Crime Without Punishment | CBS Reports
In this CBS Reports documentary, Jim Axelrod peels back the curtain on a sobering reality of a justice system in crisis: For roughly half of the people murdered in America, no one is arrested for the crime.
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A look at unsolved murders in America
In a collaboration with CBS News, we examine a crime often going without punishment in our country. CBS2's Ali Bauman takes a closer look at racial disparities in homicide closure rates at the NYPD.
Barely half of murder cases in the United States get solved. The national homicide clearance rate is at an all-time low, according to FBI data. Oakland and San Francisco are seeing a large difference on solved cases, as Wilson Walker reports.
Barely half of murder cases in the U.S. get solved. The national homicide clearance rate is at an all-time low, according to FBI data. In the mid-1960s, more than 90% of murders were solved, generally resulting in the arrests. By 1990, that percentage fell into the 60s. Then, by 2020, as homicides surged, the national clearance rate dropped to about 50% for the first time ever.
Murders are going unsolved at a historic pace, and police are far less likely to solve cases when the victim is Black or Hispanic, a CBS News investigation has found.
The investigative team at CBS News wanted to understand how police were addressing this nearly unprecedented spike in murders – and why many were going unsolved.
Officials from more than 20 agencies are working together in a nondescript warehouse, investigating Baltimore's most brazen drug syndicates.
Mothers being asked to investigate the murders of their sons has become a reality in Jackson.
CBS News analyzed decades of unsolved murders across the country, and found stark racial disparities in the clearance rates — the share of cases each year that are solved.
Renee Hall, former chief of the Dallas Police Department, is the daughter of a police officer killed in the line of duty.
According to data analyzed by CBS News, the national homicide clearance rate has been improving for cases involving white victims, but falling for Black and Hispanic victims.
According to the FBI and the Detroit Police Department, homicide clearance rates in the city have risen as the national average has fallen.
An analysis of FBI crime data by CBS 2 has found that LAPD's homicide clearance rate has ebbed over the years in a way that is concerning.
Chicago Police have low arrest rates, but higher rates for cleared or closed cases. We dig into what's behind those numbers.
New research by the CBS News Innovation Lab shows the likelihood of a murder being solved in the US is significantly lower when the victims are Black or Hispanic.
In a collaboration with CBS News, CBS Sacramento is examining why crime is often going without punishment in our country. The national homicide clearance rate is at an all-time low, according to FBI data. Barely half of the murder cases in the United States get solved.
In Miami-Dade, the clearance rate for homicides in 2020 was 43%
Unsolved murders are a growing concern nationwide.
The murder rate in Philadelphia was 499 in 2020. That's a 40% increase from 2019.
A CBS News analysis of FBI homicide data shows Baltimore City's average clearance rate from 2015 to 2019 was just 38.7%, hitting a low of 29.7% in 2015, the tumultuous year when Freddie Gray was killed in police custody and arrests plummeted.
Murder, according to the FBI, is the most likely crime to be solved in the US, but nationally the rate of success has been in decline for years.
In a collaboration with CBS News, KDKA Investigates examines crime often going without punishment in our country.
The day after Terrell Mayes, Jr. celebrated Christmas with his family, the 3-year-old and his siblings heard gunshots. A stray bullet struck Terrell as he ran up the stairs inside his north Minneapolis home. For more than a decade, WCCO has followed his grieving mother's push to find her son's killer.
Denver police has made many changes in the decades since the shocking murder of Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams, including building a $28 million state-of-the-art crime lab.
In a collaboration with CBS News, KPIX 5 is examining a crime often going without punishment in our country. Barely half of murder cases in the United States get solved.
The sailboat used by Brian and Lynette Hooker in their travels around the Bahamas — named "Soulmate" — has been seized by U.S. Coast Guard investigators.
On this "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" broadcast, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Sen. Mark Kelly join Margaret Brennan.
Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona said the Trump administration's $1.5 trillion budget request for defense spending is "outrageous."
In Los Angeles, rebuilding after last year's devastating wildfires has been a race to the status quo, with speed winning out over safety and strength.
Twenty years ago, Hope Edelman, author of the bestseller "Motherless Daughters," founded a global support network for women who, like her, were young when their mothers died – to share tears, sisterhood and affirmation.
