Solving Cold Cases
Every law enforcement department throughout the country has unsolved cases that could be solved through recent advancements in DNA technology. Today, investigators who understand which evidence may yield a DNA profile can identify a suspect in ways previously seen only on television. See the Denver DA's DNA Cold Case Project to learn how one jurisdiction has tackled this problem.
Evidence invisible to the naked eye can be the key to solving a residential burglary, sexual assault, or murder. The saliva on the stamp of a stalker's threatening letter, the perspiration on a rapist's mask, or the skin cells shed on the ligature of a strangled child may hold the key to solving a crime. See DNA Captures "Night Stalker" and DNA from Ligature Solves Rape Case for examples. Without the investigator's understanding of DNA technology and where DNA might be found, those cases may have gone unsolved.
Using DNA to Solve Cold Cases: A Practical Resource
The successful review and investigation of unsolved cases require the same basic elements as the investigation of new cases: cooperation among law enforcement, the crime laboratory, and the prosecutor's office. Investigators should be aware of technological advances in DNA testing that may yield profiles where previous testing was not performed or was unsuccessful.
The Office of Justice Programs' National Institute of Justice published the report Using DNA to Solve Cold Cases as a practical resource for the review of old, cold, or unsolved cases that may be solved through DNA technology and DNA databases. The complete text of the report is available on DNA.gov. Use the links to the left under the heading Solving Cold Cases to select a specific section or follow the Go to the Next Section links at the bottom of each page.
