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298 Cases Solved. Advancing justice for missing persons, unsolved homicides, unidentified and unclaimed remains.

Statistics

Kentucky missing persons & unsolved case statistics

Numbers behind 3,876 missing person, death by force, unidentified, unclaimed, serial killer and mass murder cases in Kentucky – by state, decade, age, sex, race and how many are solved. Free to read and link to; members get every breakdown, filters, sortable tables and CSV downloads.

Data as of October 29, 2026 · updated daily · How these numbers are counted

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Cases in Kentucky
3,876
3,465 open · 386 solved / resolved
Missing Persons
443
366 still missing · 17.4% located
Deaths by Force
3,323
3,015 unsolved · 9% solved
Unidentified Remains
93
81 unidentified · 12.9% identified
Unclaimed Persons
3
3 unclaimed · 0% claimed
Serial killer profiles
7
by the state where they killed
Mass murders
7
37 people killed
Added in the last 30 days
10
483 added or updated
Oldest open case
1900
William S. Wright, Whitesburg, KY · unsolved

“Solved / resolved” means a missing person located, a death by force marked solved or charged, unidentified remains identified, or an unclaimed person claimed. Our homicide records focus on unsolved cases, so these shares are not police clearance rates – see the methodology.

Cases by type

Missing Persons 443 366 still missing
Deaths by Force 3,323 3,015 unsolved
Unidentified Remains 93 81 unidentified
Unclaimed Persons 3 3 unclaimed
Serial Killer Profiles 7
Mass Murders 7

By state & province

Cases per state and per 100,000 residents, a shaded state-by-state list, top cities, and Indigenous missing and murdered (MMIP) by state.

Cases by state and province

Click a state or province to see its statistics. All case types.

CSV

Top cities by open cases

Missing, deaths by force, unidentified and unclaimed cases, by the city recorded on the case.

CSV
CityStateCasesOpenSolved / resolvedSolved / resolved %
LouisvilleKY1,6761,5531217.2%
LexingtonKY350317339.4%
HopkinsvilleKY554959.3%
LondonKY504824%
CovingtonKY69402942%
PaducahKY433949.3%
Bowling-greenKY4336716.3%
OwensboroKY4133819.5%
FrankfortKY3531411.4%
HendersonKY343138.8%
ElizabethtownKY3025516.7%
Bowling GreenKY2921827.6%
SomersetKY221929.5%
CorbinKY2418521.7%
RichmondKY2118314.3%
BardstownKY191800%
RadcliffKY2117419%
JacksonKY2017315%
NicholasvilleKY171700%
WinchesterKY171700%
HazardKY1916315.8%
MoreheadKY1715211.8%
PinevilleKY141400%
ShepherdsvilleKY1913631.6%
ManchesterKY1513213.3%
Oak-groveKY141317.1%
PaintsvilleKY141317.1%
AshlandKY141317.1%
BeattyvilleKY131300%
GeorgetownKY131217.7%
ScottsvilleKY131217.7%
MayfieldKY131217.7%
HarlanKY121200%
LawrenceburgKY121200%
MadisonvilleKY1411321.4%
WilliamsburgKY1311215.4%
PikevilleKY121118.3%
MurrayKY111100%
FlorenceKY1710741.2%
ShelbyvilleKY121019.1%

By decade & year

Cases by decade and year, the solved share by decade (the “cold case curve”), and seasonality by month and day of the week.

Cases by decade

Stacked by case type.

CSV

Solved / resolved share by decade

The “cold case curve”: the share of each decade’s cases now marked solved, located, identified or claimed (decades with fewer than 10 cases are left out).

CSV

Cases by year (last 50 years)

Recent years include many newly added cases; older years are more likely to be resolved and removed from public databases.

CSV

Cases by month

Seasonality: month of the case date (only cases with a full date).

CSV

Cases by day of the week

Day of the week of the case date (only cases with a full date).

CSV

By age

Age groups for each case type, solved share by age, average ages and an age / sex pyramid.

