Crime Stoppers of Sangamon and Menard Counties has announced a new incentive which is designed to help resolve unsolved homicide cases by providing a significantly larger reward than is usually given. The Cold Case program will offer rewards of $5,000 to individuals who provide information leading to the arrest of suspects in unsolved homicide cases.

There are more than four dozen unsolved homicides in Sangamon and Menard Counties, some of which go back a number of decades. Detectives have run out of new information and are at dead ends on a many of these cases. While it might not be possible to solve all of them, it is the hope of Crime Stoppers that providing a much larger reward will be sufficient incentive to attract critical new information.

Every other week Crime Stoppers will provide specific information on one of the unsolved homicides. The program will run from now until September 21, 2016. Tipsters must provide information that leads to the arrest of the perpetrator or perpetrators. The program will only run for a limited period of time. Information received after September 21 will not be eligible for the enhanced reward, but would be considered for a reward of up to $1,000.

This is the first time that Crime Stoppers of Sangamon and Menard Counties has offered an enhanced rewards program of this magnitude. With the support of local law enforcement agencies, we hope that individuals who possess valuable information will be enticed by a $5,000 reward to come forward and do the right thing to help solve these cases.

Crime Stoppers wants your information not your name. Crime Stoppers is a nonprofit organization, funded entirely by fundraisers and donations from citizens and civic organizations. Crime Stoppers regularly pays cash rewards of up to $1,000 for information resulting in an arrest and you remain completely anonymous. If you have any information about a crime, please call Crime Stoppers at (217) 788-8427.