A "hawkish" turn at the Fed and stubbornly high inflation could delay interest rate cuts, according to Bank of America economists.
A trade court's ruling this week against a 10% U.S. tariff is narrow in scope, offering limited relief to importers. Here's what to know.
ABC filed a petition with the FCC claiming that the agency's scrutiny of "The View" threatens to "chill critical protected speech."
Hiring once again exceeded forecasts, with employers adding far more than the projected gains of 65,000.
The tariffs were put in place in February, days after the Supreme Court struck down President Trump's previous round of sweeping "Liberation Day" tariffs.
On this "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" broadcast, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Sen. Mark Kelly join Margaret Brennan.
Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona said the Trump administration's $1.5 trillion budget request for defense spending is "outrageous."
The following is the transcript of the interview with former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, who is on boards the of Pfizer and UnitedHealthCare, that aired on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" on May 10, 2026.
The following is the transcript of the interview with Rep. Ted Lieu, Democrat of California, that aired on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" on May 10, 2026.
The following is the transcript of the interview with former Save the Children President and CEO Janti Soeripto that aired on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" on May 10, 2026.
A Dutch-flagged cruise ship that was hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak reached Spain's Canary Islands early Sunday morning.
In just hours, the cruise ship at the center of a deadly hantavirus outbreak is expected to arrive in the Canary Islands. All the passengers will then be evacuated to their home countries, including 17 Americans. Ramy Inocencio reports and Dr. Jon LaPook has more on the virus.
More than 100 people from a cruise ship dealing with an outbreak of the rare and deadly hantavirus are set to be disembarked.
Maralee Lellio always dreamed of having a large family. A Stage IV cancer diagnosis almost caused her to lose hope.
In 2002, Zermeño found out he contracted hantavirus after cleaning the family house following the death of his mother and sister. He had been exposed to rodent droppings and became infected.
The Moroccan military recovered the body of one of two U.S. soldiers who went missing on May 2, the U.S. Army said.
Russia and Ukraine accused each other of breaking a U.S.-brokered ceasefire on Sunday.
Europol said an international operation successfully disrupted a major drug trafficking route known as the "cocaine highway."
The following is the transcript of the interview with former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, who is on boards the of Pfizer and UnitedHealthCare, that aired on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" on May 10, 2026.
The following is the transcript of the interview with Rep. Ted Lieu, Democrat of California, that aired on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" on May 10, 2026.
Hosted by Jane Pauley. Featured: The Supreme Court ushers in a new era of gerrymandering; the legacy of CBS News Radio; motherless daughters; comedian Martin Short; rebuilding L.A.; remembering Ted Turner; and Martha Stewart prepares a Mother's Day breakfast.
When you learn what Martin Short has endured in his private life, as captured in the hilarious and heartbreaking documentary "Marty: Life Is Short," the comedian's irrepressibly sunny attitude is all the more astonishing.
In this web exclusive, correspondent Tracy Smith sits down with comedian Martin Short, star of "SCTV," "Saturday Night Live" and "Only Murders in the Building," to talk about how director Lawrence Kasdan convinced him to become the subject of the documentary, "Martin: Life Is Short." They also discuss applying his childhood fantasies in show business; experiencing grief and loss as a young man; his first professional job on "Godspell" with Gilda Radner; and the value of reading his own reviews. He also describes his treasured characters like Ed Grimley, Nathan Thurm and Jiminy Glick.
For more than 50 years, comedian Martin Short has been a bright spot on any stage or screen. And when you know what he has endured in his private life, his irrepressibly sunny attitude is all the more astonishing. "Marty: Life Is Short," a hilarious and heartbreaking Netflix documentary, tells of the personal tragedies that Short has endured since childhood – and how he has risen above them. Correspondent Tracy Smith talks with Short and director Lawrence Kasdan about grief and loss being met with laughter and joy.
In her latest book, "The Martha Way," Martha Stewart shares her classic methods for cooking – the building blocks essential to every home chef.
The online learning platform Canvas, which is used by 30 million students around the world, was hacked Thursday in a massive cyberattack. The platform is used by thousands of schools, including major universities. Jo Ling Kent reports.
