More than half of the murders solved by police this year ended with suspects meeting their maker, not a judge, as 162 of the 304 cleared cases involved alleged killers who died before they could face the courts.

The development has helped push the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s (JCF’s) murder clearance rate to a record 111 per cent between January 1 and July 4. A case is considered cleared up when police have identified the person responsible. This can happen through an arrest and charges, or when the suspect is identified but dies before being arrested.

The latest crime figures show that detectives cleared 304 murder cases during the period, representing a 20 per cent increase over the 253 cases cleared during the corresponding period last year. Of the 304 cases cleared, 159 resulted in arrests, while 148 were cleared after suspects died before they could be prosecuted. Overall, 162 of the solved murders involved suspects who died before facing trial, the JCF said.