Number of cases in Ohio's unsolved homicide database is growing

COLUMBUS, Ohio - More than 1,000 cold cases have now been uploaded to the Ohio Attorney General's unsolved homicides database.

So far, Cincinnati police have the largest number of unsolved murders in the database , although that could change.

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine asked law enforcement agencies to submit their cold case information to the online database in September.

At the time, there were only 166 unsolved homicide cases on the site.

"We are very happy that so many local law enforcement agencies have submitted their unsolved homicide cases," DeWine said, in a prepared statement.

"We have already received tips on some of the cases, and we hope these tips will lead to arrests,” DeWine added.

Fifty-four law enforcement agencies have submitted all or some of their cold cases.

The largest number of cases included so far is 423 unsolved homicides submitted by the Cincinnati Police Department.

The Dayton Police Department is next, with 376 unsolved cases; the Akron Police Department, with 72; and the Franklin County Sheriff's Office, with 61 cases.

But the Cleveland Police Department and Montgomery County Sheriff's Office haven’t yet submitted their cases. Once they do, DeWine estimates it will bring the database numbers to about 2,000.

Participation in the database is voluntary.

There are an estimated 5,000 unsolved homicides throughout Ohio, according to the Attorney General’s Office.