Homicide investigations in real life rarely unfold like they do on crime shows.
The cases can involve dozens of people — from 911 dispatchers and detectives to crime scene analysts and coroners. While there is a popular idea that the first 48 hours make or break investigations, homicides across the U.S. can take weeks, or even longer, to solve. And, nearly half of all killings nationwide never get resolved.
In St. Louis, where the homicide rate has slightly declined after reaching record highs during the pandemic, many families of homicide victims said they didn’t know what to expect from police after the killing of a loved one.
This article was published in partnership with The Marshall Project - St. Louis, a nonprofit news team covering Missouri’s criminal justice systems. Subscribe to their email list, and follow The Marshall Project on Instagram, Reddit and YouTube.
At times, some found themselves turning to crime shows on television to try to understand what might be going on behind the scenes. And, they said, police often didn’t take the time to explain how families could be helpful at each phase of their investigation.
The Marshall Project - St. Louis spoke to several families who lost a loved one to violence over the last decade. All of their cases are still unsolved. Each shared their questions and misgivings about the investigative process. Most said they wanted more information from detectives and a clearer idea of how they could be helpful. Some shared the simple steps trusted law enforcement agents took to make the process easier.
We turned to those trusted officials to help demystify investigations for families. Their insights are distilled into a general outline of a homicide investigation: the steps families can reasonably expect police to take when investigating a killing. We also included guidance on what community members should and shouldn’t do as an investigation unfolds.
The initial dispatch
When someone calls 911 to report an act of violence (a shooting, stabbing or fight), dispatch workers collect critical information from the caller. They may ask what the suspect looks like, exactly where the crime took place, any unusual sights, sounds, smells, or other details that could be useful later.
Detectives collect this information from dispatch as the start of their investigation.
Collect “intelligence”
Officers at the city’s intelligence division rely on the 911 call to try to identify additional details from the crime scene using surveillance technology such as cameras and license plate readers.
Identify the victim
In the best-case scenario, the victim is found with their wallet and can be easily identified. But for people found without identification, detectives will try to determine their identity by taking fingerprints, canvassing the neighborhood and publicizing the death until they find a likely match.
Family guidance: How to get involved
Lisa Jones, a licensed social worker and head of victim services for the St. Louis County prosecuting attorney’s office, encourages parents to help young people see the value in sharing information if they witnessed the event or have additional details. Details about the person’s online life are particularly helpful to detectives: social media handles, email addresses and any recent phone numbers.
She reminded families that even if the victim was involved in criminal activity, nobody has the right to murder them, and emphasized that families should be honest if there are details they are reluctant to admit.
“Our families, they don’t always trust law enforcement, and I get it,” said Jones. “People are fearful of retaliation, but we are never going to resolve some of these cases without the community’s involvement.”
Notify the family
During a homicide investigation, families first interact with law enforcement when they are notified about the death, or are asked to identify the body. Both experiences can be traumatic for families, but they are crucial steps that enable the investigation to continue.
Investigate, investigate, investigate
Police try to move quickly in the early stages of the investigation, gathering as much information as possible about the victim and their circle — friends, enemies, allies and romantic relationships.
Their primary goal at this stage is to identify a suspect.
Detectives can lead more than a dozen investigations at once. They are encouraged to pursue new leads for any case as they come in, turning their attention to the freshest tips. Even if a commanding officer ultimately classifies a homicide as unsolved, that investigation stays with the detective until they retire. If a new lead pops up years later, they’re expected to investigate it.
Family guidance: How to hold police accountable
Heather Taylor, a retired sergeant with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department’s homicide team, said families should hear from a detective at least once a week. If not, she added, don’t hesitate to follow up with them, or contact their supervisor. "Always get a sergeant’s information,” she said. “Because everybody has a boss.”
Identify a suspect
Once police zero in on a potential suspect, they begin looking for evidence that would give them probable cause to make an arrest.
Sometimes that requires a warrant, but even when it doesn’t, police are usually in touch with the court ahead of time to ensure prosecutors will pursue charges once the person is arrested. Police are unlikely to share information about potential suspects with families or community members until an arrest is made.
Family guidance: What to share publicly
Taylor cautioned against becoming a “social media detective” and broadcasting sensitive information about the case on the internet. While detective shows on television often feature friends or family staking out the scene of the crime, talking to neighbors and doing their own detective work to identify a suspect, Taylor said that kind of interference often causes more harm than good. “You’ll put lives at risk, and it can lead to more crimes happening,” she said, “and that’s what we don’t want.”
Make an arrest
When police have gathered enough evidence to reasonably accuse someone of the homicide, they will make an arrest.
A suspect can be held in jail for up to 48 hours before initial charges are pressed. Once the suspect is taken to court, the baton formally passes from police to prosecuting attorneys.
Family guidance: Don’t take matters into your own hands
While it may seem like the easy answer in a moment of intense pain, seeking revenge on the person you believe did it only exacerbates hurt in the community — and if you are caught, takes you away from your own family. “Violence is what caused this person’s death. Violence is not gonna bring this person back,” Lisa Jones said. “It’ll only add more violence, and our community is at an epidemic proportion of violence.”
The prosecution
In St. Louis, it can take up to a year before a suspect goes to trial — if they go to trial at all.
During this time, attorneys are usually gathering evidence, talking to witnesses and preparing their case. Most cases resolve with a plea deal in which a defendant admits to charges and accepts a sentence, avoiding a jury trial.
A couple of things to know about criminal cases:
Defendants always begin with a not-guilty plea, even if there is strong evidence against them. They may decide later to plead guilty.
Prosecutors officially represent the state of Missouri, not the victim. So while they should take the family’s wishes into account and prepare them for what they will see in the courtroom, they may not share all the details of their investigation.
During sentencing, family and friends have the opportunity to deliver an impact statement, which allows them to speak directly to the judge about the impact of this loss for the first time.
