Data Sources
MortaVox aggregates comprehensive death and homicide data from multiple authoritative public sources across the United States. Our platform combines federal, state, and local law enforcement databases to provide the most complete picture of mortality patterns and unsolved cases available to the public.
All data presented on MortaVox is sourced exclusively from publicly available records and databases. We maintain strict adherence to data privacy standards and only utilize information that is legally accessible to the general public. Our automated collection systems run daily to ensure the information displayed is as current and accurate as possible.
Primary Federal Data Sources
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program
The Federal Bureau of Investigation's Uniform Crime Reporting Program is one of the most comprehensive sources of crime statistics in the United States. Established in 1930, the UCR Program collects, publishes, and archives crime data voluntarily submitted by law enforcement agencies across the nation. MortaVox utilizes the UCR's Supplementary Homicide Report (SHR) data, which provides detailed information about homicide incidents including victim and offender characteristics, weapon types, circumstances, and relationships between victims and offenders.
The SHR data includes information on approximately 90% of all homicides reported to law enforcement agencies in the United States. This data is collected annually and provides a standardized format for comparing homicide patterns across different jurisdictions. The data includes both solved and unsolved cases, allowing for comprehensive analysis of homicide trends, clearance rates, and case characteristics.
Data Coverage: National coverage from participating law enforcement agencies (approximately 18,000 agencies)
Update Frequency: Annual releases, processed and integrated daily
Access Method: Public data available through FBI data portals and Data.gov
Official Website: https://ucr.fbi.gov
FBI Violent Criminal Apprehension Program (ViCAP)
The FBI's Violent Criminal Apprehension Program (ViCAP) maintains a database of violent crimes, including unsolved homicides, sexual assaults, and missing persons cases. ViCAP serves as a national clearinghouse for information on violent crimes, allowing law enforcement agencies to identify patterns and link cases that may be related. MortaVox incorporates data from ViCAP's public cold case database, which includes cases that have remained unsolved for extended periods.
Data Coverage: National database of unsolved violent crimes
Update Frequency: Continuous updates as new cases are added
Official Website: https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/vicap
U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command (CID) Cold Case Unit
The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command maintains a Cold Case Unit that investigates unsolved homicides and other serious crimes involving military personnel or occurring on military installations. This federal source provides important data on cases that may not appear in civilian law enforcement databases, ensuring comprehensive coverage of all homicide incidents regardless of jurisdiction.
Data Coverage: Military-related homicides and cold cases
Update Frequency: Ongoing investigations and case updates
Official Website: https://www.cid.army.mil
State and Local Law Enforcement Sources
MortaVox aggregates data from state and local law enforcement agencies across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories. These sources provide critical local context and often include cases that may not be fully represented in federal databases. Our automated systems monitor and collect data from hundreds of law enforcement agency websites, cold case databases, and public records portals.
AR Sources
AZ Sources
CA Sources
San Francisco
https://www.sanfranciscopolice.org/stay-safe/ongoing-investigations/homicides-and-cold-casesOrange County (CA)
https://www.ocsheriff.gov/coldcasesRiverside
https://www.riversideca.gov/rpd/about-contact/operations/investigations-division/cold-case-unitRiverside County
https://www.riversidesheriff.org/775/The-Cold-Case-UnitCalaveras County
https://www.calaverascoldcase.org/CO Sources
Colorado Springs
https://coloradosprings.gov/police-department/page/cold-casesDC Sources
DE Sources
FL Sources
GA Sources
MD Sources
MI Sources
National Organizations
National / Project Cold Case
https://database.projectcoldcase.org/National / Project Cold Case (advocacy)
https://projectcoldcase.org/case-spotlights/NH Sources
NM Sources
NV Sources
OR Sources
PA Sources
Philadelphia
https://www.phillyunsolvedmurders.com/TX Sources
Federal Sources
National Park Service
https://home.nps.gov/orgs/1563/cold-cases.htmFederal (FBI ViCAP)
https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/vicap/homicides-and-sexual-assaults/unsolved-cold-case-homicide/viewFederal (Army CID)
https://www.cid.army.mil/Our-Capabilities/Cold-Case-Unit/UT Sources
Salt Lake City
https://police.slc.gov/newsroom/cold-case-homicides/Statewide
https://bci.utah.gov/coldcases/VA Sources
WV Sources
Non-Profit and Advocacy Organizations
Project Cold Case
Project Cold Case is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing attention to unsolved homicides and providing resources for families of victims. Their comprehensive database includes thousands of cold cases from across the United States, with detailed information about victims, circumstances, and case status. MortaVox incorporates data from Project Cold Case to ensure comprehensive coverage of unsolved cases that may not be fully documented in official law enforcement databases.
