Suspicious Death & Cold Case Investigations

Suspicious Death: About 20 percent of people die in suspicious circumstances, meaning out of place and time.

Cold Case by definition: Any murder, suspicious death, or missing person case that is not being actively investigated and all available leads have been exhausted.

Cold Case murders normally fall into three categories:

1. Unsolved: No known suspects.
2. Unresolved: Suspect(s) known/suspected but never successfully prosecuted.
3. Unidentified: Victim identity is unknown (Jane or John Doe).

Cold Cases can be evaluated for re-examination based on:

• Legal considerations, such as statutes of limitations.
• The identification of preserved physical evidence by the use of new technology.
• Identification of suspect(s) based on advanced forensic laboratory analysis.
• Newly documented leads have arisen within the last six months.
• A relationship change involving suspects, witnesses, and investigative leads.