The three cases — separated by hundreds of miles and spread over three decades — each stumped local law enforcement. Eventually, the crimes slid into obscurity. The passing years chipped away at witnesses' memories. Evidence sat in storage, or was misplaced, or swallowed up by hurricanes. Family members mourned publicly, then sank into the private ritual of grieving for the victim of an unsolved crime. Over the years, cold-case detectives would try to kick loose new information. A local television station might run a story to mark a grim anniversary.