Cases by age group

Average age: 32.7 missing · 34.3 deaths by force · 36.0 unidentified.

CSV

Solved / resolved share by age group

Share of each age group’s cases marked solved, located, identified or claimed.

CSV

Age and sex

Male (left) and female (right) by age group – missing, deaths by force, unidentified and unclaimed together.

CSV

By sex

Male / female split for each case type and solved share by sex.

Cases by sex

Share of each case type that is male, female or not recorded.

CSV

Solved / resolved share by sex

Share of male and female cases marked solved, located, identified or claimed.

CSV

By race & ethnicity

Race and ethnicity compared with the U.S. population, and the solved share for each group.

Cases by race / ethnicity

Share of each case type, compared with the U.S. population in the table.

CSV

Solved / resolved share by race / ethnicity

Share of each group’s cases marked solved, located, identified or claimed (groups with fewer than 10 cases are left out).

CSV

Solve rates & how long cases stay open

Case status for deaths by force, how many years open cases have been open, and a state-by-decade solved-share heatmap.

Deaths by force: case status

How each case is recorded. “Charged / in court” counts as solved in the solved share; accidental and self-inflicted deaths are left out of it.

CSV

How long open cases have been open

Years since the case date, for cases still unsolved, missing, unidentified or unclaimed.

CSV

Solved / resolved share by state and decade

Percent of missing, deaths by force, unidentified and unclaimed cases now solved, located, identified or claimed. Hover a cell for the count.

CSV
State1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
KY00342517
<2%2–55–1010–2020–3535–5050%+fewer than 10 cases

Rewards offered 3 deaths by force cases list a reward, and 3 of them are still unsolved.

Possible matches

Possible missing person / unidentified remains matches by score.

Possible missing person / unidentified matches

102,241 possible matches scoring 75% or higher, involving 13,698 missing persons and 7,876 unidentified remains. Browse the matches.

CSV

Serial killers & mass murders

Serial killers by victims and decade; mass murders by year, place, firearms, attacker and victims.

Serial killers by number of victims

Confirmed victims listed on each profile (7 profiles).

CSV

Serial killers by decade they started

CSV

Serial killers by sex and race

CSV
GroupProfilesShare
Sex: Male685.7%
Sex: Female114.3%
Race: White571.4%
Race: Black228.6%

Mass murders by year

7 incidents. Killed per year is in the table and the next chart.

CSV

People killed in mass murders, by year

CSV

Mass murders by type of place

All incidents in the database (not affected by the filters).

CSV

Firearms used in mass shootings, by type

Firearms recorded in the Violence Project data for incidents up to its last update (90 with 1 firearms, 52 with 2 firearms, 28 with 3 firearms, 31 with 4 or more firearms). All incidents (not affected by the filters).

CSV

Mass murderers: age, sex and race

The attacker in each incident, where recorded.

CSV
GroupIncidentsShare
Sex: Male685.7%
Sex: Unknown114.3%
Race: White571.4%
Race: Unknown / not recorded228.6%
Age: 25-34228.6%
Age: 35-49342.9%
Age: 65+114.3%
Age: Unknown114.3%
Setting: Urban105–
Setting: Rural48–
Setting: Suburban48–
Setting: Not recorded68–

Mass murder victims: relationship to the killer

1,728 victims listed; 33.4% female. All incidents (not affected by the filters).

CSV

Longest-open cases

The oldest unsolved, missing, unidentified and unclaimed cases, linked to each case file.

Longest-open missing persons

The 25 oldest still missing cases in Kentucky.

