Defrosting Cold Cases

Forty-six years ago, Jim and Nancy Beaumont were confronted with a nightmare that has been ongoing ever since. Their beloved children, all three of their children, vanished without a trace. It broke their hearts, their hopes, and their marriage. Over the years, South Adelaide Police did investigate more leads. They checked into child serial rapist [...]

Tags: Austria, Beaumont Children, DNA, DNA Database, Evidence, Forensics, Identification, Investigations Division, Missing Person, Police, South Adelaide, Victim, Witnesses

From the New York Times: “In an opinion that harshly criticizes the tactics of the police and prosecutors, an Illinois appellate court on Friday night reversed the conviction of Juan Rivera, who has spent 19 years in jail for the 1992 rape and murder of an 11-year-old baby sitter in a suburb of Chicago. There [...]

Tags: Actual Innocence, Autopsy, Crime Labs, Crime Scene, DNA, DNA Database, Evidence, Expert Testimony, Faulty Evidence, Finger Printing, Forensics, Identification, Illinois, Investigations Division, Juan Rivera, Miscarriage of Justice, Police, Prisons, Prosecutorial Misconduct, Rape kits, Unsolved Homicide, Victim, Witnesses, Wrongful Convictions

This is the original crime scene diagram made by private detective George Anan who was hired by the defense in 1976 and who searched the furniture store together with attorney Vernon Davids. In a two-week examination of the store, Davids and Annan found a .38 caliber slug and a .38 caliber exit hole in the [...]

Tags: Actual Innocence, Autopsy, Ballistics, Capital Punishment, Crime Scene, Crime Scene Diagram, Cruelty, Death Row, DNA, DNA Database, Evidence, Expert Testimony, Faulty Evidence, FBI, Finger Printing, Florida, Forensics, Gun Fire, Identification, Investigations Division, Miscarriage of Justice, Partial Finger Printing, Police, Prisons, Prosecutorial Misconduct, Unsolved Homicide, Victim, William Thomas Zeigler, Witnesses, Wrongful Convictions

Today Mr. Zeigler‘s DNA hearing took place in Orange County, Florida, before Judge R. Whitehead. Mr. Zeigler himself was not present. However, he was available by phone if he was needed by the State, otherwise, his presence was waived in person and by phone. Passionate opening statements were made by defense attorney John Houston Pope. [...]

Tags: Actual Innocence, Autopsy, Ballistics, Capital Punishment, Crime Labs, Crime Scene, Cruelty, Death Row, DNA, DNA Database, Evidence, Expert Testimony, Faulty Evidence, FBI, Finger Printing, Florida, Forensics, Gun Fire, Identification, Investigations Division, Miscarriage of Justice, Partial Finger Printing, Police, Prisons, Prosecutorial Misconduct, Unsolved Homicide, Victim, William Thomas Zeigler, Witnesses, Wrongful Convictions

In 2012 “Cold Case Research” will come out. The author is Silvia Pettem and this is how she describes her book: “Cold Case Research: Resources for Unidentified, Missing, and Cold Homicide Cases,” to be published by CRC Press in 2012. Topics include the latest search engine tools such as TLO, the revolutionary missing and unidentified [...]

Tags: Autopsy, Ballistics, Book Reviews, Crime Labs, Crime Scene, Cruelty, DNA, DNA Database, Evidence, Finger Printing, Forensics, Identification, Investigations Division, Partial Finger Printing, Police, Rape kits, Silvia Pettem, Unidentified, Unsolved Homicide, Victim, Witnesses

The New Zealand Herald brings the fantastic news that  Senior Detective Superintendent Andy Lovelock, who is reviewing the Crewe murders, has urged anyone with information about their deaths to speak out and help find answers for their only child Rochelle Crewe. I quote: “I am extremely keen to hear from anyone who may have information concerning [...]

Tags: Actual Innocence, arthur allen thomas, Autopsy, Ballistics, Crime Scene, Cruelty, DNA, DNA Database, Evidence, Expert Testimony, Faulty Evidence, Finger Printing, Forensics, Gun Fire, Identification, Investigations Division, Jeanette and Harvey Crewe, Miscarriage of Justice, New Zealand, Partial Finger Printing, Police, Prisons, Prosecutorial Misconduct, Unsolved Homicide, Victim, Witnesses, Wrongful Convictions

Police in Adelaide, South Australia, have announced that the 1983 case of Louise Bell has been re-opened. Police have re-submitted evidence for DNA testing to see whether it can be linked to a man they regarded a suspect a long time ago. This man has been interviewed and is currently incarcerated.  The case of the [...]

Tags: Australia, Crime Scene, DNA, DNA Database, Evidence, Forensics, Identification, Investigations Division, Missing Person, Police, Victim, Witnesses

Bernard Jackson was sentenced today to 18 consecutive life sentences today for rapes he committed in the Waldo and Armour Hills neighborhoods almost 30 years ago. No trial date has yet been set for Jackson’s unresolved criminal case, in which prosecutors accused him of two more recent sexual assaults in the Waldo area. Read more here.

Tags: Crime Labs, Crime Scene, DNA, DNA Database, Evidence, Expert Testimony, Forensics, Identification, Investigations Division, Missouri, Police, Rape kits, Victim, Waldo Rapist

Michigan has not forgotten its cold cases and is working diligently towards justice for the victims. “In Oakland County, law enforcement has stepped up efforts to close cases, aggressively pursuing old homicides. Their efforts have paid off. Oakland County Prosecutor Jessica Cooper has obtained convictions against seven men in six old murders in the last two [...]

Tags: Autopsy, Crime Scene, Cruelty, DNA, DNA Database, Evidence, Finger Printing, Forensics, Identification, Investigations Division, Michigan, Missing Person, Police, Unsolved Homicide, Victim, Witnesses

From the Denver Post: “Investigators taking a new look at the unsolved 1993 kidnapping and murder Alie Berrelez (5) matched a DNA sample to a long dead suspect in the case — ending a saga for the little girl’s family.  Nicholas Randolph Stofer was a focus of the investigation as far back as February 1994, but prosecutors [...]

Tags: Alie Berrelez, Crime Scene, Cruelty, DNA, DNA Database, Evidence, Forensics, Identification, Investigations Division, Rape kits, Unsolved Homicide, Victim, Witnesses