How a local nonprofit is involved in solving unsolved cases in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) – The pursuit of justice is an ongoing process not only for the police, but also for a local non-profit organization: the Vegas Justice League

This non-profit organization provides police with resources to help solve our valley’s oldest mysteries.

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department is still working on 1,200 unsolved cases.

“Here in Las Vegas, we have some of the best homicide detectives that exist in this country,” LVMPD Sheriff Kevin McMahill said during Wednesday’s Key to the Strip ceremony. “For more than a decade, we have regularly solved more than 90% of the murders that occur in our jurisdiction, but even so, today we have 1,267 open cases that are actively being processed.”

The Justice League of Vegas has been helping investigators seek justice for the victims, and now the nonprofit has been recognized for its work.

You may remember last month when we told you about upgrade to 1994 cold case — the murder of Melony White. The Justice League of Vegas was instrumental in identifying the suspect, and now — 30 years later — the case is considered solved.

WATCH | Las Vegas police have revealed new details in the unsolved 1994 murder of Melonie White

Las Vegas police have revealed new details in the unsolved 1994 murder of Melonie White

“We are very grateful for the contribution of the Justice League of Vegas, whose donation of DNA testing by the police allowed the police to solve the case,” said Jason White, Maloney’s younger brother.

“It’s nice to get it over with,” said Walter White, Maloney’s other brother.

The 30-year-old investigation came to a close when Metro identified the suspect as Arthur Lavery, who lived in Las Vegas in 1994. Lavery died in 2021 of complications from COVID-19, police said.

Metro said that the Justice League of Vegas played an important role in the investigation.

“It was their support that directly led to the closure of nine open cases that would never have been solved without their help,” said Metro Homicide Lt. Jason Johansson.

The nonprofit started in the Valley back in 2020, and is now a group of six volunteers who donate money to Metro Police to fund DNA re-evaluations using new technology at Othram Labs in Texas.

“They do that, they sequence the DNA and get hundreds of thousands of reference points, and then they do a forensic genealogy to be able to identify — I think — they can get a seventh cousin,” the Vegas Justice League co-founder. – said Justin Wu.

Wu told Channel 13 it currently costs about $7,500 to re-evaluate the DNA of a pending case. Since its inception in 2020, Justice League Vegas has helped solve nine unsolved cases.

The Justice League of Vegas said three cases have already been paid for with community donations. Wu said a $10 donation can go a long way and help solve another undeveloped case.

Wu and Lydia Ansel founded the Vegas Justice League, and they said no matter how old a case is, it can be solved.

“Don’t lose hope. Detectives are not giving up hope, they are still working on these cases, they are waiting for leads,” Wu said.

“It’s not a matter of if it gets resolved, it’s a matter of when it gets resolved,” Ansel said.

Both Wu and Ansel are married and have lived in the valley for over ten years.

“It’s great to bring the local community together with law enforcement to work together to make our communities safer,” Wu said.

And for their work in our community, they were awarded the Order of A The key to the Las Vegas Strip last weekbut their help extends far beyond the valley. Wu and Ansel work with law enforcement agencies across the country.

Not only do they work with local law enforcement, but the league is also paying for DNA re-evaluations of nationwide cases by giving money to Othram Labs. The lab will then use that money to cover the occasional cold case across the country.

It’s a similar process to how they work with local law enforcement. Wu, Ansel, and the other League members will talk to the police station, tell them they can fund a certain number of cases, and then the police will choose which closed case to use the money on.

To put this into perspective, Justice League Vegas is currently working on over 20 cases here in Las Vegas alone and over 100 others across the country.