EDITORIAL : CLOSING THE BOOK; SPECIAL UNIT AT FOOTHILL DIVISION SOLVING UNSOLVED MURDER CASES.MOST slayings in Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. are solved within a day or two and result in a quick arrest. But then there are those that linger lin·ger v. lin·gered, lin·ger·ing, lin·gers v.intr. 1. To be slow in leaving, especially out of reluctance; tarry. See Synonyms at stay1. 2. and are thrown in the ``unsolved murder'' file. At the height of a crime wave, detectives have little time to go back and try to solve them. Now, with crime down sharply, the Los Angeles Police Department "LAPD" and "L.A.P.D." redirect here. For other uses, see LAPD (disambiguation).  This article or section is written like an . has begun focusing more time and effort on closing the open cases. Three weeks ago, detectives arrested Jeanie Adair on suspicion of killing her husband in their Sylmar home in November 1996. Though Adair, in an exclusive jailhouse interview with the Daily News last week, claimed she was set up by her angry, vindictive in-laws, the LAPD 1. LAPD - Link Access Procedure on the D channel. 2. LAPD - Los Angeles Police Department. charges that after two years of trying to check out Adair's version of the killing it has come up with only one suspect, and that is Adair. In the LAPD's Foothill Division, 50 killings in the past five years remain open. Either they are unsolved or there are warrants out for the prime suspect or suspects. In order to close those cases and the many more that date back to the 1970s, Foothill's new commander, Capt. Ron Seban, and Lt. Richard Papke, who is in charge of the division's detectives, created a detective unit to solve the longstanding slaying cases. They've met with some immediate success. In the first three months, the unit has arrested three suspects and solved or cleared five slayings that have been open for more than 20 years. The problem the detectives face, however, is when suspects flee flee v. fled , flee·ing, flees v.intr. 1. To run away, as from trouble or danger: fled from the house into the night. 2. to Mexico. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the LAPD, as many as 60 percent of suspects accused of murder in the Foothill Division head south of the border. These cases, rightly or wrongly, turn into a waiting game. One day, the detectives believe, the suspects will return to the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. , and with the special unit keeping an eye them, they will likely be brought to justice. Foothill is on the right track. Short of help from the U.S. and Mexican governments, the department should set up more of these special units. |
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