Cold Case Investigations

This book, now in its second edition, is the first and most exhaustive text covering the still growing popularity of cold case investigations which locate perpetrators and free the innocent. The new edition adds approximately 80 pages of content, including material on clandestine graves and investigating cold gang cases. The book merges theory with practice through the use of case histories, photographs, illustrations and checklists that convey essential, fundamental concepts while providing a strong, practical basis for the investigative process.

From the disappearance of the Beaumont children to the abduction of William Tyrrell to the double murder of Karlie Pearce-Stevenson and her daughter Khandalyce, Xanthé is determined to expose the truth to maximise dignity for both deceased victims and those left behind. Xanthé talks to experts to uncover the how's and why's of tragic murders and haunting disappearances. Along the way readers will also be introduced to new forensic techniques and scientific methods that could - or did - help move the case forward. Cold Case Investigations covers mostly murders or suspected murders - such as Ashley Coulston, Mr Cruel and Ivan Milat - with the victims as the focus. Not only because, criminologically speaking, the more you can learn about your victim the more you can extrapolate about the person who killed or abducted them, but also because they deserve their stories to be told. They deserve for people to know their names. They shouldn't just be someone's victim.

Because the investigation of cold cases is usually an arduous and time-consuming task, most law enforcement agencies in the United States are not able to dedicate the resources necessary to support the cold case investigation process. However, when those cases are fully pursued and prosecuted, they often result in convictions and lengthy prison terms. Cold Cases: Evaluation Models with Follow-up Strategies for Investigators, Second Edition saves law enforcement time by providing detailed guidelines for determining if a cold case is solvable, and if so, how to organize, manage, and evaluate the investigation. It also provides techniques for developing investigative strategies to complement the evaluation process and resolve the crime. This second edition features a new revised model and methodology for investigating cold cases suitable for all police and public safety agencies—large or small, domestic or international. This new model is more expeditious and convenient for departments that have less manpower and experience in dealing with cold cases. It emphasizes the prioritization of cold cases based on the availability of physical evidence and the chances of deriving matches from said evidence and an identified person of interest. Additional topics covered in the second edition include: How cases go cold Strategies for creating a cold case unit Cold case investigations in a Dutch educational environment—a chapter written by members of the Dutch Police Academy New forensic science technologies, including DNA, CODIS, and AFIS Case studies demonstrating advances in suspectology Strategies for effective investigative interviewing Challenges posed by staged crime scenes in cold cases How to craft a cold case evaluation report The expert authors of this book maintain The Center for the Resolution of Unresolved Crimes and conduct training and consulting worldwide. Their practical book is designed to help law enforcement agencies resurrect long-forgotten cases, bringing closure to victims and holding accountable those who are responsible. This book is part of the Advances in Police Theory and Practice series

Designed for use by investigators in any agency, large or small, Practical Cold Case Homicide Investigations Procedural Manual provides an overview of the means and methods by which previously reported and investigatedyet unresolvedhomicides might be solved. Written by an experienced cold case investigator and consultant, this convenient handbook

Written by an L. A. County homicide detective and former atheist, Cold-Case Christianity examines the claims of the New Testament using the skills and strategies of a hard-to-convince criminal investigator. Christianity could be defined as a “cold case”: it makes a claim about an event from the distant past for which there is little forensic evidence. In Cold-Case Christianity, J. Warner Wallace uses his nationally recognized skills as a homicide detective to look at the evidence and eyewitnesses behind Christian beliefs. Including gripping stories from his career and the visual techniques he developed in the courtroom, Wallace uses illustration to examine the powerful evidence that validates the claims of Christianity. A unique apologetic that speaks to readers’ intense interest in detective stories, Cold-Case Christianity inspires readers to have confidence in Christ as it prepares them to articulate the case for Christianity.

Cases in which all investigative leads appear to be exhausted are frustrating for both investigators and victims’ families. Cold cases can range from those only a few months old to others that go back for decades. Presenting profiles and actual case histories, Cold Case Research: Resources for Unidentified, Missing and Cold Homicide Cases illustrates 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 database 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. Topics discussed include: 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 Using a thinking-outside-the-box approach, this volume helps fill major gaps in traditional cold case investigation training and techniques, enabling investigators to confidently reopen and crack the mystery of cases long thought unsolvable. Silvia Pettem was quoted in a January 29, 2012 article on missing persons in the Colorado Springs Gazette.

Solving a cold case is extremely difficult and many are left unresolved. In this book, retired NCIS Special Agent Joe Kennedy details the methodology he created to solve cold case murders. He offers an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look into why cases go cold, how they are investigated and what is needed to successfully resolve them. Author Kennedy shares his motivations and the lessons he has learned while solving these challenging cases. Also examined are cold cases where other detectives have successfully implemented Kennedy's methodology. Many books delve into the perspectives of criminals who commit murder, but this text takes a fascinating gumshoe journey into the mind of a cold case detective and his passionate search for the truth. Helping law enforcement solve cold cases brings justice and resolution for the victims and their families, and this book provides detectives and true crime enthusiasts the tools to investigate cold cases in their own communities.

This book documents the heroic efforts of some of the nation’s most prolific cold case detectives. In collaboration the authors, these professionals share their insights, skills, and resources, using their most compelling cold cases as illustrations. The authors examine how cold case investigations differ from standard investigations and why cold case detectives sometimes have success where earlier investigators failed. They also discuss some of the pitfalls of reopening long-unsolved crimes, such as lost or compromised evidence and the difficulty of getting accurate information from witnesses who must rely on fading memories. Looking to the future, the authors discuss new technology that may someday allow investigators to drastically enhance surveillance videos and create a facial recognition database as accurate as DNA analysis and fingerprints. Both true crime readers and fellow law enforcement professionals will find the stories and expert insights described in this book to be fascinating and instructive.

Fans of Michael Connelly and Steve Cavanagh’s courtroom dramas with plenty of twists and turns will love this first entry in the Cold Case Investigation series. It’s an understatement to say Cold Case Detective Lauren Riley and defense attorney Frank Violanti don’t get along. While on opposite sides in the courtroom Frank’s called Lauren a sloppy cop he doesn’t trust. She considers him an obnoxious bully. Now Frank needs her help: he wants to hire her as a private investigator. Frank’s eighteen-year-old godson, David, is accused of the rape and brutal murder of a local woman. Frank’s convinced David’s being set up and he needs Lauren’s help to prove it. Lauren doesn’t want to get involved in another jurisdiction’s homicide case, but things change when she learns the arresting officer is the one man Lauren hates more than Frank . . . her abusive former fiancé, Joe Wheeler. After meeting David, Lauren’s determined to prove his innocence and stand up to Joe in one fell swoop.

This book examines how the police make decisions in real life situations, particularly in major enquiries. The two key themes explored are real-time decision making along with what “works” in such circumstances. It aims to set out how successful decisions are arrived at in a variety of difficult and time-constrained situations and discusses the lessons that can be learnt from this. Written by practitioners and academics, the book explores a range of topics, from the decision making process involved operational matters and in difficult-so-solve murder enquiries. It not only examines decision making but also how experienced decision makers function. It looks at the psychology of police decision making, decision making involved in cold case investigations, and discusses the need for “grip” during major investigations. The contributors are experienced and respected practitioners and academics This book will appeal particularly to those studying Policing and Criminology and also to Investigating Officers and those involved in professionalising investigative practice.