TORTURE CLAIMS TO BE INVESTIGATED.

THE STORIES OF DOZENS OF MISSING BLACK WOMEN IN CHICAGO ALONG WITH IN 1997 HATE CRIME ON THE CITY'S SOUTH SIDE HAVE EARNED 3 CHICAGO JOURNALIST, THE COVETED PULITZER PRIZE.

AND BOTH STORIES CAME FROM THE SAME NEWSROOM.

THE INVISIBLE INSTITUTE.

HERE'S A LOOK AT ONE OF THEM.

THE SERIES MISSING IN CHICAGO, WHICH WON THE PULITZER FOR LOCAL REPORTING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CITY BUREAU.

POLICE DEPARTMENT FAIL ME.

CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT FAIL ME.

>> IT'S NOT JUST HURTING THE MOTHER AND THE FATHER IS HER SO STUNNED THE BROTHER NIECES.

OR NO WHOLE ENTIRE FAMILY.

YOU DESTROYS YOU BECAUSE, >> YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY'S WONDERING WAS GOING AND THEY DON'T GET WHAT HAPPENED TO SEAN SAGE U.S.?

>> IT BROKE MY FAMILY.

>> ANOTHER CHICAGO WINNER WAS THE PODCAST SERIES.

YOU DIDN'T SEE NOTHING WHICH WON THE PULITZER FOR AUDIO REPORTING.

>> BLACK LIFE IS A SERIES OF NEGOTIATIONS.

THEY FORCE US TO EVALUATE WHAT OUR LIFE WORTH.

SOME DAYS.

I'M STILL MAD AT THESE PLAYFUL.

SO SAD.

IT WAS A LITTLE FRANKIE AND HIS FOB.

AND OTHER DAYS.

I'M LIKE.

>> THEY VICTIMS TOO.

DON'T GET ME WRONG.

THEY MADE CHOICES.

CHOSE TO ROCK WITH POWERFUL WHITE OVER IN US.

A LITTLE BLACK BOY.

>> BUT WHY DO WE LIVE IN A SOCIETY?

WILL BLY FOLES GOT TO MAKE THESE CALCULATIONS?

>> AND JOURNALIST SARAH CONWAY, TRINA REYNOLDS TYLER AND JOHAN SLICK OR ALL JOIN US NOW.

WELCOME BACK.

TEAM.

CONGRATS TO ALL OF YOU.

I KNOW IT'S BEEN AN EXCITING AND BUSY TIME OF COURSE YOU HAVE START WITH YOU.

PLEASE REMIND US WHAT YOU DIDN'T SEE.

NOTHING IS ABOUT.

>> YOU SEE NOTHING IS ABOUT A HATE CRIME TOOK PLACE.

97 LITTLE BOY NAMED CLARKE AND HIS FRIEND WERE LIVING IF THEY WAIGAND AND THEY WOUND UP IN BRIDGEPORT WAS LOOKING FOR.

THEY ARE FOR THE ACTUALLY COST LESS IN BRIDGEPORT THAN IT DID IN THE PROJECT NOT THEY WERE ATTACKED WITH MARK LOT WAS BEATEN WITHIN INCHES OF HIS LIFE.

AND I INVESTIGATE THIS STORY.

AND 97 FOR THE PUCK ME TAKING A LOOK BACK AT THAT STORY THROUGH THE LENS OF OF MY MY MY INVESTIGATION AS IT TOOK PLACE OKAY.

WE'RE LOOKING BACK AT PHOTOS AND IMAGES OF LAMAR CLARK AT THE TIME.

YOU ARE A JOURNALIST AT THE TIME.

>> OF COURSE, LIKE YOU SAID, YOU REVISITED LATER ON WHAT HAS HAPPENED SINCE THE STORY HAS GOTTEN MORE NATIONWIDE ATTENTION RECENTLY.

>> WELL, I MEAN, AS THE STORY ITSELF HAS SO A LOT OF ACCOLADES AND I GUESS, YOU KNOW.

A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN REALLY MOVED >> BY A BALL THAT THEY DIDN'T KNOW.

A LOT OF FOLKS IN CHICAGO LIKE YOU ARE REMEMBER BUT I DIDN'T KNOW THAT THE COVER WAS THAT THE BIDEN KNOW THESE FOLKS SIDED WITH THOSE SO THERE'S BEEN A LOT DOES ADD A LOT OF CONTACT, A LOT OF DETAIL TO WAS KIND OF A FORGOTTEN STORE.

>> HAS WAS THE PROCESS?

THE STORYTELLING WASN'T HEALING FOR YOU AT ALL BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF YOUR OWN STORY.

IT IS THREADED THROUGH THE NARRATIVE AS WELL.

>> YEAH, IT WAS.

IT WAS THEIR APPEAL JOE WOOD UP OR BOTH OF BILL.

