BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) – Officials with Crime Stoppers of Metro Alabama said they hope the recent kidnapping conviction in the Kamile ‘Cupcake’ McKinney case reminds you of the benefits of submitting information for an unsolved crime.
Birmingham has seen more than 100 murders so far this year, and many are still unsolved. Crime Stoppers officials said while they are seeing an increase in tips being submitted, it would help to see the kind of response they’ve seen for other cases.
“An outpouring of tips and phone calls came into Crime Stoppers and people wanting to give to that reward fund,” Metro Alabama Crime Stoppers Executive Director Bob Copus said. “We got tips on theories on what happened. We had a lot of people who thought they might have seen her. Everybody was concerned about what happened to Cupcake and where she was.”
Copus said they got more than 400 tips for Cupcake and while not all were helpful, police say many were crucial in finding her. Copus said they even paid a tipster reward money in the case.
“You don’t have to have the clue that solves the case, if you just can tell us what you do know, it may be that one little piece that somebody else has turned in another piece that puts the case together,” Copus said.
Copus said they over the last few months, they have seen an increase in tips coming in.
“Particularly homicide and robbery,” he said. “So, I think people are seeing what is happening in their neighborhood and don’t like what they are seeing, so we are getting a bigger response.”
Birmingham homicides up 33%, Copus said if the community would come together like they did for Cupcake, they could maybe solve some of these murders.
“A lot of the people who have been injured and killed were not the intended victim, they were just at the wrong place at the wrong time and a stray bullet hit them,” Copus said. “This community is strong and powerful and it can deliver.”
Copus said you can submit anonymous tips on the app or by calling (205) 254-7777. So far this year, they have given out more than $85,000 in reward money.
Click here to submit a tip.
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