Suffolk DA To Revisit Hundreds Of Unsolved Boston-Area Murders
BOSTON (AP/CBS) — The Suffolk District Attorney's office is launching a new initiative to revisit hundreds of cold-case homicides.
DA Rachael Rollins says the campaign will devote more law enforcement time and resources to unsolved murders in Suffolk County, which includes Boston.
It's being launched Friday under the acronym PUSH, which stands for Project for Unsolved Suffolk Homicides. Authorities say there are 1,367 open murder cases dating back to the 1960s.
Rollins says she empathizes with families who have lost a loved one and are still waiting for justice. She says: "Lives were stolen — we must never forget that."
The first stage of the program where staff members will review cases and suggest next steps in the investigation, will run through December. Then a PUSH committee will either assign a member of the office of legal staff to the case or advise Boston Police Department's homicide unit.
"If law enforcement isn't solving the most serious crimes that we have, it breaks down the trust that the community has in our ability," Rollins said.
Rollins says easing up on prosecutions of nonviolent crimes such as drug possession and shoplifting will let law enforcement focus on unsolved slayings.
(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
