Defrosting Cold Cases

A verdict has been reached in the trial of two men accused of robbing and fatally shooting two San Diego-based sailors more than 18 years ago in an area of Otay Mesa popular for after-hours drinking and bonfires. Though detectives who documented the murder scene recovered fingerprints and genetic evidence apparently belonging to the killer(s), [...]

Tags: Autopsy, Ballistics, California, Crime Scene, Cruelty, DNA, Eugene Ellis, Evidence, Forensics, Identification, Keith Combs, Unsolved Homicide, Victim

The request for further DNA testing in the case of William Thomas Zeigler was denied by Judge Whitehead March 12, 2012.  The hearing for that request took place last Dec 1, 2011, see here. Judge Whitehead had previously ruled that Zeigler should receive state-funding for a blood spatter expert to testify whether a new round of [...]

Tags: Actual Innocence, Autopsy, Ballistics, Capital Punishment, Crime Labs, Crime Scene, Death Row, Dennis H. Tracey. III, DNA, Evidence, Expert Testimony, Faulty Evidence, FBI, Finger Printing, Florida, Forensics, Gun Fire, Identification, John Houston Pope, Miscarriage of Justice, Paul Kish, Police, Prisons, Prosecutorial Misconduct, Unsolved Homicide, Victim, William Thomas Zeigler, Witnesses, Wrongful Convictions

Missing 411, a message from David Paulides from the CanAm Missing Project: “Several years ago I received information that people were missing from a national park. The informant stated that the staff was giving the disappearances little public exposure and almost no follow-up. This tip led down a path of 3+ years and 7000 hours of research into missing [...]

Tags: Canada, CanAm Missing Project, David Paulides, Evidence, Forensics, Missing Person, USA, Victim

While surfing the web I found this in the Canadian cold case of Sharron Prior: “The newspaper reports from that time all reported Sharron was found in a field. There may have been a field in the back of where she was found, but she was actually found in a small alcove cut out in a [...]

Tags: Autopsy, Canada, Crime Scene, Cruelty, DNA, Evidence, Forensics, Point-St-Charles, Police, Sharron Prior, stabbing death, Unsolved Homicide, Victim

These photographs are courtesy of Teresa‘s mom who hopes that one day we will have answers. Please visit the memorial page for Teresa on Facebook maintained by a friend. It is filled with memories from old friends and pieces of newspaper clippings. “Tess” was found on August 4, 1973, face down on her bed under [...]

Tags: Autopsy, Crime Scene, DNA, Evidence, Forensics, Identification, Missouri, Police, Teresa Sue Hilt, Unsolved Homicide, Victim

  Carissa’s mom let me know that there is a series of clips on You Tube about Carissa‘s case. You can find the clips here: Answers for Carissa Carissa was killed in a hit-and-run and the driver was never caught or, never came forward. Carissa’s story is a very sad one. You see, all she did was [...]

Tags: Autopsy, California, Carissa Nwene, Crime Scene, Cruelty, Evidence, Forensics, hit-and-run, Victim

    This is what came in after today’s #cclivechat. Let’s see if we can collect more newspaper articles and shed a light on Teresa’s case! GO!

Tags: Autopsy, Crime Scene, Evidence, Forensics, Identification, Missouri, Police, Teresa Sue Hilt, Unsolved Homicide, Victim

The long awaited trial in the cases of Keith Combs and Eugene Ellis has started. “Edward Jesus Elias and Leopoldo Castro Chavez II, both 36, are each charged with two counts of murder in the Sept. 25, 1993, deaths of 20-year-old Eugene “Cliff” Ellis and 23-year-old Keith Combs. The victims were stationed aboard the aircraft [...]

Tags: Autopsy, Ballistics, California, Crime Scene, DNA, Eugene Ellis, Evidence, Forensics, Keith Combs, Unsolved Homicide, Victim

If you click on the link here you can see that the request for DNA has been denied. It states: “Denying Successive Petition for DNA Testing Pursuant to FLA.STAT. 925.11(1)(a).” NOTE: for some reason the page keeps changing. If you see the general search page, go to “all cases records search” and fill in Tommy’s [...]

Tags: Actual Innocence, Capital Punishment, Crime Scene, Death Row, DNA, Evidence, Expert Testimony, Forensics, Identification, Miscarriage of Justice, Prosecutorial Misconduct, Unsolved Homicide, Victim, William Thomas Zeigler, Witnesses, Wrongful Convictions

This recap is courtesy of Sue Carney! Today saw a massive turnout of cold case live chat stalwarts, old and new, for a regular-style cold case brainstorming session. Sadly, just as chat began, Vidster had received the tragic news of the death of his friend Phillip Finch, staunch supporter in the Zeigler case. As Vidster quite [...]

Tags: Alice Hawkes, Autopsy, Crime Labs, Crime Scene, Evidence, Forensics, Maine, Unsolved Homicide, Victim