Getting away with it.

August 1, 2011 5:20 PM

The recent news about D.B. Cooper and the FPP on the Zodiac Killer have me wondering: What major crimes (if any?) have been solved after the death of the perpetrator?

It's easy to picture; the killer dies and the landlady goes to pack up his things. In amongst the piles of newspapers and broken tvs she finds trophies from his victims, or millions in unaccounted for cash, a bag of molars, or some other smoking gun. Does this every happen?

I am looking for examples where a major crime was solved, with little uncertainty, after the death of the perpetrator.

posted by 2bucksplus to law & government (6 answers total)

Here's one, solved in 2008; killer died in 2001.
posted by beagle at 5:39 PM on August 1, 2011

And another, about the Erie, PA pizza bomb collar heist.
posted by mochapickle at 5:50 PM on August 1, 2011 [2 favorites]

Weren't the anthrax mailings "solved" after the alleged perp died? If I remember correctly, there was still some speculation about whether it was actually him or if they just needed a scapegoat.
posted by backseatpilot at 7:54 PM on August 1, 2011

The Amerithrax cases have not been solved, unless by "solved" you mean found out to be nearly impossible to have been the work of the alleged perp.
posted by rhizome at 9:20 PM on August 1, 2011

Wow, mochapickle, that was a really good article, full of twists and turns. I find this kind of stuff completely compelling, for some reason...
posted by widdershins at 8:34 AM on August 2, 2011

Yeah, I coulda sworn I found that link here originally, actually, but can't seem to find it again. Amazing story...
posted by mochapickle at 7:10 PM on August 2, 2011