Citizen‑led cold‑case justice

When prosecutors decline charges in an apparent homicide, determined family members can assemble evidence, fund legal steps, and work with investigative reporters to force reexamination years later. The pattern shows a gap: absent institutional review mechanisms, private persistence (sometimes aided by journalism) becomes the primary route to accountability. — This reframes prosecutorial discretion and oversight as a systemic governance issue and suggests policy fixes (independent review triggers, evidence‑preservation protocols, timelines) to ensure deaths labeled homicide are reviewed reliably.