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Cases in which all investigative leads appear to be exhausted are frustrating for both investigators and victims' families. Presenting actual case histories, this volume illustrates how investigators can successfully apply resources that will enable them to reopen and solve cases gathering dust in the file room. Topics discussed include implemen
List of contents
Tools and Techniques. Challenges and Checklist. Agency Organization: Cold Case Units. TLO: The Latest Online Investigative System. Additional Options for People Searches. Dealing with Databases. Missing, Murdered, and Unidentified. NamUs: Connecting the Missing and Unidentified. Entering and Searching in the NamUs System. PKU Cards Retain Overlooked DNA. The Plight of the Missing and Unknown. Resources for Expanded Research. Historical and Geographical Context. Newspaper Research: Online and Off. Published and Public Records. Volunteers: How They Can Help. Contact with Co-Victims. Review Teams and the Media. Cold Case Review Teams and Information-Sharing Resources. Taking Advantage of the Media. Conclusion. Selected References. Index.
About the author
Silvia Pettem is a longtime historical researcher, newspaper columnist, and author of more than a dozen books. After decades of work for individuals, businesses, and governments, her life took a new turn in 1996, when she stumbled upon the gravestone of a Jane Doe, a murder victim from 1954. A few years later, Pettem applied her research skills to both old-fashioned detective work and the power of the Internet by entering into a successful partnership with her local sheriff and forensic experts of the Vidocq Society to determine the young woman’s identity. Pettem chronicled their work in Someone’s Daughter: In Search of Justice for Jane Doe.
In 2008, the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office gave Pettem a Sheriff’s Commendation Award for doing the "lion’s share of the research" on the Jane Doe case. Two years later, the Vidocq Society presented her with its Medal of Honor.
While continuing to volunteer for the Sheriff’s Office, Pettem is now an associate member of the Vidocq Society, a volunteer in the detectives section of the Boulder Police Department, a NamUs Academy graduate, and a NamUs instructor in classes sponsored by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, expanding her expertise and working with colleagues all over the country.
Summary
Cases in which all investigative leads appear to be exhausted are frustrating for both investigators and victims’ families. Presenting actual case histories, this volume illustrates how investigators can successfully apply resources that will enable them to reopen and solve cases gathering dust in the file room. Topics discussed include implemen
