Crime Stoppers Founder Greg MacAleese Dies, Leaving a Global Legacy of Justice

Albuquerque –

The founder of Crime Stoppers and Crime Stoppers International, Detective Greg MacAleese, passed away on Monday, November 3, 2025. He started Crime Stoppers in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which then spread internationally.

“Greg was the founder of Crime Stoppers 49 years in Albuquerque and it has gone national and international. His legacy will live on for many, many, many years,” said Tim Sheahan, Chairman of Albuquerque Metro Crime Stoppers.

When a young college student, Michael Carmen, was shot to death during a robbery at an Albuquerque, New Mexico gas station in July 1976, Detective Greg MacAleese had no idea who was responsible for the killing.

Michael had been just two weeks away from his wedding date and he had unselfishly volunteered for an extra shift at the gas station to give a co-worker the night off. When officers responded to the emergency call, they found him gravely wounded, shot at point-blank range in the abdomen with a 12-gauge shotgun.

Medical staff kept Michael alive, during which he tried to identify his attackers, but he lacked the ability to speak with police.

At that time (like today), Albuquerque had one of the highest per capita crime rates in the nation, which deterred many residents from cooperating with or speaking to the police. No witnesses came forward, and the brutal slaying appeared destined to become a cold case. Detective MacAleese, who had worked for a newspaper before joining the Albuquerque Police Department, recognized that solving the case would require an innovative approach to encourage public involvement.

He made a promise to Michael’s mother that he would bring the killer or killers to justice. Despite gathering evidence for six weeks, the investigation remained at a standstill.

Out of desperation, Detective MacAleese conceived the idea of producing a video reenactment of the homicide. He offered anonymity to anyone willing to call with information and Detective MacAleese personally contributed money to fund a $1,000 reward. He approached Max Sklower, the then general manager of KOAT-TV, and asked him to broadcast the re-enactment on one of the station’s newscasts.

On September 8, 1976, the first ever crime reenactment was broadcast on the news.

Detective MacAleese’s plan worked. The next morning they received a call from a young man who told them that he had watched the reenactment and remembered some very important information. The caller told Detective MacAleese they recalled hearing a loud bang near the gas station and seeing a car speeding away. The caller identified the vehicle as belonging to a resident of a nearby apartment complex.

Through follow-up investigation, Detective MacAleese and his team arrested two men within 72 hours. The men were charged with Michael’s murder and a long series of other armed robberies.

Additional tips poured in after the broadcast, including one that helped police solve the sexual assault of a young woman. Realizing the program’s broader potential, Detective MacAleese persuaded the Albuquerque Police Department to support a citizen-led initiative—launching the nation’s first Crime Stoppers program.

For his groundbreaking efforts, Detective MacAleese was named one of the people in the 1970’s who changed the face of the United States. Detective MacAleese was named the 1977 National Police Officer of the Year by the International Association of Chiefs of Police for his role in developing the program. In 1984, Esquire magazine recognized him as one of the people under the age of 40 who had “Changed the Face of America.”

As a result of this success, Crime Stopper Program has expanded globally and is now represented across the United States, Canada, the Caribbean and Latin America, Europe, Australia, and the South/Western Pacific regions. In 2013, an agreement was signed to form the International Affiliation of Crime Stoppers, a partnership between Crime Stoppers of the United States of America and Crime Stoppers of the United Kingdom. 

He is survived by his wife, Maylene, and two teen sons, Gregory and Brian. Though Detective MacAleese has now passed away, his legacy endures through Crime Stoppers and the countless lives touched, protected, and changed by the program he created.

A fundraiser was created for Detective MacAleese in October 2024 after he suffered a broken hip and needed surgery. If you feel moved to support his family with funeral expenses during this difficult time, you may do so HERE.