Database: https://database.projectcoldcase.org
Case Spotlights: https://projectcoldcase.org/case-spotlights/
Organization Type: Non-profit advocacy organization
Data Processing and Quality Assurance
Automated Collection and Normalization
MortaVox employs sophisticated automated systems that collect data daily from all of our source databases and websites. Our data processing pipeline includes multiple stages of validation, normalization, and quality assurance to ensure accuracy and consistency across all records.
Data Normalization
Data from different sources often uses varying formats, terminology, and classification systems. Our normalization process standardizes all data to a common schema, ensuring that information from federal, state, and local sources can be accurately compared and analyzed together. This includes standardizing date formats, state abbreviations, cause of death classifications, weapon categories, and relationship types.
Deduplication
Many cases appear in multiple databases - for example, a case might be reported in both a local police department database and the FBI UCR system. Our deduplication algorithms identify and merge duplicate records based on multiple matching criteria including date, location, victim characteristics, and case details. When duplicates are found, we preserve the most complete record and supplement it with additional details from other sources.
Geocoding and Location Enhancement
Many source databases provide location information in various formats - city names, addresses, coordinates, or general area descriptions. Our geocoding system converts all location data to standardized latitude and longitude coordinates, enabling accurate mapping and geographic analysis. When precise coordinates are not available, we use city centroids or approximate locations based on available address information.
Data Validation
Every record undergoes automated validation checks to ensure data quality. This includes verifying date ranges are reasonable, locations are valid, and required fields are present. Records that fail validation are flagged for manual review before being added to the database. We also perform cross-reference validation, comparing data across multiple sources to identify and resolve discrepancies.
Data Limitations and Considerations
While MortaVox strives to provide the most comprehensive and accurate data possible, it's important to understand the inherent limitations of public data collection:
- •Reporting Variations: Data coverage depends on reporting by individual law enforcement agencies. Some agencies may have different reporting standards, delays in data publication, or may not participate in federal reporting programs. This can result in geographic variations in data completeness.
- •Historical Data Gaps: Historical data may be incomplete, particularly for older cases. Many agencies have digitized records only going back to the 1980s or 1990s, and earlier cases may have limited documentation or may not be available in digital formats.
- •Location Precision: Location data may be approximate for privacy reasons, particularly in sensitive cases. Some records may only include city-level information rather than specific addresses, and coordinates may be generalized to protect victim and family privacy.
- •Case Status Changes: Case status (solved/unsolved) is based on available information at the time of data collection and may change as investigations progress. A case marked as unsolved in our database may subsequently be solved, and there may be a delay before this information is reflected in source databases and subsequently in MortaVox.
- •Classification Variations: Different agencies may classify cases differently. For example, what one agency classifies as a homicide, another may classify differently based on local definitions or investigation outcomes. We standardize classifications where possible, but some variation may persist.
- •Update Delays: While we update our database daily, source databases may have their own update schedules. Federal databases typically update annually, while local databases may update more or less frequently. There may be a delay between when a case is solved or new information becomes available and when it appears in our system.
Privacy and Ethical Considerations
MortaVox is deeply committed to handling sensitive data responsibly and ethically. We recognize that the information we present involves real people, real tragedies, and real families who continue to be affected by these cases. Our approach to data handling reflects this understanding:
- •Public Data Only: We exclusively use publicly available data that is legally accessible to any member of the public. We do not access restricted databases, private records, or information that requires special authorization to view.
- •Privacy Protection: We do not publish identifying information about victims or their families beyond what is already publicly available in source databases. We generalize location data when necessary to protect privacy, and we respect requests from families or law enforcement to remove or modify information when appropriate.
- •Sensitive Case Handling: We are particularly careful with cases involving minors, domestic violence, or other sensitive circumstances. We follow best practices for handling such information and may apply additional privacy protections when appropriate.
- •Respectful Presentation: We present information in a respectful, factual manner that honors the memory of victims while providing useful analytical information. We avoid sensationalism and focus on data-driven insights rather than graphic details.
- •Family and Law Enforcement Cooperation: We work cooperatively with families of victims and law enforcement agencies. If a family member or law enforcement agency requests that information be modified or removed, we review such requests promptly and act appropriately while balancing public information access.
Data Accuracy and Corrections
MortaVox is committed to maintaining the highest possible data accuracy. If you discover an error, inaccuracy, or have information about a case that should be updated, we encourage you to contact us. We review all correction requests and update our database accordingly. For cases involving active investigations, we also work with law enforcement to ensure our information does not interfere with ongoing work.
MortaVox's data collection and presentation is an ongoing effort to provide transparency and insight into public safety information. We continuously work to improve our data sources, processing methods, and presentation to serve researchers, journalists, public safety professionals, and concerned citizens. For questions about our data sources or to report data issues, please visit our contact page.