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.
Crime Without Punishment
A look at unsolved murders in America
A closer look at disparities in NYPD's homicide clearance rates
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.
Oakland, San Francisco see disheartening difference in homicide clearance rates
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.
She lost two sons to gun violence; five years later, still no arrests
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.
A "coin flip": Nearly half of U.S. murders go unsolved as cases rise
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.
Behind the story: How CBS News analyzed homicide solve rates across U.S.
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.
Baltimore task force trying to solve the crisis of unsolved murder
Officials from more than 20 agencies are working together in a nondescript warehouse, investigating Baltimore's most brazen drug syndicates.
Unsolved murders and the mothers of Jackson, Mississippi
Mothers being asked to investigate the murders of their sons has become a reality in Jackson.
Philly police say "crushing volume" of killings outruns their ability to close cases
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.
Former Dallas police chief hopes police and communities can bridge gaps
Renee Hall, former chief of the Dallas Police Department, is the daughter of a police officer killed in the line of duty.
A closer look at disparities in NYPD's homicide clearance rates
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.
Detroit homicide clearance rates rise as national rates fall
According to the FBI and the Detroit Police Department, homicide clearance rates in the city have risen as the national average has fallen.
Unsolved murders on the rise, especially for Black, Hispanic victims
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.
Five years after her brother's murder, one Chicago woman learns justice will never come
Chicago Police have low arrest rates, but higher rates for cleared or closed cases. We dig into what's behind those numbers.
Black and Hispanic murders are less likely to be solved. The reasons why are complicated.
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.
How Sacramento County is bucking the national trend of murder cases going unsolved
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.
Miami police working to increase murder clearance rate
In Miami-Dade, the clearance rate for homicides in 2020 was 43%
The problem behind Boston's unsolved murders
Unsolved murders are a growing concern nationwide.
Homicide clearance rates are dropping in Philadelphia as murder rates skyrocket
The murder rate in Philadelphia was 499 in 2020. That's a 40% increase from 2019.
Homicide clearance rates are declining across the U.S. Baltimore's is down to 42%.
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.
More murders going unsolved nationally, but Dallas-Fort Worth may be getting less credit than they deserve
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.
Pittsburgh homicide clearance rates falling as national rate hits all-time low
In a collaboration with CBS News, KDKA Investigates examines crime often going without punishment in our country.
U.S. unsolved homicide rates soar, and Minneapolis is pacing worse than nat'l average
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's approach to solving homicides has caught national attention
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.
Oakland, SF see disheartening difference in homicide clearance rates
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.
U.S.
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Watch Live: Officials give update in Brown shooting as dayslong manhunt continues
In several zoomed-in videos police say were captured on the East Side of Providence approximately two hours before the shooting, a person of interest is seen walking on a sidewalk and looking around.
Rob and Michele Reiner's children speak out after brother's arrest
Jake and Romy Reiner released a statement on Wednesday, remembering their parents, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, as their best friends.
Recalled ice cream sold nationwide could contain "small stones," FDA says
The recall affects So Delicious Dairy Free's Salted Caramel Cluster ice cream with best by dates of Aug. 8, 2027.
The Oscars is moving to YouTube starting in 2029
The Oscars ceremony is moving to YouTube starting in 2029, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on Wednesday.
How will the stock market perform in 2026? Wall Street pros weigh in.
Wall Street analysts expect another strong year in stocks in 2026, propelled by continued AI sector gains and additional Fed interest-rate cuts.
MoneyWatch
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Recalled ice cream sold nationwide could contain "small stones," FDA says
The recall affects So Delicious Dairy Free's Salted Caramel Cluster ice cream with best by dates of Aug. 8, 2027.
The Oscars is moving to YouTube starting in 2029
The Oscars ceremony is moving to YouTube starting in 2029, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on Wednesday.
How will the stock market perform in 2026? Wall Street pros weigh in.
Wall Street analysts expect another strong year in stocks in 2026, propelled by continued AI sector gains and additional Fed interest-rate cuts.
Traveling for the holidays? Beware these common scams, lawmakers warn
Americans lose hundreds of millions of dollars each year in travel-related fraud, according to the Joint Economic Committee. Here's how to avoid getting burned.
Bessent unveils new Trump Accounts website — and a new IRS form
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also said Ray Dalio, the founder of the hedge fund Bridgewater Associates, will donate to the Trump accounts initiative.
Politics
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Jared Isaacman confirmed to be NASA administrator after second nomination
President Trump withdrew Isaacman's nomination in April 2025, before re-issuing it again in November.