CSV
NamePlaceDateYearsAgeSex
Mary HammondsSouthshore, KYOct 19497716Female
George HawkinsNewport, KYApr 19616546Male
Barbara LunsfordLexington, KYOct 19636323Female
Almedia MelcherLouisville, KYJan 19646243Female
Juanita RitchieDwarf, KYNov 19666038Female
Martha SheltonCorbin, KYMay 19715527Female
Claude SheltonCorbin, KYMay 19715536Male
James McneelyFrankfort, KYApr 19725437Male
Wynant MooreSlade, KYJun 19745229Male
Edward NicholsUnion, KYDec 19745222Male
Alice JeffersonFort Campbell, KYJul 19755121Female
Reuben KinneyVanceburg, KYSep 19755162Male
Carl HollanHazard, KYNov 19765074Male
Georgia NolanHarlan, KYNov 19765033Female
Melanie FlynnLexington, KYFeb 19774924Female
Frederick McgaryLouisville, KYMar 19774948Male
Ellen BreschFt Mitchell, KYMar 19774949Female
James MorrisHenderson, KYMay 19774932Male
Sandra FisherRussell Spring, KYAug 19784831Female
James GallowayLewisport, KYFeb 19794737Male
Connie GregoryLeitchfield, KYJan 19804630Female
Randy SellersVisalia/Morningvi…, KYAug 19804617Male
William HamiltonMount Sterling, KYSep 19804641Male
Phillip MckibbenKYJun 19814535Male
Edward TidwellMarion, KYDec 19814531Male

Longest-open deaths by force

The 25 oldest unsolved cases in Kentucky.

CSV
NamePlaceDateYearsAgeSex
William S. WrightWhitesburg, KYJan 190012644Male
William GoebelFrankfort, KYFeb 190012644Male
Felix DavidsonManchester, KYMay 1900126–Male
William Mox McqueryCovington, KYJun 190012638Male
U.s. Howard WilsonMariba, KYJul 190012647Male
James T. MartinCarrollton, KYAug 190012643Male
John UsherMayfield, KYDec 190012633Male
Simon CombsPike, KYJan 190112522Male
Clifton Hopkins SlatonMadisonville, KYFeb 190112550Male
William WrightWhitesburg, KYApr 190112518Male
John T. CrumDanville, KYApr 190112553Male
Fred J. RichterkessingLouisville, KYApr 190112538Male
Silas WilderCorbin, KYJun 1901125–Male
David BranhamWilliamsburg, KYJun 1901125–Male
Richard ReadElizabethtown, KYJul 1901125–Male
Joseph NingPineville, KYJul 190112537Male
Robert Harrison CoffeyHopkinsville, KYOct 190112555Male
Charles CecilPineville, KYFeb 190212431Male
John DoylePineville, KYFeb 1902124–Male
Ralph MarcumFallsburg, KYApr 190212430Male
Richard SlusherPineville, KYApr 190212430Male
Jesse MitchellSpottsville, KYMay 1902124–Male
Doctor Dock FergusonWest-liberty, KYJun 190212438Male
Dave BartonKnoxville, KYJul 190212461Male
James CockrillJackson, KYJul 190212426Male

Longest-open unidentified remains

The 25 oldest unidentified cases in Kentucky.

CSV
NamePlaceDateYearsAgeSex
Unidentified MaleDeKoven, KYAug 197155–Male
Unidentified MaleCadiz, KYMar 19735330Male
Unidentified FemaleKYNov 19735335Female
Unidentified FemaleKYApr 19765014Female
Unidentified MaleShepherdsville, KYMay 19765020Male
Unidentified MaleConstance, KYJul 19765070Male
Unidentified FemaleLouisville, KYApr 197848–Female
Unidentified FemaleBowling Green, KYMay 19784835Female
Unidentified MaleJackson, KYJan 19794740Male
Unidentified FemaleKYMay 19804633Female
Unidentified MaleNicholasville, KYApr 198145–Male
Unidentified MalePine Mountain in…, KYOct 19814528Male
Unidentified FemaleKYMar 19824438Female
Unidentified FemaleLouisville, KYJul 198244–Female
Unidentified MaleKYNov 19824455Male
Unidentified MaleCadiz, KYApr 19834340Male
Unidentified MaleNear Scottsville, KYAug 19834325Male
Unidentified FemaleGlasgow, KYJun 19844253Female
Unidentified MaleSomerset, KYJan 19864040Male
Unidentified MaleLexington, KYApr 19864030Male
Unidentified MaleMt Vernon, KYApr 198739–Male
Unidentified MaleWilliamstown, KYApr 19893730Male
Unidentified FemaleGlasgow, KYAug 1989373Female
Unidentified PersonLebanon, KYNov 199036–Unknown
Unidentified MaleEast of Keysburg, KYApr 19923430Male

Longest-open unclaimed persons

The 25 oldest unclaimed cases in Kentucky.

