A $55,000 reward offered in the case of a murdered Los Angeles college students has gone unclaimed and the crime remains unsolved, says the Los Angeles Times. A monetary reward has less than a 1 in 10 chance of being given out in Los Angeles and L.A. County. Since 1985, the Board of Supervisors has advertised more than 275 rewards worth nearly $3 million combined. Tips from the public have helped lead to convictions in 27 cases, resulting in about $317,000 in payouts. The city’s reward offers have grown to roughly 100 rewards a year at a maximum of $75,000 each; about three are collected annually.
Other places in Southern California are reluctant to use public funds for crime information, saying they can’t afford it. Authorities in Los Angeles and L.A. County believe the effort is worthwhile if it helps convict even a few criminals. The crimes chosen for rewards tend to be high-profile killings that involve very young or very old victims, often of gang violence; slayings of police officers or sheriff’s deputies; or hate crimes. “Media attention means more eyes, more brains are paying attention to what’s going on out there,” Sheriff’s Lt. Gil Carrillo said. In his 36 years on the job, he twice has seen a cash reward handed out for a crucial tip.
Link: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-reward23nov23,1,3555066.story?coll=la-headlines-california