City of Asheville Submitted: March 18, 2021 | Updated: May 19, 2021

[See Editor’s Note](March 2021) Request for number of Unsolved Homicides in Asheville (and Buncombe County) 01/01/60 – Present

Original Subject:
Unsolved Homicides

Original Message:

Asheville Police Department and Buncombe County Register of Deeds:

How many unsolved homicides were there in Buncombe County from January 1, 1960 to the time of query?

Please provide numbers by year.

Thank you.

Entity:
City of Asheville

Start Date / End Date:
January 1, 1960 - March 5, 2021

Editor’s Note: Sunshine Request makes no claim as to the veracity of any statements or information contained in any of the requests, or public records, we receive.

Editor’s Note 03/18/21: We recently received 4 identical submissions requesting the same info (as above). All 3 duplicate requests have been “closed” and merged into one request.

The request(s) have been revised for clarity and what we send to both AVL City Government and Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office will read as follows:

[REQUEST 1]

Subject: (March 2021) Request for number of Unsolved Homicides in Buncombe County, NC 01/01/60 – Present

Message:

Hi Buncombe County, NC Sheriff’s Department (or Register of Deeds),

I’d like to make a public records request for the following information:

Please provide the number of unsolved homicides in Buncombe County, NC from 01/01/1960 to the present (date the query is performed in 2021).

Please provide the numbers broken down by year. Please do not include names, case numbers, or other personally identifying information.

Thank you for your assistance!

[REQUEST 2]

Subject: (March 2021) Request for number of Unsolved Homicides in City of Asheville, NC 01/01/60 – Present

Message:

Hi Asheville City Government (APD), or Register of Deeds,

I’d like to make a public records request for the following information:

Please provide the number of unsolved homicides in the City of Asheville, NC from 01/01/1960 to the present (date the query is performed in 2021).

Please provide the numbers broken down by year. Please do not include names, case numbers, or other personally identifying information.

Thank you for your assistance!

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If the same request was made to both Buncombe County and Asheville City Governments within one request, this is treated as two requests, and it’s possible that one entity’s request statuses could get marked as “Completed,” while the Overall Status of the request is still marked as “Government Processing Request.”

This just means that Sunshine Request is waiting on the rest of the results before we can mark the request as fully “Completed” overall.

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Status: Completed

Activity:

  • May 19, 2021 3:34 pm

    2 years ago

    from: Sunshine Request <[email protected]>
    to: Liz Harper <[email protected]>
    date: May 19, 2021, 3:34 PM
    subject: Re: Records Request: (March 2021) Request for number of Unsolved Homicides in City of Asheville, NC 01/01/60 – Present

     

    Good afternoon Liz,

     

    Thank you for clarifying! This request is marked as completed on our site.

     

    Have a good day.

    from: Liz Harper <[email protected]>
    to: Sunshine Request <[email protected]>
    date: May 18, 2021, 2:51 PM
    subject: Re: Records Request: (March 2021) Request for number of Unsolved Homicides in City of Asheville, NC 01/01/60 – Present

     

    Good afternoon Sunshine Request,
    The years we listed were the only ones that currently have unsolved homicides. If years were omitted from that list, there are no unsolved cases for that respective year. Let me know if you have any additional questions.
    Best,

    Liz Harper (she/her)
    Public Records Officer, City of Asheville
    (828) 259-5631 [email protected]

    from: Sunshine Request <[email protected]>
    to: Liz Harper <[email protected]>
    date: May 14, 2021, 3:33 PM
    subject: Re: Records Request: (March 2021) Request for number of Unsolved Homicides in City of Asheville, NC 01/01/60 – Present

     

    Hi Liz,

     

    Thanks again again for completing the request!

     

    Upon further inspection, we recently noticed there is a bit of additional clarification needed. Specifically — The request asked for the # of unsolved homicides in City of AVL from January 01,1960 to present date (time of query), broken down by year. We acknowledge that you’ve said APD’s records only go back so far as 1969. However, looking at the dates you did list in the results, it appears there weren’t any records provided for the following years:

     

    1970

    1971

    1972

    1974

    1975

    1978

    1979

    1980

    1981

    1982

    1983

    1985

    1986

    1988

    1990

    1992

    1994

    1996

    1998

    1999

    2000

    2001

    2003

    2004

    2005

    2008

    2009

    2010

    2013

    2021 (as of now)

     

    I’m wondering whether this is meant to indicate that there were “0 unsolved homicides” in City of AVL during those years… Or, if this means there aren’t any responsive records available?

     

    Thank you for your help!

    from: Sunshine Request <[email protected]>
    to: Liz Harper <[email protected]>
    date: Apr 2, 2021, 4:06 PM
    subject: Re: Records Request: (March 2021) Request for number of Unsolved Homicides in City of Asheville, NC 01/01/60 – Present

     

    Good afternoon Liz,

     

    Thank you for your help with this request! I’ve marked it as completed on our site.

