In the last Memphis City Council meeting of the year, the Memphis Police Department touted data that indicated that murders in Memphis were down to pre-pandemic levels.
A woman has been charged months after a burned body was found in the Memphis police impound lot.
And earlier this week, a former judge and part-time prosecutor of animal cruelty cases lost died in a car crash.
Here’s what was on the docket for the week of Dec. 16.
Murders down to pre-pandemic levels through mid-December, MPD says
MPD, in a presentation before the Memphis City Council, Tuesday shared data that showed the number of murders is the lowest it has been since 2019.
The data shows 235 murders through Dec. 16 this year. That number differs from MPD’s homicide numbers because it only includes death investigations where killing someone was intended, not cases where someone died as a result.
The drop marks a nearly 32% decrease from last year. It is also lower than 2022, 2021 and 2020, where Memphis recorded 250, 304 and 291 murders, respectively.