What Is a Cold Case?
Cold Cases refer to crimes that have gone cold over an extended period of time and require detectives to reexamine old archives, interview witnesses again, or use more technological methods like DNA analysis or genealogy databases in their investigation.
Psychological research is integral to cold case investigations, and this review explores some recent studies focusing on memory retrieval facilitation techniques within this context.
Definition
Cold cases involve murders, rapes and/or missing persons that remain unsolved after over one year of investigation by law enforcement agencies. Such crimes tend to fall outside statutes of limitation and can often prove more challenging due to insufficient evidence, witnesses or suspects being available; additionally they often take up valuable police department time and resources that would otherwise be better utilized on ongoing or active cases.
However, many cold cases have been solved over time thanks to advances in DNA technology. Investigators can reopen cases once considered unusable due to age limitations by using genetic genealogy databases and reusing samples considered unadmissible or limited due to age; also with improvements in forensic analysis technology and fingerprint identification tools being able to more quickly identify suspects through fingerprints, hair or blood samples.
Detectives assigned to cold cases typically work in teams. Their members must be dedicated and inventive, with experience solving violent crimes or investigating missing persons cases; ideally they should also possess expertise working on cold case murder investigations as well as knowing about any gang- or drug-related murder cases they are investigating.
One of the greatest difficulties associated with cold cases lies in locating and interviewing witnesses. Some may be unwilling to speak publicly about what they saw or heard during an event, while memory recall may become clouded over time due to new information obtained after its occurrence (such as from news stories or social media posts).
Law enforcement agencies from around the globe usually collaborate in solving cold cases. Law enforcement officers share new forensic or investigative leads between each other, working as one to work towards resolution. Furthermore, specialized private organizations such as genetic genealogy laboratories or crime scene reconstruction specialists may also provide help re-examining original evidence or using more recent technologies that were not available before.
Scope
Criminal justice systems have an ethical and legal responsibility to hold perpetrators responsible for violent crimes committed against victims, while also offering closure for family members left behind. Unfortunately, long-standing unsolved cases make it challenging for investigators to gather sufficient evidence for trial; additionally, technological advancements that increase chances of solving cold cases tend to take longer to be implemented into police practice.
As a response to these challenges, various police departments have instituted cold case units. These teams specialize in reviewing old case files and identifying new investigative opportunities while providing victim services support related to cold cases.
An agency should start the process of creating a cold case unit by conducting an inventory of existing unsolved cases and developing a plan for ongoing case review. Furthermore, they should appoint a lead unit manager as well as assign investigators with experience investigating cold cases; finally they should conduct training programs on best practices for conducting cold cases investigations.
An effective cold case unit must also include a victim services specialist/advocate with knowledge in trauma, victimization and interpersonal violence. They can assist victims and their families in communicating with investigators while making sure their investigation remains up-to-date with all available information.
Victim services specialists should also be able to devise and implement strategies for reaching out to sexual assault victims who have yet to join in the case, while victim advocates can communicate with cold case detectives regarding potential witness difficulties or any investigative hurdles which might arise during investigation.
Finally, victim advocates must coordinate with their team's media liaison for any case-related public information releases, using a standard release form and working closely with an agency public information officer. Such release of information may reveal additional cases; furthermore a victim advocate can offer valuable support during this difficult process.
Examples
Cold cases refer to unsolved crimes such as murders or missing person mysteries that go unsolved due to a high volume of new cases homicide detectives must take on, leaving victims' families distraught when detectives close a case without discovering anything worthwhile. Many departments do not have cold case squads dedicated to revisiting old cases - these teams provide services specifically dedicated to this purpose.
Dedicated squads can be very efficient in their investigations, but the right personnel must be in place in order to do a successful job. Investigators should be innovative, resilient and highly experienced. Homicide detectives may be particularly well suited to this work due to their knowledge of violent crimes as well as having developed investigative techniques applicable even to cold cases; detectives with experience investigating gang or drug-related homicides are especially valuable as these cases tend to be the hardest ones to resolve.
Criminals may use various means to conceal evidence, such as serial killers who frequently move and change identities, which makes finding evidence difficult and is especially a problem in cases that are considered cold.
The FBI's Cold Case Unit is an example of an effective unit which has successfully solved crimes previously considered cold, helping victims and their families gain closure, while overturning any false convictions that may have taken place. Furthermore, popular true crime books and shows have increased public curiosity for unsolved mysteries, encouraging individuals to reach out with information which might aid law enforcement officials in solving crimes more successfully.
Cold Case Squads typically consist of two to four investigators. Staffed by police officers dedicated to solving cold cases, these units typically operate under the oversight of either a lieutenant supervisor from the Homicide Division or sergeant who manages the team; smaller departments without sufficient resources may instead employ part-time teams that investigate cold cases as required.
Conclusions
Cold Case was no different - as with any serialized television series, its finale ended with several unanswered questions and untidy plot points that left audiences in suspense until its cancellation came into play. Though several episodes from Season 7 were released on DVD/Blu-ray formats for sale later on, their fates remain unknown and many characters' lives continue to remain mysterious today.
One way the series sought to unravel these mysteries was through using cutting-edge technologies like DNA analysis. Furthermore, victims' families have been relied upon as sources for new information about crimes that were perpetrated years or decades prior. Finally, investigators employed investigative journalists to assist in case research and case analysis.
Though this systematic review was able to shed some light on characteristics associated with solved and unsolved cases, more research must be conducted on psychological methods used for investigating cold cases. Studies that focus on understanding why cases become cold would also provide useful insight into which factors most likely impede future investigations' success.
Researching the effectiveness of tools designed to facilitate information elicitation is also of great significance. Memory retrieval research indicates that witness recall can become clouded with false memories contaminated by inaccurate information received post-event from friends and family, local or national media outlets, or social media. Exposure to post-event information may prove particularly harmful when providing accounts of crimes scenes to police.
Additionally, framing cold cases as difficult and impossible to solve can create a pessimistic mindset among investigators that negatively impacts motivation and efforts to find leads in these investigations. Unfortunately, due to limited funding for police forces, many cold cases fall lower on priority matrices than current or ongoing ones.