COLD CASES
A cold case is a case that has never been solved. Sometimes with cold cases, people never get justice for their loved ones or find out what truly happened. Months, even years will pass and people will never get closure.
There are many reasons a case turns cold - investigative leads are exhausted, a suspect is tried and found not guilty, a victim has not been seen or heard from in a long time or a case that was previously ruled a suicide become a homicide investigation due to new information, to name a few. Cold cases are often major crimes that do not adhere to the statute of limitations.
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Cold cases can be re-opened if new evidence or information emerges, a new witness steps forward or a suspect in the case does something suspicious. There are a few ways you can get involved in cold cases.
COLD CASE SQUADS
This is a comprehensive list of cold case squads around the U.S. The Bureau of Justice Assistance at the U.S. Justice Department calls cold cases squads “a viable option for a jurisdiction that is plagued by a significant number of unsolved murders.” The duties of a cold case squad vary depending on the squad. These squads are meant more for “investigators who have significant experience in investigating and prosecuting various types of homicide cases.” So if you have any law enforcement experience or have done private investigating, this might be a good gig for you.
FORUMS
If you’re an amateur investigator, you can get involved through forums like Cold Case Investigations or WebSleuths Cold Cases.
VOLUNTEER
The American Investigative Society of Cold Cases is a volunteer-based organization that partners with professional investigators to assist in solving cold cases. If you want to help provide answers for families who are missing loved ones, the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System takes volunteers.
You can also volunteer with the DOE Network, one of the most famous volunteer crime-solving organizations. Since its inception in 1999 to December 3, 2016, The DOE Network has assisted in solving 74 cases. Todd Matthews, the co-founder of the site, was inspired to start it after helping identify a homicide victim, “Tent Girl,” in Kentucky in the late 1990s.