LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — The Lexington Police Department announced the opening of a new website designed to help solve homicide cases from 1974 to 2023.
The department says the website is part of a new initiative to bring justice to victims and families of unsolved homicides in the city and to assist detectives in soliciting tips that could help them solve cases.
Cases listed on the website include the victim's name, the case number, the homicide date, the case overview, and a picture, if available. Detectives ask anyone who may have a photo of victims to submit it so the website can be updated.
The site lists roughly 150 victims of unsolved homicide cases. One of them, 20-year-old Amaya Taylor Sandifer, was killed on May 7, 2022, following a shooting near Green Acres Park.
Her mother, Priscilla Sandifer, told LEX 18 that while nothing can truly bring justice, she hopes the site will help encourage people to speak up.
"It would be a sense of relief...for the people that were involved to serve time for the crimes that were committed that night," Sandifer said.
Police said since the site launched on Sunday, there have already been multiple tip submissions.
Lt. Brian Peterson stressed the anonymity of the tip submissions on the website.
"It's an easy way for them to give us information and no one has to know they talked to the police," he said.
He added that while having so many open cases is frustrating for families, the department wants them to know they are not giving up.
"While this website has the potential to open up old wounds, I think the biggest thing we can ask is it to give hope to families. Hope that we're still actively investigating, hope that we're still fighting to get closure for their loved ones," he said.
Police say that all it takes is one piece of information to further an investigation and bring justice. The website will allow people to submit tips anonymously directly to detectives or to be contacted by a detective if they wish.
The website can be found here.
