A special unit tasked with investigating the murders and disappearances of Native Americans had a backlog of open cases or referrals for potential investigation that in many cases had not been acted on in years, a federal audit found.
The Missing and Murdered Unit in the Bureau of Indian Affairs had 83 open cases as of November 2024 and 394 pending referrals. Of those referrals, 72 percent had been received between 2020 and 2023, according to the audit prepared by the U.S. Interior Department’s Office of Inspector General. The audit was published Sept. 9.
The audit also determined that victims were not consistently being offered services they were entitled to under the Victims’ Rights and Restitution Act. The audit also found that the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Office of Justice Services, which oversees the MMU, diverted funding meant for the unit to buy law enforcement vehicles for other agencies.
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