Philly Police creates unsolved murder website in hopes of catching killers

Deputy Police Commissioner Dennis Wilson says PhillyUnsolvedMurders.com can help restart investigations when the trail has gone cold, by asking for anonymous tips.

Tom MacDonald

August 22, 2019

Philadelphia’s interim police commissioner, Christine Coulter. (Kimberly Paynter/WHYY)

The Philadelphia Police Department has launched a new website designed to help with unsolved murder cases.

Deputy Police Commissioner Dennis Wilson says PhillyUnsolvedMurders.com can help restart investigations when the trail has gone cold, by asking for anonymous tips.

“The homicide unit is submitting details on each case that will help us get tips on these cases and solve them,” Wilson said.

Kimberly Robinson’s son Jonchristopher Savage is one of the stories featured on the site. Savage was shot and killed on Jan. 29 of this year in Hunting Park. She hopes the site will help find and convict her son’s killer.

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Kimberly Robinson, the mother of the late Jonchristopher Savage, is comforted by Philadelphia’s interim police commissioner Christine Coulter. (Kimberly Paynter/WHYY)

“I need his killer caught. I forgive his killer. If you are out there and hear me, I forgive you but I need you to come to justice and pay for what you did,” Robinson said.

There are more than 100 unsolved cases on the site. Each has a $20,000 reward for a tip that results in a conviction.

Richard Brown’s son was murdered in June and the killer has not been found. He thinks the anonymous nature of the site will convince people to come forward who would not call a regular tipline.

Richard Brown remembers his son whose life was taken earlier this year. (Kimberly Paynter/WHYY)

“Maybe this website will force someone or make their conscience work a little better and have them come forward and say ‘I saw a b and c’ without retribution,” Brown said. “I think most people are scared of retribution in this city, in all cities.”

The site has a biography of each victim provided by the family and details of the killing from homicide detectives. It currently has unsolved cases from 2018 and 2019 with the police promising to add more of the thousands of cases from past years.

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