While researching The Restless Sleep I became obsessed with murder statistics. I’d look through reports of unsolved murders to see what patterns I could find. For instance, which neighborhoods in New York have the highest number of unsolved murders? Morrisania (Bronx), East New York (Brooklyn), and Inwood (Manhattan). Because I had researched New York’s Potter’s Field on Hart Island for a previous book, I was curious to learn the number of unidentified victims, which was 373 at the time Restless Sleep went to press, including eight skeletons, two skulls, two sets of body parts, three torsos and 30 abandoned newborns.

A sad fact: 59 of the murders that went cold happened on Christmas Eve and Christmas, and 18 occurred on New Year’s Eve. I just tried to find a study of homicide rates on holidays, but only came up with this on a quick search. “Rates of U.S. homicides and suicides during 1972-1979 were higher on 7 major national holidays except one for homicides and were lower for suicides, except New Year’s Day as Lester noted for 1972-1979.”

While looking for that I came across a 1955 Time Magazine article about murder in the United States. In 1955 the south had the highest murder rate (it still does) and Georgia was the worst state (now it’s Louisiana and Maryland, Georgia moved down to #14).

As a result of a pretty interesting DNA hunt, a man has been charged with the murder of 14-year-old Eileen Adams [the link to an article I had no longer works]. Unfortunately, they don’t know where he is to arrest him. They believe he’s homeless in California. (I learned this researching my book. It’s one thing to figure out who did it. It’s quite another to then find them.)

This part of the story kills me:

“Mr. Bowman’s marriage ended in divorce. His wife apparently knew the teen was in the basement and came forward with a statement in 1981 that he was involved in the slaying. She told police that she had waited to come forward because she was afraid. Without her, Detective Beavers said, police would not have identified him as a suspect.”

She couldn’t have come forward while the child was in the basement?? Her husband would have been immediately arrested, there would have been no danger to her, and Eileen might be alive today.

This article details the DNA side of the case. Good work, Lucas County Cold Case Task Force. Having gotten to know the father of another murdered 14-year-old girl, I know that Eileen’s father, who is now in a nursing home and has been waiting 39 years, has badly needed to hear the words that you were finally able to tell him: we know who did it.

I just heard that one of the Cold Case detective’s criminal informants died. I know some people might take this the wrong way, but it’s weirdly sad. He was a limited man. It’s like the universe crushing a wounded animal after it spent three hours trying to cross a highway. If nothing else, Cilone helped to put the thug in this photograph in jail (picture courtesy of Gangland News).

This is from my book about Mike:

“Organized crime doesn’t amount to much anymore. In the most mundane ways, the business of organized crime is like any other business. Sometimes people feel trapped in dead end jobs …

[Read more →]

Before escalating, ask yourself honestly: are there truly things the police are not doing? Or, have they followed all the leads and gotten nowhere? Without evidence, witnesses, or new leads, there isn’t much else the police can do. While researching this book I learned, surprise, surprise, that solving murders is not like TV. Sometimes it’s pretty straight forward, they have a lot of evidence, somebody saw something, or somebody told someone something. Those murders get solved quickly. But there are times when the detectives have little or nothing to go on. Like when someone kills someone late at night, when there are no witnesses, and uses a gun, so they don’t get close enough to leave trace evidence.

Have you expressed your concerns to the detective on the case?

The police department is like any other place, some people are good at their job, some are brilliant, many are average, some people shouldn’t be there. You might have a legitimate complaint. I’ve put together a list of people to contact in New York, but for other cities I would follow this rule of thumb: write the Chief of Police or Police Commissioner (titles are different everywhere), and then cc the Mayor, the detective’s boss, and someone in the media. This is just a starting point. In New York, for instance, these people have a relationship. If you don’t get an adequate response when you take this step you might want to then contact local community and advocacy groups.

Keep your letter as succinct as possible. Say that you are writing because you do not believe the police are doing all they can to solve your relative’s murder, then give them the facts of the case briefly. Be sure to include:

– The case number.
– Name of victim (include nicknames, married names, maiden names).
– Date and location of homicide.
– The names and telephone numbers of those in law enforcement who worked on the case.
– The date of your last contact with law enforcement. How it was left? Who called you? What information did they give you?
– Your name.
– Your telephone number.
– Your relationship to the victim.

Then state the things you believe are not being done. What leads are not being followed? Which witness were not questioned? What evidence was not tested?

These instructions are a work in progress. As I come up with better tips, addresses, etc., I will edit these guidelines.

Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly
New York Police Department
One Police Plaza – Room 1400
New York, NY 10038
Online Mail Form

Chief of Department Joseph J. Esposito
New York Police Department
One Police Plaza – Room 1300
New York, NY 10038

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg
City Hall
New York, NY 10007
FAX (212) 788-2460
Online Mail Form

Media. I’m going to list the addresses of three New York newspapers. I suggest reading one of these papers if you don’t already, and finding the journalist you think might be the most sympathetic and writing them.

The New York Times
229 West 43rd Street
New York NY 10036

The Daily News
450 W. 33 Street
New York, NY 10001

New York Post
1211 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10036