Fact check: Dates of murders in washington dc in 2012

1. Summary of the results

The analyses reveal that specific dates of murders in Washington D.C. during 2012 are extremely limited in the available sources. Only one source provides actual dates: a list of unsolved homicides from the Metropolitan Police Department that includes 66 victims with dates ranging from January 1, 2012, to December 24, 2012 ^[1]. However, this represents only unsolved cases, not the complete picture of all murders that year.

Statistical context is more readily available: Multiple sources confirm that Washington D.C. had between 78-88 total homicides in 2012, with sources reporting 78 homicides ^[2], 88 homicides ^{[3] [4]}, and a homicide rate of 13.9 per 100,000 residents ^{[5] [6]}. This represented a significant decrease from the nearly 500 annual homicides in the early 1990s ^[2].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original query seeks comprehensive murder dates, but the analyses reveal several critical gaps in available information:

• Complete chronological data is unavailable - The unsolved homicides list ^[1] provides dates for only 66 cases out of the total 78-88 homicides reported for 2012
• Solved vs. unsolved case distinction - The sources don't clearly separate which murders were solved versus unsolved, creating an incomplete picture
• Administrative case closures - One analysis mentions that D.C. police close cases "administratively without an arrest" in some instances ^[7], suggesting that official statistics may not reflect the true investigative status of cases

Law enforcement agencies and crime statistics organizations would benefit from maintaining comprehensive, publicly accessible databases of all homicide dates, as this information is crucial for:

• Crime pattern analysis and prevention strategies
• Community safety awareness
• Academic research on urban violence trends

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original statement itself is not inherently biased or misleading - it's a straightforward request for factual information. However, the availability and presentation of this data reveals systemic issues:

• Data accessibility problems - The fact that complete murder dates for 2012 are not readily available in comprehensive public sources suggests potential transparency issues in crime reporting
• Inconsistent reporting - The variation in total homicide numbers (78 vs. 88) across different sources (p1_s3 vs. p3_s2, p3_s3) indicates potential discrepancies in how murders are counted or categorized
• Focus on unsolved cases - The primary source with actual dates ^[1] only covers unsolved homicides, which could create a skewed perception that emphasizes failures in law enforcement rather than overall crime patterns

The request appears legitimate for research, journalism, or public safety purposes, but the limited availability of comprehensive chronological murder data highlights broader challenges in crime data transparency and record-keeping practices.