'Missing-Murdered': Identifying Vulnerabilities and Risk Factors: Main Findings

Murders of missing people are relatively rare but are among the most complex of homicides to investigate. Sometimes risks are missed. Yet any delays in recognising homicide reduce the chances of solving it, impacting public confidence in the police, delaying justice, and allowing perpetrators to continue offending. This project is, to our knowledge, the first in the UK to focus on homicide amongst missing people. It was funded through the Police STAR Fund and co-produced with the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS). Both quantitative and qualitative data were analysed, including data drawn from the Home Office Homicide Index, MPS case papers (relating to both the missing person investigation and homicide investigation), meetings with stakeholders, interviews and case-based workshops with practitioners. The aim was to identify characteristics, commonalities, vulnerabilities, and risk factors in homicide events involving missing people, to help to ensure this kind of homicide can be more effectively recognised and responded to.