HEALY, IN PARTICULAR, A LOT OF TIME THE BOAT AS SARAH ALL OF THE ROOFTOP AND TALK TO A PART ME, FELT THEM BILL HEALY GUYS HERE IS UP AND TALK DANA BROS. THOSE ALLISON FLOWER WAS JAMIE CABIN.

COULD HAVE WITHOUT THEM.

LIKE AMAZING RIGHT?

AND SO WAS THERE A BECAUSE THE STORY.

BUT WE FOUND MORE AND MORE RIGHT FROM FROM ALL OF RESEARCH.

AND THEY PRIDE IN ME PUSH ME AND MAYBE THINK ABOUT QUESTIONS IN DIFFERENT WAYS.

WHAT?

BECAUSE IT IS PART MEMOIR.

I HAD 2 COUNTIES THAT ON MYSELF AND SO IT WAS THAT GOOD.

>> US AIR AND LET'S LET'S TALK ABOUT MISSING IN GIVE US AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT, SARAH, LET'S START WITH YOU.

PLEASE.

>> WELL MISSING IN CHICAGO'S INVESTIGATION THAT IS BASED OFF OF CONNECTING WITH IMPACTED FAMILIES.

WE EXAMINED OVER A MILLION PUBLIC FROM POLICE RECORDS TO COUNTY TO STATE TO SEE THE CHICAGO DEPARTMENT'S MISSING PERSONS PIPELINE AND SPECIFICALLY HOW IT IMPACTS BLACK FAMILIES.

WE KNOW THAT BLACK PEOPLE IN CHICAGO MAKE UP ABOUT TWO-THIRDS OF MISSING PERSONS CASES AND HAVE FOR DECADES AND IN PARTICULAR, BLACK WOMEN AND GIRLS MAKE UP DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACT AS WELL.

WE'LL LOOK AT BLACK GIRLS BETWEEN THE AGES OF 10 TO 20 TO MAKE UP 2% OF CHICAGO'S POPULATION.

BUT ABOUT 30% OF ALL MISSING PERSONS CASES.

SO IN OUR STORY, WE REALLY WANT TO UNDERSTAND HOW NEGLECT AND THE MISHANDLING OF MISSING PERSONS CASES IMPACTS FAMILIES.

I'M IN A SYSTEMIC MANNER.

>> TRINA, WHAT SURPRISED YOU THE MOST ONCE YOU STARTED YOUR INVESTIGATION?

I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT CAME UP THAT WE'RE REALLY CONNECTED.

IMPACT OF IMPACT NEGLECT ON LIKE HOMICIDES.

THE MOST SHOCKING THING WAS A PREMATURE CLOSURE OF 2 CASES GONE UP THERE.

THAT'S WHERE ROBINSON, 2 BLACK TEENAGE GIRLS WHOSE CASES WERE CLOSED BEFORE THEY WERE ACTUALLY FOUND AT THE TIME OF DESIREE ROBINSON'S CASE CLOSURE.

SHE WAS BEING TRAFFICKED.

SPOKE WITH HER FAMILY.

THEY SIT YOU KNOW, WE THAT'S RIGHT.

NEVER CAME HOME.

THAT'S ACTUALLY NOT TRUE.

FOR DAYS AFTER HER CASE WAS CLOSED, SHE WAS FOUND MURDERED.

AND SO IT IT CALLS TO QUESTION WAS CHICAGO POLICE LOOKING FOR IN THE FIRST PLACE AND COULD THEY HAVE SAVED HER LIFE?

THERE'S ALSO BEEN SOME TANGIBLE RESULTS SINCE YOU'RE REPORTING FIRST CAME OUT SEROTONIN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT SHARE.

RESOLUTION WAS IN LATE APRIL TO CALL FOR A MAYOR IS TASK FORCE ON MISSING WOMEN IN CHICAGO.

>> IT PARALLELS A STATE TASK FORCE THAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW ON THE STATE FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS HAS BEEN LOOKING AT THIS ISSUE.

THEY'RE PLANNING TO DO REPORTED PRITZKER AT THE END OF 2024.

SO WE SAW WE BELIEVE THAT IN JUNE IT'S GOING TO GO TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE FOR DEBATE.

WE ALSO KNOW THAT THE CHICAGO INSPECTOR GENERAL AND, YOU KNOW, THEY LAID OUT THEIR PRIORITIES FOR 2024, THEY PUT ANY ONE PRIORITY IS INVESTIGATING THE CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT MISSING PERSONS PIPELINE AND WE'VE ALSO SEEN THE TANGIBLE IMPACT TO YOU KNOW, WHICH IS IS REALLY IMPORTANT.

YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE A JOURNALIST AND YOU'RE TALKING TO PEOPLE HAVE BEEN REALLY IMPACTED BY SOMETHING.

