved, socio-economic factors relating to the crime scene and so on.

To give you a real-world example. In 1986 Olof Palme, Sweden's prime minister was murdered on a Stockholm street. Initially there were literally hundreds of Swedish police officers working on the case, quite the manpower allocation for a small country. Some suspects were apprehended, but no one was conclusively found guilty. The case has remained in a semi-active state with Swedish police interviewing people as recently as 2001, once again finding no conclusive evidence of anything. In summary, the prime minister was murdered and the case became dormant after three or four years. Now imagine some random drug dealer or what not being gunned down. I imagine this investigation wouldn't last much more than a few months.

Swede

Re: Random police/detective question
 

[ QUOTE ]
if you killed them. there's evidence. people have already answered your question.

[/ QUOTE ]
lets imagine that it occurs in a place where you have been occasionally, therefore hair, fibers, etc have an excuse for being there. the murder occurs with the victims weapon. the victim is a young, black low profile drug dealer with a small record- not exactly a high priority for most major cities' police departments.

Re: Random police/detective question
 

swede,
im just curious for a general time frame- 2 weeks, 6 months, 2 years?

Re: Random police/detective question
 

There is no statute of limitations on homicides.

Re: Random police/detective question
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
if you killed them. there's evidence. people have already answered your question.

[/ QUOTE ]
lets imagine that it occurs in a place where you have been occasionally, therefore hair, fibers, etc have an excuse for being there. the murder occurs with the victims weapon. the victim is a young, black low profile drug dealer with a small record- not exactly a high priority for most major cities' police departments.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm not trying to nitpick but the list of parameters you keep coming back to to establish that there is no evidence is still flawed. Just because a small-time punk gets killed, you cannot say the police will not consider it a priority because they will want to see if they can tie the murder to a bigger fish...this is how it works.

That being said, I understand this is not what interests you but what my point is it may go inactive within days/weeks/years but it could become active again at the drop of a hat.

Given your new example of there is an excuse for trace evidence of you to be there you and you are eliminated as a suspect, you could be still re-considered a suspect at any time.

As an example of this, I have worked at least 2 non-murder cases that led to people who had been considered suspects in murder cases causing them to be re-examined by the original investigating department and then subsequently indicted/convicted for the original murder cases.

In the end, again, there are no absolutes here. The perpetrator may walk and never be touched again after only a few days if investigation or could be picked up 30 years later. There is no (and shouldn't be) any sigh of relief!

Re: Random police/detective question
 

[ QUOTE ]
swede,
im just curious for a general time frame- 2 weeks, 6 months, 2 years?

[/ QUOTE ]

If I've accidentally ignored your question of a general time frame before going inactive, even in the absence of any substantial leads - there would be a minimum of at least a couple of months of active investigation - then periodic reviews for approx. another year and barring any new leads, then specialized reviews as possible based on resources

Re: Random police/detective question
 

It'll last as long as it takes to check your IP address and start asking questions.

You are not anonymous on the Internet.

Re: Random police/detective question
 

[ QUOTE ]
Does anyone know how long the police will investigate a murder that lacks evidence before deeming the case unsolved?

Hypothetical: A drug deal gone wrong, it leaves two or three of the memebers of the exchange dead. Let's assume small/medium time dealers so there is no previous investigation, etc. The police have no "clues". How long until they tell the family members, "sorry, but we are no longer going to be investigating this murder..."

Thanks.
(The reasoning behind this question is completely uninteresting so please don't get excited)

[/ QUOTE ]

they would never actually tell the family that. they just give up after all the leads and clues dry up and it goes into cold case status.

Re: Random police/detective question
 

[ QUOTE ]
It'll last as long as it takes to check your IP address and start asking questions.

You are not anonymous on the Internet.

[/ QUOTE ]
I doubt OP killed somebody and posted about it here. Although anything is possible, just seems pretty unlikely.

Re: Random police/detective question
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
It'll last as long as it takes to check your IP address and start asking questions.

You are not anonymous on the Internet.

[/ QUOTE ]
I doubt OP killed somebody and posted about it here. Although anything is possible, just seems pretty unlikely.

[/ QUOTE ]

no, hes right, i totally got caught.

Re: Random police/detective question
 

[ QUOTE ]
Ok, well how long until inactive?

[/ QUOTE ]


I'm gonna speculate that when it comes to a homicide the case will be active until ALL leads are exhuasted. Even if it's just one detective tying up loose ends. Once the loose ends are tied up I'm sure there will be an official report stating so and the case will probably go into an inactive status. It will wait there until someone with an interest in the case periodically reviews the file, or new evidence is found. Such as another murder with similar circumstances.

I'm sure certain cases cry out more than others. I've heard about detevtives who've kept the photo of a child or the investigation file on their desk to remind them not to give up.

Police departments probably don't tell people they're going to stop looking. They probably tell them something along the lines of the leads being exhausted and they await new evidence/leads.

Now, with all the above being said, I'm sure the tenacity of the local PD has alot to do with it. I once had key information about a homicide but no one came to talk to me.
When I phoned the police dept. the following conversation took place.

Operator: XXXXXXX PD
Me: Yeah I have information about the homicide that took place at XXXXX yesterday. Can I speak with a detective?
OP: Wha? Who are you?
Me: My name is russellmj.
Op: And what is it that you want?
Me: I have information about a homicide. Should I speak with a detective?
Op: (Smartalicky) What information do you have?
Me: I'm pretty sure I can identify the getaway car in the newspaper story.
OP: (Pissed) Look, we're very busy, we don't have time for this.
Me: What should I do with my information?
OP: Give me your name and number.

So I gave her my name and number. No one contacts me.

When I saw one of the suspects a week later I called the police and told them he was involved in the killing. About 40 minutes later two uniforms show up, ask the guy for ID and leave. Dude splits immediately following cops. Couple weeks later a detective shows up and wants to know where he can find said suspect. [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img] He hasn't been seen since.

Re: Random police/detective question
 

First, buy some gloves that are a size or two too small. After you murder someone and possible a waiter that happened upon the scene, smear the gloves with their blood and leave them at the scene. Later when you are tried for the murder try on the gloves and when they don't fit, they will acquit. Then breathe your sigh of relief.

Re: Random police/detective question
 

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http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y15...2/d22af3e9.jpg

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Sam looks more like an owl than the owl does.

If I'm ever casting a film, and need someone to play the owl, Sam's agent is getting the first phone call.