In the article, “New Mexico’s Cold Cases” by Uncovered.com, there is a range of information that is covered. This includes the state’s data on homicide cases, Santa Fe County’s data, the names of some victims, and how the state addresses and documents its data. There are examples of different databases where missing and murder cases are stored such as the New Mexico’s Cold Case website. From these databases, numbers, and assumptions based on those numbers help with creating the larger picture, that is New Mexico’s homicide and cold cases are increasing. There is supportive evidence on how the state positively deals with the issue. The new advancements in technology and protocol found within law enforcement have helped to solve or gain more information on unsolved cases. 

This article based on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, supports my topic of cold cases because it covers the issue at hand and reasoning. Women are at the forefront of this issue because there is a larger number seen in the data of Indigenous women. Although other demographics are included as well, such as men, elders, and youth of Indigenous communities. People from all over use their voices to share through protests, social media, meetings, and more to amplify awareness of Indigenous justice. They don’t go unnoticed, as there are things the state has helped with such as task forces and acts that focus on different elements found in the general cases. Still yet though, communities plead for justice and cases stay cold.

In this task force report, there was quite a bit mentioned about New Mexico’s part in the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives (MMIWR) epidemic currently at stake in the state, and the country. Discuss the law enforcement’s role in the investigations, complications, persecutions, etc. in the situations involving Indigenous people. As well as many statistics on the police reports from surrounding areas like Farmington, Gallup, Albuquerque, and other sources. It also discussed how the different systems are involved during crimes and their investigations. In a way this report on the state of Indian Affairs discussion, there is a cry for help, a cry to be heard, seen, and recognized. 

In this video, a news broadcast discussed a meet-up that happened on behalf of the community’s support towards the families involved in MMIWR. The families express their frustration and immense sadness to the communities listening. Discussing their struggles with their injustices and the state of the hurt they are still currently facing. There is a remorseful feeling towards those being affected because underlining it all, there is a universal connection in it all “some of them are relatives” and it could be anyone’s relatives. Publicity, as such, is good awareness but the feeling that our voices still aren’t loud enough can be felt in the meetings. The urgency and the desperation can still be found.

Within this article, we dive into the understanding of not only the crisis of unsolved cases but the crisis amongst the communities that have to manage those situations. Over 300,000 homicides across the US have gone unsolved since the 1960s, leaving families and communities traumatized. In Colorado, at least 2,500 murders have gone unpunished in the last five decades. Black Americans living in underserved areas are impacted in greater numbers than other populations by experiencing more murders and fewer arrests. Lack of closure, combined with the tragic loss of a loved one, complicates and delays the grieving process, often precipitating longer-term effects on those left behind. Such trauma can manifest itself in extreme anxiety, and physical and mental symptoms similar to PTSD. For residents in high-violence neighborhoods, reminders of the tragedy may be frequent, triggering memories of the loss on a continuous basis.

This article by Advocate.com focused on the LGBTQ+ community and their relationship with the authorities in crimes. Issues with sexual orientation and proper information create a difficult justice system, which usually leads these crimes to being forgotten or dismissed. Within this community, many suffer from a lack of proper media coverage, deadnaming issues, and misgendering. It’s clear that there is an increasing rate of violence against LGBTQ+ people and that queer people have less trust in the police than non-LGBTQ+ people. 

The video by ABC News on 20 year old, Latina, Vanessa Guillen’s disappearance showcases the injustice found within the military. Only stationed for a couple of months, Vanessa experienced sexual harassment yet continued to stay. Her disappearance was almost dismissed if not for the family’s persistence for answers and justice. Help from the Texas congresswoman, local volunteers, and supportive officers, led to suspect and possible finding of Vanessa’s remains. The possible perpetrator was a male in Vanessa’s unit yet all he said was that their interactions were simply professional, nothing else.