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How Cold Case Squads Work
A cold case squad may be a viable option for a jurisdiction that
is plagued by a significant number of unsolved murders. Some cold
case squads are formed because the volume of new cases or police
initiatives prevents any work from being done on old cases. Some
squads are formed out of convenience when a decline in new murder
cases provides departments with the personnel and other resources
necessary to begin investigating old cases.
The specific duties of cold case squads may vary among law enforcement
agencies. Nearly all of these squads review and continue the investigation
of unsolved homicides or suspected homicides in which the lead
detective initially assigned has retired, transferred, or otherwise
left the case. Cold case squads can be especially useful in locating
and working with past and potential witnesses and reviewing physical
evidence to identify suspects. The squads may investigate unsolved
homicides currently assigned to a homicide detective when deemed
necessary by supervisors—usually when the lead detective has
exhausted all leads. Cold case squads also perform an outreach
and networking role by assisting other jurisdictions with homicide
investigations as appropriate.
The most important component of cold case squads is personnel;
the squads must have the right mix of investigative and supervisory
talent. The staffing model used for cold case squads is determined
mainly by whether the squad works full- or part-time and whether
it is based within a police agency or a prosecutor’s office.
Cold case squads can consist of any of the following:
- Single full-time investigator.
- Squad of two or more full-time investigators.
- Investigators working on cold cases in addition to other investigative
duties.
- Former homicide detectives in a part-time or volunteer capacity.
- One-time cold case squads (assigned to high-profile unsolved
cases).
- Occasional squads.
- Investigators in a special squad based in a district attorney’s
or state attorney general’s office.
- Interdepartmental partnerships (county or regional cold case
squads).
Cold case squads usually include at least the following:
- A supervisor or team manager (usually a lieutenant) from the
homicide division, who acts as a liaison among police management,
participating law enforcement agencies, the local community,
and the press.
- A supervisor (usually a sergeant), who coordinates the daily
operations of the team.
- Investigators.
Squads may also contain administrative or “light-duty” detectives
to enable full-duty detectives to devote their time to other cases.
These detectives review cases, write case summaries, list evidence
and witnesses, and perform workups on witnesses and potential suspects
to gather current information such as addresses and recent arrests.
Light-duty detectives also compile any documentation or records
that are not already in the case file.
Using External Resources
Squads may also use, as needed, the services of the Federal Bureau
of Investigation (FBI) and U.S. Marshals Service, medical officer’s
or coroner’s office, retired personnel, college students or
interns, internal or external criminalists or other specialists
(forensic, fingerprint, firearms), and administrative staff. A
permanent, fully staffed and supported cold case squad can be more
advantageous than a temporary or one-time squad because investigative
staff and resources focus solely on solving cold cases and are
more likely to be applied to cases over a long period. Budget and
staff constraints, however, may determine the particular squad
setup.
Not all cold case squads reside in municipal police departments.
The Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), like the Army
Criminal Investigation Division and Air Force Office of Special
Investigations, investigates cold cases involving homicides that
occurred on military bases or involved military personnel. The
amount of formal cooperation between military and local law enforcement
personnel is limited by the scope of their jurisdictions. NCIS
is unique among the armed forces investigative services in that
its cold case investigations are all performed as undercover operations.
The U.S. Marshals Service has a number of joint-agency fugitive
task force units around the nation. Local or state police departments
often send an officer to work with the task force, and a cold case
squad may gain assistance in this way. Cold case squads should
contact their local Marshals’ office to determine what assistance
may be available for a specific investigation. The FBI assists
local law enforcement agencies with cold cases through its National
Center for Analysis of Violent Crimes, which is headquartered in
Quantico, Virginia. The FBI formerly helped police departments
form cold case squads, but it now focuses its cold case assistance
on cases that involve gangs and drugs, as a part of the Safe Streets
Violent Crimes Initiative.
Choosing Personnel
Because cold cases can be very labor- and time-intensive and
may require innovative investigative techniques, squads are most
effective when they consist of investigators who have significant
experience in investigating and prosecuting various types of homicide
cases. Traits considered essential for cold case investigators
include:
- Seniority.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills (including interviewing
and interrogation ability).
- Strong research skills.
- Patience.
- Creativity.
- Persistence.
- High motivation level.
- Enthusiasm for the job.
Some cold case squads encourage additional training about modern
criminalistic technology and about services for victims’ families
(such as support meetings and witness protection resources).
Cold case squads offer various types of additional compensation,
such as the ability to work regular daytime shifts, earn increased
salary and rank, and use separate offices and equipment (including
automobiles).
The size of the staff determines the number and type (team or
individual) of investigations that can be conducted. Several investigators
may be assigned to a case depending on its nature, the type of
work involved, and the size of the squad. If possible, the cold
case squad should be given an office separate from that of the
general homicide squad. Separate work space may help prevent cold
case detectives from being drawn into general homicide cases, especially
high-profile cases that require more resources. In some instances,
officers rotate periodically between general homicide assignments
and cold case squad investigations.
Reviewing Cases
The process by which cases are reviewed and considered for referral
to the cold case squad varies. These cases are usually at least
a year old and cannot be addressed by the original homicide squad
because of workload, time constraints, or the lack of viable leads.
Cases are referred to a cold case squad by the homicide squad supervisor
or other homicide detectives. In many instances, the supervisor,
either with or without the input and consensus of the squad, decides
which cases are referred to the cold case squad. In some instances,
prosecutors will reopen cold cases or initiate cold case investigations
with state and local law enforcement agencies. Witnesses that were
previously uncooperative or unknown may come forward with information
that leads to the reinvestigation of a cold case.
Cases are reviewed and prioritized according to the likelihood
of an eventual solution. The highest priority cases are those in
which the murder victim, or even a second surviving victim, has
been identified; the death was ruled a homicide; suspects were
previously named or identified through forensic methods; an arrest
warrant was previously issued; significant physical evidence (such
as fingerprints, DNA, or shell casings) can be reprocessed for
further clues; newly documented leads have arisen within the last
6 months; and critical witnesses are accessible and willing to
cooperate.
High (but not highest) priority cases generally are those in
which witnesses can identify suspects; information or evidence
can identify possible suspects; or the initial investigation identified
witnesses who could not be located or need to be reinterviewed.
Cases of moderate priority include those in which preserved evidence
can be processed and analyzed through modern technology (such as
an automated fingerprint identification system, DNA analysis, or
DRUGFIRE, a computerized program that tracks signatures on spent
shell casings) and whose status as a homicide can be reclassified
depending on the results of the additional laboratory analysis.
Cases that generally receive the lowest priority are those in which
no known physical evidence or witnesses are available to help identify
a suspect.
Cold case investigators usually start by reviewing the case file,
talking with all previous investigators tied to the case, and obtaining
any notes they may have that are not in the case file. Investigators
are particularly interested in reviewing or locating any gaps of
information in the case, including people mentioned in statements
that do not have a corresponding interview report in the case file,
undocumented investigative actions (such as search warrants without
documentation of service), and so forth. Any available evidence
is assessed for future usability and additional analysis. The original
suspect is rarely reinterviewed.
After reinterviewing significant witnesses and working all viable
leads, if no suspect can be identified, the detective writes a
summary documenting the followup investigation and recommending
either further investigation or inactivation. A homicide case can
be closed either through arrest of the suspect or by administrative
action. The arrest of a suspect renders a case closed regardless
of whether the suspect is convicted or even brought to trial. A
case may be closed administratively if the suspect for which the
department has probable cause either has died or has been prosecuted
for another crime and is behind bars for life.
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