In most cities, the typical murder gets about as much attention as a traffic fatality.
If the crime is especially gruesome and the victim is young and pretty, and Fox doesn't already have a young and pretty victim story running, it *might* get mentioned on more than one news cycle.
I know two different young women who were carjacked last year (one was kidnapped at knife point, the other was kicked in the ribs and had a sawed off shotgun pointed at her by a 14 year old).
Both cars were recovered. Both cars had evidence (including a photo ID badge of someone who had no legal ties to the car).
The police refused to pursue either case. And this was pre-Katrina evacuation (the violent crime rate in the city has only gone up). As I said on another thread, my employer has added private security for our workers (the parking garage already has security but it has been ruled inefficent as have the police). The Guardian Angels have also come to Houston to try to offer some protection.
But we've got billions of dollars in new stadiums and city council members who aren't afraid to sheild nightclubs that later get convicted in intetnational ecstasy production rings. I won't even get into the lobbyist who was murder and his death masked by arson.
I want my city back.