Five years after his brother was murdered, a woman in Chicago learned that justice never came.

Chicago (CBS)-2017 was a cruel year for Tina Lyles. That June, she said, "Someone called me and said something had happened to Quinton." Quinton Flowers was her 19-year-old son. He was an ambitious musician. She adopted him when he was just four years old.

On that day in 2017, she received a phone call and learned that he was shot not far from her home. "One of her neighbors did CPR and brought him back," she shed tears and explained what had happened.

Tina said goodbye to Quinton shortly after her hospital call. "He had a terrifying face that I had never seen. He had a terrifying face. We all said he loved him and then let him go."

As the next day grows into weeks and months, Tina has to stay strong to keep her family together. did. She said Quinton and his brother, Moncrief Miller, were nearby. "Quinton gave Monk Reef the opportunity to become an older brother. He was not the older brother, but the youngest of my biological children."

That's why Quinton's murder was Monk. It hit Reef particularly hard. "It really did something to him; it broke something in him. All the rest of the [family] had eight children at that time, pretty torn.

A few months later, Moncrief became a dad. "This is the monk leaf in the hospital when he first saw the baby. He smiled big."

Immediately after his daughter was born, the monk leaf was also shot dead and Quinton was shot down. I was a few blocks away from where I was. Another catastrophic loss for Tina. "I said, no, never again. You have to make fun of me. Never again."

It's the two sons Tina lost to each other in gun violence within six months.

But the brothers were only two of the 660 murders in Chicago that year.

Arrest rates have changed over the years since Quinton and Moncrief were shot dead, ranging from a minimum of 20% in 2017 to a maximum of 37% this year.

In other words, there are still many mothers like Tina who are wondering when the killer will be caught. Over the years, she sought to stay in touch with the police.

She turned to a group of Chicago survivors to treat pain and loss. Nonprofits provide counseling and support services to the families of murder victims. We also provide training for more caring families to law enforcement agencies, coroners, hospital staff and other institutions dealing with victims' relatives.

JaShawn Hill is Director of Clinical Services for Chicago Survivors. She is well aware of the low arrest rate in Chicago. She said, "This sends a message to the community that violence, especially murder, will save someone if they hurt someone."

Are people spared murder in Chicago? Tracking the answer is more puzzling than you might think, as the arrest is the only way the Chicago Police Department (CPD) has finished investigating the crime.

In 2021, the homicide arrest rate was only 24%, while the clearance rate, or CPD closed case rate, was 48%.

Why is it possible? It's called an exceptional means. Justice for the family is never provided, but police admit that the case has been resolved.

In the same year that Quinton and Moncrief were murdered (2017), Anna Vijada and her 15-year-old brother, Diego, were walking in an alley near Hermosa for lunch. Two men made them jump. "One of the guys told Diego,'This is the day you die, so start running.'"

Anna tried to escape Diego, but he was shot in the head, she said. rice field. "He was shot over there, but his hitman stood on the edge," she said, pointing in the opposite direction of the alley.

Anna looked closely at the murderer and she said she explained him to the police. Then she joined her family at the hospital to say goodbye to her. "I told him you can't leave me. You really can't leave me. You can't leave me alone. I approach his face, and I Tells him, if you just want to go, I know you are suffering. I don't want to see you suffering like this. His machine starts working, I see tears spilling, so I told him I'm fine. I'll let you go. "

Diego Villada died in the hospital two days after being shot dead. Anna, sitting at her brother's bedside, felt she would be arrested soon. Her head was, yeah, like he was going to get justice. They have him. They have weapons.

Police arrested in Diego's case. However, according to CPD records, the incident was cleared in 2021. This was one of the exceptional cases, as the prosecutor refused to prosecute the suspect.

Failure to file a complaint is just one way CPD can resolve the case. Also, if the main suspect is put in jail in another jurisdiction and cannot be expelled, the crime is considered resolved. Also, the main suspect may have died or police may not be able to find sufficient evidence. If police arrest the wrong person, the case may be resolved.

According to more annoying CBS News data analysis, this method is actually increasing. In Chicago, between 2017 and 2021, the number of free and exceptionally cleared cases increased from 37% to 51%. More than half of all closed cases.

Arthur Lurigio, a professor of criminal justice at Loyola University, states that arrests are only the first step in resolving a crime. Lack of accountability makes th permanent e-cycle.

"It is the critical mass of survivors of murder victims, and they will never experience the right justice," he said.

For Anna and her family, it gets worse. They didn't know that Diego's proceedings were over until we talked to them. She said it didn't feel like justice. "They said the same thing to us over and over again. We will reply to you within a few weeks. We will reply to you. We will reply to you. His case is still open. We need to have everything, and they let us know that the case is over without making a single phone call. That's sad. "

The Cook County State Lawyer's Office (SAO) said CBS2 investigators' charges were dismissed in the 2021 Diego murder case because there was no evidence to prosecute.

Why is an incident like Diego Villa? Exceptionally whether it will be closed. Why are arrests rarely settled in cases like Tina Lyles' son? I sat down at both SAO and CPD and asked for an interview. Both refused. Instead, they pointed their fingers at each other.

"There are serious problems not only in this society, but also in the system and the judicial system," says Tina Lyles.

The family never waits for closure.

"My mother came to me and she hugged me, and she asked me what we were going to do now," Anna Villada said. Told.

CPD noted that murder arrests have so far increased in 2022. The ministry said smart policing technology helped the investigation, but SAO will ultimately make the decision. SAO said it would approve the claim if there was sufficient evidence to approve it.

What we found in Chicago is part of a CBS News survey on the reasons for unresolved murders across the country. This graph shows the homicide clearance rate across the country.

"No crime nationwide CBS Penalties from Station and CBS News are available here

Megan Hicky

Megan Hickey is a member of the 2 Investigator team and focuses on topical research articles. Guess.