     

    Have a good weekend!

    from: Liz Harper <[email protected]>
    to: Sunshine Request <[email protected]>
    date: Mar 23, 2021, 2:43 PM
    subject: Re: Records Request: (March 2021) Request for number of Unsolved Homicides in City of Asheville, NC 01/01/60 – Present

     

    Good afternoon Sunshine Request,

     

    The number of unsolved homicides by year is as follows. 1969 is the earlier records APD has for this statistic.
    1969 -1
    1973 – 2
    1976 – 1
    1977 – 1
    1984 – 1
    1987 – 2
    1989 – 1
    1991 – 2
    1993 – 1
    1995 – 1
    1997 – 2
    2002 – 3
    2006 – 1
    2007 – 4
    2011 – 2
    2012 – 2
    2014 – 1
    2015 – 1
    2016 – 2
    2017 – 3
    2018 – 3
    2019 – 3
    2020 – 2

     

    Let me know if you have any questions.
    Best,

     

    Liz Harper (she/her)
    Public Records Officer, City of Asheville
    (828) 259-5631 [email protected]

    from: Sunshine Request <[email protected]>
    to: Liz Harper <[email protected]>
    date: Mar 22, 2021, 3:11 PM
    subject: Records Request: (March 2021) Request for number of Unsolved Homicides in City of Asheville, NC 01/01/60 – Present

     

    Good afternoon City of Asheville Government,

     

    I’d like to make a public records request for information that may be available in your office. If you are not the appropriate entity to handle this request, please let me know where to send instead.

     

    Please confirm receipt to let me know the request will begin processing, and if possible, please provide a rough estimate of when the request may be completed. I will plan on following up in early April if I have not heard back before then.

     

    Here are the details of the request:

     

    Subject: (March 2021) Request for number of Unsolved Homicides in City of Asheville, NC 01/01/60 – Present

     

    Message: “Hi Asheville City Government (APD), or Register of Deeds,

     

    I’d like to make a public records request for the following information:

     

    Please provide the number of unsolved homicides in the City of Asheville, NC from 01/01/1960 to the present (date the query is performed in 2021).

     

    Please provide the numbers broken down by year. Please do not include names, case numbers, or other personally identifying information.

     

    Thank you for your assistance!”

     

    Thank you!

     

    **Sunshine Request makes no claim as to the veracity of any statements or information contained in any of the requests, or public records, we receive.

    Status: Completed
  • May 17, 2021 3:53 pm

    2 years ago

    from: Sunshine Request <[email protected]>
    to: Aaron Sarver <[email protected]>
    date: May 17, 2021, 3:53 PM
    subject: Re: Records Request: (March 2021) Request for number of Unsolved Homicides in Buncombe County, NC 01/01/60 – Present

     

    Good afternoon Aaron,

     

    Thank you for clarifying. This request is marked as completed on our site.

     

    Appreciate your help.

    from: Aaron Sarver <[email protected]>
    to: Sunshine Request <[email protected]>
    date: May 14, 2021, 3:53 PM
    subject: Re: Records Request: (March 2021) Request for number of Unsolved Homicides in Buncombe County, NC 01/01/60 – Present

     

    There were zero unsolved homicides in the years that were not listed. We have a complete record of all homicides dating back to 1970.

     

    Aaron Sarver

    Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office,

    PIO

    (828) 250-4414

    60 Court Plaza, 4th Floor – Asheville, NC 28801

    21st Century Policing. Procedural Justice.

     

    from: Sunshine Request <[email protected]>
    to: Aaron Sarver <[email protected]>
    date: May 14, 2021, 3:37 PM
    subject: Re: Records Request: (March 2021) Request for number of Unsolved Homicides in Buncombe County, NC 01/01/60 – Present

     

    Hi Aaron,

     

    Thanks again again for completing the request!

     

    Upon further inspection, we recently noticed there is a bit of additional clarification needed. Specifically — The request asked for the # of unsolved homicides in Buncombe County from January 01,1960 to present date (time of query), broken down by year. We acknowledge that you’ve said the records you found only go back so far as 1970. However, looking at the dates you did list in the results, it appears there weren’t any records provided for the following years:

     

    1970

    1971

    1972

    1974

    1975

    1976

    1977

    1978

    1980

    1981

    1982

    1983

    1984

    1985

    1986

    1989

    1990

    1991

    1992

    1993

    1994

    1996

    1998

    2000

    2001

    2003

    2004

    2006

    2008

    2009

    2010

    2012

    2013

    2014

    2015

    2016

    2017

    2018

    2019

    2020

    2021 (as of now)

     

    I’m wondering whether this is meant to indicate that there were “0 unsolved homicides” in Buncombe County during those years… Or, if this means there aren’t any responsive records available?

     

    Thank you for your help!

