Print | E-mail

 

Cold Case Investigations and Forensic DNA

On this page find:

• Overview of Cold Cases
• What NIJ Funds
• Additional Resources

Overview of Using DNA to Solve Cold Cases

Experience has shown that cold case programs can solve a substantial number of violent crime cold cases, including homicides and sexual assaults. Advances in DNA technologies have substantially increased the successful DNA analysis of aged, degraded, limited, or otherwise compromised biological evidence. As a result, crime scene samples once thought to be unsuitable for testing may now yield DNA profiles. Additionally, samples that previously generated inconclusive DNA results may now be successfully analyzed. To this end, the National Institute of Justice seeks to assist law enforcement agencies by developing their knowledge base, affording them opportunities to use forensic laboratories for the DNA analysis of cold case evidence, and aiding in the subsequent investigation to solve cold cases.

What NIJ Funds

NIJ's Solving Cold Cases With DNA program offers funds to States and units of local government to identify, review and investigate Uniform Crime Report (UCR) Part 1 Violent Crime[1] cold cases that have the potential to be solved through DNA analysis. For the purpose of this program, a "violent crime cold case" refers to any unsolved UCR Part 1 Violent Crime case for which all significant investigative leads have been exhausted. The funds can be used to locate and analyze biological evidence associated with these cases, as well as conduct CODIS hit follow-up travel and investigations. The Solving Cold Cases With DNA program has been offered for six years, with the first solicitation offered in 2005, then offered every fiscal year from 2007 to 2011 through a competitive award process.

Additional Resources

Cold Case Training

Working with partner institutions, NIJ regularly offers free trainings in a wide variety of forensic topics, including Cold Case DNA Analysis. This course, provided through the Virginia Center for Policing Innovation (VCPI), is designed to enhance the efforts of police investigators and prosecutors to successfully investigate and resolve cold cases.

Publications

• Using DNA to Solve Cold Cases: Special Report (pdf, 31 pages), NCJ 194197, July 2002, by National Institute of Justice
• Cold Cases: Resources for Agencies, Resolution for Families, NCJ 222903, July 2008, NIJ Journal, by Charles Heurich

See the Denver DA's DNA Cold Case Project Exit Notice to learn how one jurisdiction has tackled cold cases.