CSV
NamePlaceDateYearsAgeSex
Michael MurrayLondon, KYSep 197947–Male
Alberto SanchezBowling Green, KYSep 200422–Male
Brian WareGeorgetown, KYFeb 201214–Male

Community activity

Forum discussion, memorials, evidence boards and the most viewed cases.

Community activity

Real member activity on case pages (all cases, not affected by the filters).

CSV
MeasureCount
Cases with member forum discussion: Mass murders19
Cases with member forum discussion: Missing persons379
Cases with member forum discussion: Deaths by force717
Cases with member forum discussion: Serial killers59
Cases with member forum discussion: Unclaimed3
Cases with member forum discussion: Unidentified4
Cases with a MyMemorium memorial5,007
Evidence boards created by members256

Most viewed deaths by force cases

All-time page views.

CSV
CasePlaceViews
Joachim SummerfordAberdeen, NC12,682
Zion TerryRichmond, VA11,602
Travis A. HobbsNew-orleans, LA6,120
Shannon WatkinsJonesboro, GA5,496
Jameal GaudetHarvey, LA4,977
Melanie Lynn BerryWichita-falls, TX4,891
Kiarra Jazzmyn GeorgeSacramento, CA4,732
Romeca MeeksChicago, IL4,147
Shuaib Naz “Shuaiby” AslamStockton, CA3,767
Javon M. BaileyLouisville, KY3,737
Felicito CanalesBaton-rouge, LA3,591
Shawn HudsonThrockmorton County, TX3,563
Eric Tyrone Smith, Sr.Jackson, MS3,334
Benjamin Joseph DeenHattiesburg, MS3,296
David WashingtonPensacola, FL3,279

Methodology & how to cite

These statistics count the cases in the Crime Solvers Central database as of October 29, 2026. They are rebuilt every night.

What is counted

  • Missing persons – NamUs, NCMEC and Canadian police cases. “Located” means the case is marked resolved (found alive or deceased). Age is the age when last seen.
  • Deaths by force – homicides and other violent deaths from police, news, court and public records. “Solved” includes cases marked solved, charged / in court, primary suspect deceased or substantiated. Deaths ruled accidental or self-inflicted are counted but left out of solved shares.
  • Unidentified remains and unclaimed persons – NamUs cases. Unidentified ages use the middle of the medical examiner’s estimated range.
  • Serial killer profiles are placed in the state where they killed and the first year they were active; victims are the confirmed victims listed on the profile. Mass murders are incidents, dated by the attack; attacker and firearm details come from The Violence Project coding where available.
  • Race and ethnicity are as recorded by the source and grouped into broad categories; “Multiracial” is used when more than one is listed.
  • Per-100,000 rates use 2020 U.S. Census and 2021 Canadian Census populations.

Limits

  • This is not a complete count of all crime. Our homicide records lean heavily toward unsolved cases, so the solved share is much lower than official police clearance rates and should not be reported as one.
  • Coverage differs by state and by year: some cities and states have been imported in full, others only partly, and recent years include many newly added cases.
  • Cases without a date, age, state or race are left out of that breakdown only (they still count in the totals).

How to cite

Crime Solvers Central. “Kentucky Missing Persons & Unsolved Case Statistics.” Data as of October 29, 2026. https://crimesolverscentral.com/statistics/kentucky

You’re welcome to link to this page or to any state’s page (for example /statistics/texas). Each chart’s Cite button copies a citation that links straight to that chart.