     

    from: Sunshine Request <[email protected]>
    to: Aaron Sarver <[email protected]>
    date: May 12, 2021, 3:45 PM
    subject: Re: Records Request: (March 2021) Request for number of Unsolved Homicides in Buncombe County, NC 01/01/60 – Present

     

    Good afternoon Aaron,

     

    Thank you for your help with this request. I’ve marked it as completed on our site.

     

    Appreciate your assistance!

    from: Aaron Sarver <[email protected]>
    to: Sunshine Request <[email protected]>
    date: May 10, 2021, 8:28 AM
    subject: Re: Records Request: (March 2021) Request for number of Unsolved Homicides in Buncombe County, NC 01/01/60 – Present

     

    Hello Sunshine Requests,

     

    Here is the answer to this request dating back to 1970 when our records start:

     

    Please provide the number of unsolved homicides in Buncombe County, NC from 01/01/1960 to the present (date the query is performed in 2021).

     

    Please provide the numbers broken down by year. Please do not include names, case numbers, or other personally identifying information.

     

    1973 – 1
    1979 – 1
    1987- 1
    1988 – 1
    1995 – 1
    1997 – 2
    1999 – 1
    2002 -2
    2005 – 2
    2007 – 1
    2011- 1
    2019 -1

     

    I believe this should fulfill the request.

     

    Aaron

     

    from: Sunshine Request <[email protected]>
    to: Aaron Sarver <[email protected]>
    date: May 6, 2021, 1:19 PM
    subject: Re: Records Request: (March 2021) Request for number of Unsolved Homicides in Buncombe County, NC 01/01/60 – Present

     

    Good afternoon Aaron,

     

    Checking in again on our last email from March 31st asking for clarification on how far back your records go? We will consider that information when we provide feedback for the sender to resubmit. I’ll plan on checking in again later this month if I don’t hear back before then.

     

    Thanks!

    from: Sunshine Request <[email protected]>
    to: Aaron Sarver <[email protected]>
    date: Apr 15, 2021, 12:38 PM
    subject: Re: Records Request: (March 2021) Request for number of Unsolved Homicides in Buncombe County, NC 01/01/60 – Present

     

    Good afternoon Aaron,

     

    Checking in on our last email from March 31st. Are you able to give us some indication of how far back your records go? We will consider that information when we provide feedback for the sender to resubmit.

     

    Thank you!

     

    from: Sunshine Request <[email protected]>
    to: Aaron Sarver <[email protected]>
    date: Mar 31, 2021, 4:40 PM
    subject: Re: Records Request: (March 2021) Request for number of Unsolved Homicides in Buncombe County, NC 01/01/60 – Present

     

    Good afternoon Aaron,

     

    Thank you for the update. We do not have any additional clarification to provide other than what the requester has sent.

     

    Can you please give us some indication of how far back your records go? We will consider that information when we provide feedback for the sender to resubmit.

     

    Appreciate your help!

    from: Aaron Sarver <[email protected]>
    to: Sunshine Request <[email protected]>
    date: Mar 25, 2021, 11:47 AM
    subject: Re: Records Request: (March 2021) Request for number of Unsolved Homicides in Buncombe County, NC 01/01/60 – Present

     

    We don’t have records going that far back, sorry.

     

    I could try to cobble together the info by looking through the Citizen-Times and other media sources, but that
    would be a pretty significant research project. If the requester has a more specific and narrow request then I am happy
    to consider that.

     

    Aaron Sarver

    Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office,

    PIO

    (828) 250-4414

    60 Court Plaza, 4th Floor – Asheville, NC 28801

    21st Century Policing. Procedural Justice.

     

    from: Sunshine Request <[email protected]>
    to: Aaron Sarver <[email protected]>
    date: Mar 22, 2021, 3:11 PM
    subject: Records Request: (March 2021) Request for number of Unsolved Homicides in Buncombe County, NC 01/01/60 – Present

     

    Good afternoon Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office,

     

    I’d like to make a public records request for information that may be available in your office. If you are not the appropriate entity to handle this request, please let me know where to send instead.

     

    Please confirm receipt to let me know the request will begin processing, and if possible, please provide a rough estimate of when the request may be completed. I will plan on following up in early April if I have not heard back before then.

     

    Here are the details of the request:

     

    Subject: (March 2021) Request for number of Unsolved Homicides in Buncombe County, NC 01/01/60 – Present

     

    Message: “Hi Buncombe County, NC Sheriff’s Department (or Register of Deeds),

     

    I’d like to make a public records request for the following information:

     

    Please provide the number of unsolved homicides in Buncombe County, NC from 01/01/1960 to the present (date the query is performed in 2021).

     

    Please provide the numbers broken down by year. Please do not include names, case numbers, or other personally identifying information.

     

    Thank you for your assistance!”

     

    Thank you!

     

    **Sunshine Request makes no claim as to the veracity of any statements or information contained in any of the requests, or public records, we receive.

    Status: Completed
  • March 18, 2021 7:35 pm

    3 years ago

    Submitted to Sunshine Request
    Status: Pending