SOMETIMES YOU GO IN AND YOU SEE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN IN A LOT OF PAIN.

THEY'RE NOT REALLY SURE IF THEY WANT TO TRUST MEDIA AND AND SEEING THE FAMILIES REALLY HAVE MORE AND MORE COMFORT LIKE STEPPING INTO THEIR OWN POWER.

SPEAKING FOR YOU KNOW, YOU PUT IT IN THEIR VOICES TO ADVOCATE FOR FOR LOVED ONE FOR THEIR FAMILIES.

THERE'S AND IT STARTED TO JUMP IN.

BUT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT SORT OF A BIGGER PICTURE.

AND, YOU KNOW, ALL OF YOU WERE TELLING STORIES ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ABOUT BLACK PEOPLE AND THE BLACK EXPERIENCE IN CHICAGO >> WHAT DO YOU THINK?

IT SAYS HANS, YOU KNOW THAT STORIES LIKE THIS ARE GETTING THE ATTENTION OF OF THE PULITZER PRIZE ATTENTION.

I THINK >> I MEAN, LOOK, I THINK AS WE DOING A GOOD JOB BECAUSE THE STORIES PEOPLE HAVE BEEN PEOPLE TELL ME STORIES FOR A LONG TIME.

BUT NOW YOU'VE GOT OUTFITS LIKE AND THE ONES YOU GOT OUTFIT LIKE THE CITY BUREAU WHO ARE ALLOWING FOLKS WHO REALLY LIVE IN THESE STORIES TO TELL THE STORIES OF THEM LIKELY A MALE VOICES, RIGHT?

ARE JUST AMERICAN STORIES YOU'RE TALKING WHEN I THINK ABOUT STORY AND POLICE LOOKING THE OTHER WAY CLOSING CASES BEFORE PEOPLE HAVE FOUND.

IT MAKES ME THINK ABOUT THE POLICE, YOU KNOW, LOOKING THE OTHER WAY WHEN YOU KNOW BUDDIES ARE IN THE BODIES SHIELD AN Q BEATING BLACK IS THAT THAT AND PEOPLE PEOPLE TELL THE STORIES.

AND BUT IT SAYS THAT WE HAVE MORE ACCESS, TOOK THE PEOPLE'S EARS NOW THAT THAT'S THAT'S WHAT I GET FROM TRAIN.

A SIMILAR QUESTION TO YOU.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN THAT, YOU KNOW, BLACK STORIES FROM CHICAGO, WE'RE GETTING THAT THIS KIND OF ATTENTION NOW.

I MEAN, IT'S INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT, RIGHT?

WE SEE YOUNG BLACK PEOPLE IN THE MEDIA GLOBALLY BEING DESCRIBED AS THE AND THEN OUT TODAY, RIGHT?

WE'RE SEEING YOUR REPORTING ON EVEN >> THAT YOUNG PEOPLE EXPERIENCING JOBLESSNESS, RIGHT?

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, DCFS HAS BEEN HUGE IN THE MEDIA, RIGHT?

AND WHEN WE LOOK AT MISSING A CHICAGO, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE REPORTED MISSING ARE BLACK CHILDREN.

AND SO IT REALLY GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME BACK TO THE ROOT, RIGHT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S HAPPENING BEFORE SOMEONE DIES BY HOMICIDE.

WHAT'S YOU KNOW?

HOMICIDES ARE DOWN, RIGHT?

BUT WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING?

HOW RECORDS BEING COLLECTED AND HOW DO USE INFORMATION?

PUBLIC INFORMATION TOO, HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH IMPACTED PEOPLE ABOUT THEIR LIVES, THEIR LIVED EXPERIENCE, NOT JUST SOME REALITY THAT PEOPLE CREATE SOME PERSPECTIVE, PEOPLE CREATE MINES.

SARAH, JUST A COUPLE OF SECONDS LEFT.

BUT WHAT WILL YOU KNOW?

HOW DO YOU THINK THIS RECOGNITION WILL HELP TO KIND OF CONTRIBUTE TO THE WORK THAT IS BEING DONE BY NONPROFIT SMALLER NEWSROOMS LIKE YOURS LIKE BOTH OF YOURS.

I THINK SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT'S ABOUT A PARADIGM I THINK THAT'S WHAT'S REALLY POWERFUL ABOUT PODCAST UNDER >> WE ARE LOOKING AT ISSUES, AS YOU HAD SAID, HAVE BEEN COVERED FOR A LONG TIME.

BUT WE'RE LOOKING OUT AT THEM AT THE ROUTE.

WE'RE SEEING PEOPLE AS COMPLEX.

>> YOU KNOW, PEOPLE THAT CONTROL THEIR OWN AND THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.

AND I CAN'T