For as long as this site has existed, the history of a convicted offender has lived behind closed doors. Investigators trade notes. Agencies share bulletins among themselves. And the public, the people who actually saw something, gets a name and a mugshot and nothing else.
We can do better than that. Today we are launching Known Offenders on Solve the Case.
What it is
A sourced, public history of people convicted of or currently charged with violent and sexual offenses:
- Arrests, charges and convictions as courts and agencies reported them
- Places the person lived, worked and frequented, with dates
- Vehicles they drove, with photos
- Photographs by year, because a face from 1988 and one from 2024 are two different faces
- Agencies that have dealt with the person, and related offenders
Every statement cites a public source with an archived copy. If it is on a record, you can click through to where it came from.
Why it matters: a real example
On a recent case we published the documented history of convicted offender Nicholas Ray Carney: decades, five states, a dozen photos from the 1970s to his 2024 booking, and the vehicles he used, all in one place.
Putting that history out in the open has already helped bring in new tips and possible victims who never had a way to connect the dots before.
For law enforcement
When you release information and ask the public for help, how does that information get out there, and stay out there after the press conference ends? This is built for that: a permanent, cited page you can point people to. Tips submitted from a record go straight to you through the same channel as a case page, and the community can crowd-source open-source information that fills the gaps no single agency has the hours to chase.
What comes next
As we build out the geographic and timeline data for each offender, we can responsibly compare it against the open cases already on the site: missing persons, unsolved murders, unidentified persons. Where was this person living in 1991? What were they driving? Who went missing nearby? Those are the questions that close cases.
How you can help
- Browse the records and read the policy on how records are built, corrected and removed.
- Know something? Every record has a Submit a tip button.
- Spot an error or have a source we are missing? Use Edit record on the page; suggestions are reviewed before they go live.
- Want to discuss a record? Each one has a topic in the Known Offenders category here on the forum.
- Law enforcement, staff and researchers can create new records from the Add an offender button on the list page.
One rule we will never bend
A charge is an accusation, not proof of guilt. A person charged is presumed innocent unless convicted. Every record is cited, archived and correctable, and nothing on a record suggests the person is connected to any unsolved case beyond what the cited sources state.
Questions, feedback and ideas for what the records should track next are welcome below. This is day one.