the point is the reason they might* find someone even if they cant find the actual robber/killer/rapist is because it looks bad if they don't. lots of money and pensions on the line. they have done that for decades if not hundreds of years find someone just to appease a bunch of feral idiots angry about something they don't know even happened or not cos no first hand observation just "what he/she said". they used to stage hangings and cases in the early days of certain governments just to give the impression of authority and severity and to gain compliance.
United States