Lansing police are investigating 85 cold cases, and, while an investigator is still working on every case, they say it hasn’t been easy finding new leads.
“It’s a situation that you just got to learn to deal with, you can never accept it,” said Marcus Basey, who lost his son, Marcus Basey II, to gun violence back in 2013. No suspect has been arrested for killing Basey II, a young father of five.
“They’re out there in the streets,” said Basey II’s mother, Katrina Basey. “They’re living their life, getting to talk to their love ones, but we don’t get that opportunity with our son.”
Lansing police said they’re actively investigating the case, and the dozens of other cold cases in the city, but resources are limited.
“We only have one investigator for 85 solved cases in Lansing,” Lansing Police Chief Daryl Green said. “That’s very difficult for any detective to have over 20 cases, let alone 85.”
Green and Mayor Andy Schor said the department only has one investigator in the Cold Case Unit because the department has multiple priorities it has to pay for. But AT&T has stepped in to donate $10,000, part of a collaborative effort with the Detroit Crime Commission, to help Lansing Police solve more cases.
“This $10,000 will definitely make a difference in our ability to leverage our resources effectively and efficiently for the families here in the city of Lansing,” Green said.
Green said the donation will be used to pay for things such as DNA requests, technology to analyze evidence, and more. If everything goes according to plan, the department will be able to provide more families with the closure they’ve been waiting for.
“It would never bring our son back, even though that’s what I want,” Katrina Basey said. “ But the closure to know that the person is not walking around here, being able to live their life and just do what they want to do, and knowing that they murdered our son."
Green said the department still needs the public’s help. If you know anything about any unsolved crimes in the city, call the police at (517) 483-4600.
