Our Mission

We treat victims as individuals rather than statistics by writing positive stories that honor their lives, bring more attention to unsolved cases, and comfort families. Our efforts fill a gap in the local media market, where these stories are routinely ignored.

The Philadelphia Obituary Project was started in 2016 after founder Cletus Lyman recognized that homicide victims largely went unnoticed by the public because the vast majority were not reported in the media. We recognize that every life had a meaning and value, and the Obit Project seeks to honor those who lost their lives to homicide by writing positive profiles of victims. The Obit Project is the only organization in the U.S. creating and publishing these life profiles.

Since launching, the Obit Project has published more than 300 memorial profiles of victims on its website and social media channels. In 2023, more than 90,000 unique visitors came to the site, and readership continues to grow. The highest-viewed profile has more than 17,000 views. The visibility of these memorials helps give peace to the victims’ loved ones, creates a broader awareness of the ever-increasing number of homicides, and brings attention to unsolved cases. The need is greater than ever.