NO SUCH THING Could you get away with murder?
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Nov 19, 2025 Retired homicide detective Chris McDonough shares insights from his 42 years of experience in crime-solving. He emphasizes the critical role of community policing in building trust and improving homicide clearances. The conversation takes a humorous turn as the hosts present their outlandish plans to murder each other, prompting Chris to critique their plausibility while revealing intriguing interrogation tactics. With a focus on long-term relationships and clever techniques, Chris demonstrates that old-school methods can still lead to high solvability rates.
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Unsolved Homicide Paradox
- Nearly half of U.S. homicides go unsolved despite falling murder rates, creating a paradox in modern policing.
- This suggests declines in homicide don't automatically improve clearance rates or investigative outcomes.
Community Policing Loss Harms Clearance
- Dr. Brian Forst argues the collapse of community policing helps explain falling clearance rates.
- When police stop being seen as community members, trust erodes and investigations suffer.
Trust Trumps Tech For Leads
- Trust between citizens and police is central to solving homicides because community contacts yield leads.
- Without trust, witnesses withhold information and cases stall, increasing unsolved rates.