House Democrats to force war powers votes as Trump teases Venezuela strikes
The votes follow a monthslong military campaign against alleged drug smuggling boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean.
Senate passes NDAA, sending $900 billion defense policy bill to Trump
The Senate approved a $900 billion defense policy bill known as the National Defense Authorization Act, sending it to the president's desk for his signature.
Trump participates in dignified transfer honoring U.S. soldiers killed in Syria
Two members of the Iowa National Guard were killed in Syria on Saturday — Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard.
Jack Smith defends Trump prosecutions in closed-door House testimony
Former special counsel Jack Smith defended his prosecutions of President Trump in a closed-door deposition with lawmakers on Capitol Hill on Wednesday.
HealthWatch
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Measles outbreaks worsen in South Carolina, Arizona and Utah
Nationally, the measles case count is nearing 2,000 for a disease that has been considered eliminated in the U.S. since 2000, a result of routine childhood vaccinations.
He made his brothers see a cardiologist. Each had advanced heart disease.
Kevin Murray was his family's health watchdog. His vigilance helped his brothers "avoid a real catastrophe."
Millions of Americans could see health plan costs double as ACA credits vanish
"I don't know how I'm going to pay for this," said one person with an Affordable Care Act plan that will cost her $1,100 a month starting in January.
Vaccine vote signals turbulence for immunization policy, public trust
Clinicians and epidemiologists warn the decision could unravel decades of progress and expose newborns to a deadly, preventable disease.
Botulism outbreak tied to ByHeart products includes 51 babies in 19 states
Health officials say an infant botulism outbreak tied to ByHeart baby formula has been expanded to include all illnesses reported since the company began production in 2022.
World
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House Democrats to force war powers votes as Trump teases Venezuela strikes
The votes follow a monthslong military campaign against alleged drug smuggling boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean.
U.K. police tout "more assertive" approach to antisemitism at protests
After Bondi Beach attack, Britain's two biggest police forces indicate they will arrest people who use "phrases causing fear in Jewish communities."
Arctic temperatures rising twice as fast as elsewhere, NOAA report says
Temperatures in the Arctic continue to follow a long-term warming trend, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Funerals begin for Bondi Beach attack victims: "It's our 7th of October"
The suspect in the Bondi Beach terror attack is charged in a hospital after waking from a coma, as Sydney's Jewish community mourns "our 7th of October."
Researchers capture video of rare polar bear adoption
The footage of a bear caring for an adopted cub was captured during the annual polar bear migration along the Western Hudson Bay in Churchill, Manitoba.
Entertainment
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Rob and Michele Reiner's children speak out after brother's arrest
Jake and Romy Reiner released a statement on Wednesday, remembering their parents, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, as their best friends.
The Oscars is moving to YouTube starting in 2029
The Oscars ceremony is moving to YouTube starting in 2029, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on Wednesday.
Sylvester Stallone recalls painful "Rocky" Oscar night
Sylvester Stallone reflects on his iconic roles as Rocky Balboa and John Rambo, his rough upbringing, and the legacy he hopes to leave in a touching "CBS Mornings" interview.
Nick Reiner appears in court, arraignment set for Jan. 7 in killing of parents
Nick Reiner appeared in court on Wednesday on two counts of murder in the killing of his parents, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner.
Jack Black and Paul Rudd preview "Anaconda"
Jack Black and Paul Rudd team up in the new comedy "Anaconda," portraying best friends who set out to remake the 1997 cult classic of the same name. The duo tell "CBS Mornings" what it was like collaborating on the project and reveal how much of their performance was improvised.
Technology
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Technology
OpenAI, Amazon in talks over $10B investment
OpenAI, the developer for ChatGPT, and Amazon are in talks over a possible $10 billion investment. Mark DeCambre, editor-in-chief for MarketWatch, joins with more.
Local pushback grows against AI data centers
A frenzy of development to support the artificial intelligence boom is prompting pushback from communities who say they don't want data centers in their backyards. Technology journalist Jacob Ward joins CBS News to discuss.
How AI powered robots are helping small farms
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.
These are the most popular internet services of 2025, as AI gains traction
Global internet traffic rose 19% this year as people rely more on tech for daily communication and entertainment, a new report finds.
How computers in classrooms impact students
Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath, a neuroscientist and director at LME Global, joins "CBS News 24/7 Mornings" to discuss his new book "The Digital Delusion," where he examines the impact of increased reliance on computers in classrooms. Horvath also talks about his recent article in The Free Press, a Paramount publication.
Science
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Major climate research center on Trump administration chopping block
The Trump administration intends to dismantle one of the world's leading climate research institutions, in Boulder, Colorado, over what it said were concerns about "climate alarmism."
