About Homicide Watch Chicago

Homicide Watch Chicago is dedicated to the proposition that murder is never a run-of-the-mill story. Attention must be paid to each one, not merely a select and particularly tragic few. We understand the reality of public’s demand for news - that some stories get more attention than others. But all murders represent a degree of human suffering - direct and indirect - that cannot be ignored. Our goal is to tell the story of every murder in the city, so that together we might fight the tendency to view homicides as just another rising or falling number, like mortgage rates or batting averages.

The idea for this website began in Washington D.C., and is part of a growing network of similar sites across the country. We want this virtual place to be a clearinghouse for our original reporting, comments from members of the community, and for documents that become available, including from court cases when arrests are made. The site will also include an interactive map, showing all homicides to date.

Please understand that this is a work in progress. We are partnering with Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, and other area universities, whose students will supplement the work of our award-winning reporters. If you have information you would like to share, including tributes, remembrances or photographs of victims, please get in touch with us: homicidewatch@suntimes.com.