The only thing worse than having someone you know and love fall victim to a heinous act of violence or murder, is never knowing the truth of what happened or seeing justice be served.
Just imagine, for a moment, what that must be like for friends and family. True agony.
For every cold case that goes unsolved, someone always knows the truth. Some people hold onto secrets for years until finally they decide, for whatever reason, to tell what they know.
Sometimes even small bits of information, once examined, can lead to huge breaks in a case.
There are more than 20,000 unsolved homicides in Florida dating back to 1965, according to the Project Cold Case database via The Murder Accountability Project.
Many others are missing or are wanted for their suspected involvement in various crimes. Such as the recent case of Sara Hippeli and Camila Espitia, who are suspected of the fraud and theft of a local business owner.
These days many cold cases are being solved through advancements in technology, including DNA and forensic genealogy. However, it's still vitally important for those with knowledge of a crime to come forward. Most cases are solved through multiple pieces of evidence pointing to the guilt or innocence of a person or people.
Earlier this year it was announced that Attorney General Ashley Moody had helped launch a new statewide Cold Case Investigations Unit.
The new unit is already working as they investigated and prosecuted a 2010 murder of a 16-year-old boy from Alachua County. During an attempted burglary, a man fatally shot the teen four times. In September 2021, a shirt collected near the crime scene led officials to a suspect thanks to DNA matching." Source
The ways in which people can report tips to law enforcement are numerous, but one great way is through submitting an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers, either by visiting their website and filling out an online form or by calling 1-800-222-TIPS.
Since Crime Stoppers was established in 1976 the program has been instrumental in helping to solve crime:
The Crime Stoppers program has enjoyed great success with the information received which has led to the arrest and indictment of those responsible for committing felony offenses, boasting an average conviction rate of approximately 95% on cases solved by a tip to the program." Source
Many local law enforcement agencies in Florida have their own crime stopper program websites. For instance, in the Tampa area there is Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay and in the Ft. Lauderdale area there is Broward Crime Stoppers.
To find other specific locales, simply type in tips along with the name of the county or city where the crime occurred and hit enter.
Many of these local sites also have lists of people who are missing, wanted, or have been a victim of a homicide. An additional resource for unsolved crimes is Unsolved Cases in Florida on the FDLE website.
And there are always success stories to report. Earlier this year one man was arrested following a tip submitted to local law enforcement in South Florida. The man was charged with possessing and transmitting child pornography and bestiality.
In 2022, a 50-year cold case in North Carolina involving the Dixie Mafia was solved following a tip given to the local sheriff's office. Proof that it's never too late for the truth to come out.