Researchers capture video of rare polar bear adoption
The footage of a bear caring for an adopted cub was captured during the annual polar bear migration along the Western Hudson Bay in Churchill, Manitoba.
Dinosaur tracks showing "herds moving in synchrony" found in Italy
Most of the footprints are elongated and made by bipeds. The best-preserved ones bear traces of at least four toes.
Interstellar comet is making its closest approach to Earth
NASA continues to aim its space telescopes at the visiting ice ball, estimated to be up to 3.5 miles in size.
Fossil footprints in Bolivia reveal dinosaurs' awkward attempts to swim
Paleontologists have discovered and documented 16,600 footprints left by theropods, the dinosaur group that includes the Tyrannosaurus rex.
Crime
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Watch Live: Officials give update in Brown shooting as dayslong manhunt continues
In several zoomed-in videos police say were captured on the East Side of Providence approximately two hours before the shooting, a person of interest is seen walking on a sidewalk and looking around.
Update in Brown University manhunt
Providence police are now looking for another individual as the manhunt for the shooter who killed two Brown University students stretches into its fifth day. CBS News' Tom Hanson has more.
Nick Reiner arraignment postponed to January
Nick Reiner's arraignment was postponed until January 7, his defense attorney Alan Jackson told reporters Wednesday. CBS News correspondent Jonathan Vigliotti has more.
Nick Reiner's arraignment postponed
Nick Reiner appeared in a Los Angeles court on Wednesday, but his arraignment has been postponed until Jan. 7, his lawyer Alan Jackson told reporters. CBS News' Adam Yamaguchi has the latest.
DOJ probes alleged harassment by landlords
The Justice Department is investigating more than a dozen cases of landlords accused of sexually harassing their tenants. CBS News' Scott MacFarlane has more details.
Space
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Jared Isaacman confirmed to be NASA administrator after second nomination
President Trump withdrew Isaacman's nomination in April 2025, before re-issuing it again in November.
Interstellar comet is making its closest approach to Earth
NASA continues to aim its space telescopes at the visiting ice ball, estimated to be up to 3.5 miles in size.
"Wet lava ball" exoplanet may have an atmosphere, evidence shows
Super-Earth TOI-561b is about 40 times closer to its host star than Mercury is to the sun.
NASA says Maven spacecraft that was orbiting Mars has gone silent
NASA has lost contact with a spacecraft that's been orbiting Mars for more than a decade.
Black hole spotted blasting winds at 130 million miles per hour
The European Space Agency said that the black hole inside the spiral galaxy NGC 3783 has the mass of 30 million suns.
Latest Galleries
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Notable Deaths in 2025
A look back at the esteemed personalities who've left us this year, who'd touched us with their innovation, creativity and humanity.
The life & near death of prizefighter Christy Salters-Martin
Christy Salters-Martin dominated in the boxing ring but faced her toughest challenger at home.
Timeline: The disappearance of George Smith
Family seeks answers in death of newlywed who disappeared in 2005 while on Mediterranean honeymoon cruise.
Who is Alix Tichelman?
Meet the tattooed beauty charged in the death of Google executive Forrest Hayes.
"Son of Sam": A serial killer's reign of terror
Calling himself the "Son of Sam" in a letter left at one of the crime scenes, David Berkowitz claimed voices were ordering him to kill -- starting in the summer of 1976, he went on a 13-month spree of impulse killings in New York City that left six dead and seven injured
Latest CBS News Videos
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Details on Trump order for Venezuela blockade
President Trump is calling for a total and complete blockade on all sanctioned oil tankers that enter or leave Venezuela. CBS News White House reporter Aaron Navarro has more.
Trump attends dignified transfer of soldiers
President Trump on Wednesday attended the dignified transfer of two National Guardsmen and an interpreter, who were killed in Syria.
South Carolina urging measles vaccinations
More than 160 people in South Carolina are under quarantine as the state battles a growing number of measles cases. Dr. William Schaffner, professor of infectious disease at Vanderbilt Medical Center, joins CBS News to discuss.
Chris Whipple defends Vanity Fair piece
Chris Whipple, the author of the Vanity Fair story featuring interviews with White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, defended his reporting after Wiles called it a "disingenuously framed hit piece" on her. "They [The White House] know that everything is rock solid," Whipple told Major Garrett on "The Takeout."
Update in Brown University manhunt
Providence police are now looking for another individual as the manhunt for the shooter who killed two Brown University students stretches into its fifth day. CBS News' Tom Hanson has more.