Columbus homicide solve rate consistant with 2023, better than years prior to that
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Ringing in the new year for some families means happiness and new beginnings, but 123 families in Columbus will go into the new year with a missing piece.
That’s because the Columbus Division of Police said there have been 123 homicides in the city in 2024 and of those, 93 – about 75 percent – have been solved.
“The detectives take a lot of pride in closing out these cases,” Columbus Police Commander Shaun Dillon said.
Dillon said the 123 lives lost in Columbus in 2024 are still too many, but detectives are working around the clock to bring justice to victims' families.
“If you look at 2023 and 2024 solve rates, they've increased since 2020 to show that's worked and now we're just trying to continue to maintain that high solve rate and then get better,” Dillon said.
He said they’ve also closed 30 previously unsolved cases from 2023, adding that the 75 percent solve rate is pretty consistent with last year, but it is much higher than rates from 2020-2022.
“Just because we go into 2025, we won't stop working the cases from 2024,” Dillon said.
Andrew Clayborn's brother Andre was killed in 2020. He said having his brother's case solved impacted their grief process.
“So for us, you know, it definitely, you know, began that journey of us knowing, okay, we do know who did it,” Clayborn said. “So now we can go through the natural progression of going to court and having a trial."
Clayborn said his family did go on that healing journey. He started the “Son Son Foundation” in his brother's honor to help incarcerated people turn their lives around.
Clayborn said the person who pulled the trigger on his brother was acquitted via self-defense, but Clayborn said being there is all a part of the journey.
“I'm actually a living testimony that we have to begin to give ourselves closure because the individual took something away from us, could never give us the closure that we truly need, and so I'm learning more and more, you know, of forgiving, that giving that closure to self, to know that everything moving forward is going to get better,” Clayborn said.
Dillon said things that have helped police solve cases this year are technology like cameras and the Real Time Crime Center. A few years ago, CPD also made internal changes to send teams of detectives to investigate and focus on certain areas rather than rushing around the city, which Dillon said has made a difference.
He said the other big factor is the community.
“Relationships we've built with the community, more people are willing to call in tips, be good witnesses, speak to us, tell us what they saw, call anonymously," Dillon said. “We'll never stop working on those cases, but the cases that we do solve, it does help to be able to go to the family and tell them; that brings some closure and justice to that case.”
There are still 30 unsolved homicide cases this year. Dillon said officers will continue investigating those cases, but anyone in the community with information is asked to reach out to Columbus police.