Cold Case Research: Resources for Unidentified, Missing, and Cold Homicide Cases

Cold Case Research: Resources for Unidentified, Missing, and Cold Homicide Cases by Silvia Pettem presents profiles and actual case histories to illustrate how investigators can successfully apply resources that will enable them to reopen and solve cases gathering dust in the file room. Today’s investigators have found that, to solve cold cases, they need to be internet savvy and make the best use of the rapidly changing methodologies of the twenty-first century, but they also have to be time travelers and open the door to the past. This volume weaves together the nearly forgotten skill sets of traditional historical researchers with the latest online tools, including TLO, a premier investigative system; and NamUs, the revolutionary dual databases for missing persons and unidentified remains. Along with practical applications, Cold Case Research gives investigators the tools they need to save time and money and to jump-start their cold cases, while keeping others from going cold in the future.

• Implementing cold case units
• People searches and working with databases
• Overlooked DNA in PKU cards
• The plight of the missing and unknown
• Applying historical and geographical context
• Online and off-line newspaper research
• Public and published records
• The use of volunteers
• Contact with co-victims
• Cold-case review teams and information-sharing resources
• Taking advantage of the media