In every murder case in the United States, there is a 1-in-3 chance that the killer will remain unidentified for years.
According to the FBI, the national clearance rate for murder and non-negligent manslaughter cases is 61.4% (in 2019, latest data).
The rates have been steady at 59% – 65% since 2010. Bear in mind that the term “clearance” does not always mean conviction.
A clearance usually refers to an arrest or a case closed by other means, for example, if the suspect dies.
The Washington Post reported that out of 54,868 homicide cases in 55 major American cities between 2007 – 2017, about 50% ended up without arrest.
In 2000, the national clearance rate was 63.1% for murder cases.
The northeastern regions posted a bleak 19.8% rate among the most notable of those unsolved homicides in the case of Molly Bish from Worcester County, Massachusetts.
For more than 20 years since her disappearance, the authorities can still not pinpoint a definitive suspect, let alone make an arrest.
Every new lead in the investigation has turned out to be a dead end.
10 /10 A Former Lifeguard
Molly Bish disappeared on June 7, 2000. The 16-year-old girl was last seen alive at Comins Pond in Warren, Massachusetts, where she worked as a lifeguard.
Her remains were discovered three years later, on June 3, 2003, in the woods just several miles away from the pond.
After more than two decades of investigation, the police have found no solid evidence linking to the kidnapper and killer.
Despite countless setbacks in their search for a suspect, the authorities in Worcester County imply that the investigation is ongoing.
9 /10 Mysterious Man In Chrysler
A day before Molly disappeared, her mother Magi noticed a suspicious-looking man in a white Chrysler on the beach near Molly’s lifeguard post.
That said, Magi had no apparent reason to be particularly wary of the stranger at that time.
The next day, she again drove her daughter to work; they arrived at 10:00 a.m. Magi saw no sign of the man she had seen the day before on the beach. At 11:44 a.m., Molly went radio silent and was nowhere to be found in or around her post. She was reported missing.