Defrosting Cold Cases

California, Maryland: Vincent Caciola (known by his friends as “Vince”) was reported missing on August 14, 1985 by his wife, Kimberly Rene Caciola (now Ms. Kimberly Grubbs). She reportedly left her husband at their residence located on Iris Drive in California, Maryland (St. Mary’s County) in the late evening hours of the 14th to retrieve items [...]

Tags: Autopsy, Crime Scene, DNA, Drugs, Evidence, Forensics, Identification, Investigations Division, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, NCIS, Police, Unsolved Homicide, Victim

Brad Ballantyne, accused in the death of Kimberly Dunkin on New Year’s Day in 1993, will face a judge for the first time. Ballantyne was arrested in Vancouver, Wash. in mid-June in connection to the death of Kimberly Dunkin.  Dunkin was found shot to death in her car in the 4900 block NE Skidmore St. in Portland on Jan. [...]

Tags: Autopsy, Crime Scene, Drugs, Evidence, Forensics, Gun Fire, Investigations Division, Kimberly Dunkin, Oregon, Police, Portland, Unsolved Homicide, Victim

One of the strangest cases that I worked on is the unsolved homicide of Mr. McHenry Biggers. Nothing in the file makes sense. The people we spoke to did not make sense. What we found out did not make sense either. That is, what we were able to find. This is, alas, one of those [...]

Tags: Champaign, Crime Scene, Drugs, Evidence, Finger Printing, Forensics, Illinois, Investigations Division, McHenry Biggers, Partial Finger Printing, Police, Unsolved Homicide, Victim, Witnesses

There is a thought that make you wonder…if DNA plays such a huge role in criminal court, why is it that there is no federal oversight? “Take the series of questionable drug and alcohol tests that cropped up in North County criminal cases in recent months. Hundreds of toxicology tests done by a private lab, [...]

Tags: Actual Innocence, Ballistics, Blood, California, Crime Labs, Crime Scene, DNA, DNA Database, Drugs, Evidence, Expert Testimony, Finger Printing, Forensics, Police, Urine Tests, Victim, Witnesses, Wrongful Convictions

On December 9, 1986, Kimberly Ann Thompson (Kim) was reported missing by her parents, Barbara and Clyde Thompson. The last time they had heard from their daughter was on December 1, 1986, when her father dropped her off at her house. Her boyfriend later told police that he had not seen her since the beginning of [...]

Tags: Champaign, Dental Charts, Drugs, Illinois, Kimberly Ann Thompson, Missing Persons, Police, Victim, Witnesses

Vidocq read a disturbing article in the New York Times a few days ago. It described how in Jennings, Louisiana, USA, young women have disappeared and were later found murdered. According to the article, there have been eight cases. The women have in common that they were raised by extended family, lost their stability in [...]

Tags: Decomposed, Drugs, Evidence, FBI, Louisiana, North Carolina, NY Times, Prostitution, Serial Killer, Sheriff

On Sunday December 21, 1986 at 00:14 a.m., Eric Beasley was pronounced dead at Burham Hospital. He died of multiple gun shot wounds. His body was found on Saturday December 20, 1986 around 23:45 p.m. on North Randolph Street, Champaign, IL.

Tags: Antimony, Barium, Champaign, Colt .32, DNA, Drugs, Eric Dennis Beasley, FBI, Finger Printing, Forensics, Illinois, Informants, Police, Sources, Unsolved Homicide, Victim, Witnesses