Solving Cold Cases With DNA

Several law enforcement agencies, prosecutors' offices, and crime labs across the country have established innovative programs to review old cases. Often called "cold case units," these programs have enabled criminal justice officials to solve cases that have languished for years without suspects. Most frequently, DNA evidence has been the linchpin in solving these cases. For instance, this past July a California man was found guilty of the 1974 rape-homicide of a 19-year-old pregnant woman—a case that was solved through DNA evidence nearly 30 years after the crime was committed.

To support law enforcement agencies trying to search, evaluate, select, and conduct DNA analysis on violent crime "cold cases" (i.e., old, unsolved cases) that have the potential to be solved through DNA testing, NIJ released solicitation in Fiscal Years 2005 and 2007. Awardees included:

Solving Cold Cases with DNA Awardees
State/ AgencyFY 2005 AwardFY 2007 Award
Alabama
Alabama Department of Public Safety $136,947  
Arkansas
City of North Little Rock $48,175  
Arizona
Arizona Department of Public Safety $799,583  
City of Tucson   $449,727
Pima County Sheriff's Department $363,751 $392,983
California
Alameda County Sheriff's Office $430,434  
City of Burlingame $11,365  
City of Fresno $1,224,751  
City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles Police Department   $500,000
City of Oakland - Oakland Police Department   $273,870
City of Sacramento $532,832  
County of Ventura $188,264  
Hayward Police Department $419,017  
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department $882,399  
Orange County Sheriff-Coroner Department $352,480  
San Diego County $472,554  
Conecticut
Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice $205,701  
Florida
The City of Miami Police Department   $441,063
City of North Miami $525,815  
City of North Miami Beach $106,743  
City of Fort Lauderdale $435,961  
Marion County Board of County Commissioners   $177,359
Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office $374,761 $176,235
Georgia
Fulton County District Attorney's Office $714,150  
Hawaii
Hawaii Department of the Attorney General $790,276  
Illinois
City of Chicago   $498,579
City of Joliet $455,301  
Illinois State Police   $400,976
Indiana
City of Indianapolis   $500,000
City of Muncie $60,500  
Indiana State Police $728,970  
Kansas
Kansas Bureau of Investigation $342,060  
Louisiana
Shreveport Police Department $263,200  
Massachusetts
Massachusetts State Police $500,000  
Maryland
Maryland State Police $600,624  
Montgomery County Department of Police $171,159  
Maine
Maine Department of Public Safety $250,349  
Michigan
City of Detroit   $500,000
Michigan Department of State Police   $500,000
Minnesota
City of Minneapolis - Police Department   $500,000
City Of Saint Paul Police Department   $259,977
Missouri
Board of Police Commissioners   $497,115
St. Louis County $97,385  
Nebraska
Nebraska State Patrol $226,098  
New Jersey
Essex County Prosecutors Office   $438,615
New Mexico
City of Albuquerque $75,014  
New York
County of Westchester $64,929  
North Carolina
City of Greensboro   $310,800
Ohio
Attorney General Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation $661,878  
State of Ohio Office of the Attorney General   $500,000
Pennsylvania
City of Philadelphia   $500,000
Pennsylvania State Police   $469,250
South Carolina
City of Spartanburg $196,112  
South Dakota
South Dakota Office of the Attorney General $233,559  
Texas
City of Houston $179,364  
Montgomery County, Texas   $198,581
Wisconsin
Wisconsin Department of Justice $122,692  
TOTAL AWARD $14,245,153 $8,485,130