A system that thousands of schools and universities use was offline due to a cyberattack.
From labor shortages to environmental impacts, farmers are looking to AI to help revolutionize the agriculture industry. One California startup, Farm-ng, is tapping into the power of AI and robotics to perform a wide range of tasks, including seeding, weeding and harvesting.
As more people turn to chatbots for financial advice, experts say AI offers both pros and cons for retirement planning. Here's what to know.
Fitness trackers started as devices for measuring workouts, but now they are designed for 24/7 monitoring and the passive collection of health data. Fitbit announced its latest device, called the Fitbit Air, to compete with other screenless trackers like the Whoop. Tech journalist Lexi Savvides joins CBS News with more.
The Pentagon released UFO documents on Friday, with President Trump telling the public to "have fun" deciding for itself what is going on. Carter Evans reports.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said it's time for the American people see it for themselves, as the Pentagon started releasing previously classified documents related to UFOs and UAPs. CBS News Pentagon reporter Eleanor Watson has more.
The Pentagon on Friday released and declassified numerous files on UFOs, including eyewitness testimony, photos and reports. Government knowledge of non-human intelligent life was the subject of the documentary "The Age of Disclosure," released in February. Its director and producer, Dan Farah, joins CBS News to discuss.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a statement that the documents "have long fueled justified speculation — and it's time the American people see it for themselves."
If confirmed, the rock would become just the second world past Neptune in our solar system to host an atmosphere.
Beverly Hills detectives try to figure out how a widow ended up dead below a staircase in her mansion. "48 Hours" correspondent Erin Moriarty reports.
Beverly Hills detectives responding to the death of 67-year-old Violet Yacobi — who was found on the marble floor below a staircase in her mansion — suspected foul play and her dentist son, and wondered if the family fortune was a motive for murder.
The search for Michigan mother Lynette Hooker headed into a fifth week as Coast Guard investigators seek to question the owners of a sailboat that was moored near the Hooker's vessel when she went missing. Cristian Benavides reports.
CBS News homeland security correspondent Nicole Sganga returned to the Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C., to better understand the security surrounding the White House Correspondents' Dinner. What she found was a 13-minute gap in security camera coverage in the moments leading up to the shooting.
A federal judge has made public an apparent suicide note written by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. CBS News' Anna Schecter reports.
NASA's Apollo 17 crew reported seeing three mysterious dots and sparks that resembled fireworks, according to new files released by the Pentagon.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a statement that the documents "have long fueled justified speculation — and it's time the American people see it for themselves."
If confirmed, the rock would become just the second world past Neptune in our solar system to host an atmosphere.
The Artemis II team gained a new member, and the crew made sure their youngest teammate had the right stuff for space.
The Artemis II astronauts said they actually really enjoyed the space food, but it was a familiar candy they enjoyed after splashing down in the Pacific Ocean.
A look back at the esteemed personalities who've left us this year, who'd touched us with their innovation, creativity and humanity.
Does the evidence show a cover-up, or was Todd Kendhammer wrongfully convicted for the murder of his wife?
Christy Salters-Martin dominated in the boxing ring but faced her toughest challenger at home.
Family seeks answers in death of newlywed who disappeared in 2005 while on Mediterranean honeymoon cruise.
Meet the tattooed beauty charged in the death of Google executive Forrest Hayes.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the conflicts in Iran and Lebanon, the prospects for a peace deal, and the relationship between the U.S. and Israel.
Major Garrett sat down with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, prospects for a peace deal, and more. Editor's note: The video above is an extended version of the interview that was broadcast on 60 Minutes on Sunday, May 10, 2026.
After the Supreme Court ruled a Louisiana congressional map unconstitutional, Gov. Jeff Landry suspended primaries, the state is redrawing its map, and some Black voters fear losing their voice in D.C.
Australian sprinter Gout Gout is breaking records, including one set by Usain Bolt. Track coach Di Sheppard first saw Gout run at age 12 and predicted: "I'm going to make that one a champion."
Correspondent Jon Wertheim breaks down the data behind 18-year-old Australian phenomenon Gout Gout's U20 world record 200-meter sprint, comparing it to Usain Bolt's standing 2009 world record, and what his coach said it will take to win Olympic gold.