A Houston family gathered this weekend for a long-awaited reunion—an event meant to bring joy, laughter, and love. Instead, it became a time of remembrance and heartache, as they honored the lives of two beloved relatives, both murdered years ago, with no arrests ever made or any suspects identified.

HOUSTON – According to Houston police Chief Art Acevedo, there were 286 murders as of the first week of October. “When you think about people committing murder and going out on bond after bond and committing more violent crimes,” Acevedo said. The family is from Dallas and has been to Houston frequently, scouring the neighborhood surrounding the murder for answers. Fueling a growing backlogThe rise in murders also helps fuel a backlog in Harris County criminal court. Devastation by Hurricane Harvey and the COVID-19 have created a large backlog in the criminal justice system that will take years to clear out.