When I checked StatCounter I saw that many people had look up the Moira Holly Branagan case. I asked on Twitter whether there was anything new I might have missed … and YES! An article came up in Allentown’s Morning Call newspaper on Sunday. Hat Tip to @deathunderglass! “For the first time since Holly Branagan‘s murder 35 […]
Finger Printing
Fingerprint Misidentification
Fingerprint Misidentification: State of Indiana v. Lana Canen. Based on a fingerprint misidentification, Lana Canen spent eight years in prison for a murder she did not commit. But now, she has finally been exonerated of Helen Sailor’s 2002 murder. From the Wrongful Convictions Blog: “On Thanksgiving 2002, Helen Sailor, an elderly woman living in Elkhart, Indiana, was […]
Possible prosecution in 1985 Blakelock case
All the papers were buzzing since last night about a possible prosecution in the 1985 cold case of UK Police Officer Keith Blakelock. Officer Blakelock and his colleague Pc Coombes was was attacked by 300-strong mob as he tried to protect firefighters who were tackling a supermarket blaze at the height of the riot known as the […]
Recap #cclivechat August 17, 2012
Today’s #cclivechat was dedicated to the 1974 Canadian cold case of Karen Caughlin. I highlighted several things that concern me in her case. Of course, those concerns are just the top of the iceberg! I started with the evidence in her case, worried that it might not have been preserved properly for examination with modern […]
New manager on Caughlin case
New manager handling the Karen Caughlin case is great news. Fresh eyes to look over a file to see if we missed anything. On May 1, 2012, Inspector Chris Avery was assigned to the 1974 Caughlin investigation. The case of Karen Caughlin has featured here on DCC ever since Karen’s older sister Kathy contacted me by email. Kathy […]
Update Karen Caughlin
The Lambton Shield reports that “one of the suspects in the 1974 murder of Karen Caughlin may have died. It is believed that Miss Caughlin was struck by a vehicle and left for dead in a shallow ditch on the side of Plowing Match Road (formally known as Side Road 6-7) in Enniskillen Township, a couple kilometers northwest of […]
Gone but not forgotten: Raymond Nels Nelson
Gone but not forgotten: Raymond Nels Nelson: thirty-one years ago, someone killed Raymond Nels Nelson by hitting him on the head with a typewriter. Nelson, bureau chief of the Providence Journal and Evening Bulletin in Warwick, Rhode Island, and later a member of Senatorial candidate Claiborne Pell’s team, was a dynamic man and public figure in Washington, D.C., but foremost, he […]
Recap #CCLiveChat April 13, 2012
For this #cclivechat, we join Richard Case at the Fingerprint Society’s Annual Conference. Richard began his career in 1994 working at the South Wales Police Fingerprint Bureau. Richard was able to complete his training and qualified as an expert in early 2000. In May 2001, Richard was employed by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) where he has undertaken […]
#CCLiveChat recap March 9, 2012
So good to be back online with CCLiveChat! Again, the hour moved fast and our friends on their mobiles had quite a struggle to keep up. But that does not matter. I am very glad they were all there. We discussed some DCC news and the “no progress” in the Zeigler case to move over […]
Recap #CCLiveChat Jan 13, 2012
Friday the 13th and CCLiveChat, what can go wrong. It was tempting fate and indeed something happened. Air plane delays messed up Richard Case‘s travel plans. Our #CCLiveChat therefore began much early with questions and answers send via email and Twitter. At the noon hour, several other CSI folks jumped in and we learned a […]
Recap #CCLiveChat Dec 16, 2011
Our CCLiveChat today was with Gary Howard a.k.a. TriniCSI on Twitter. We discussed the chemical treatment of fingerprints. And despite mind-boggling technical difficulties we got an excellent conversation going. Gary Howard is a fingerprint recovery expert and crime scene specialist in the UK. We touched on the three types of fingerprints that can be found at a […]
Guest Post: “In loving memory: Raymond Nelson”
Losing a parent is a devastating experience. The loss of her father, Raymond Nelson, to senseless violence has left its mark on Rebecca. Her father, Raymond Nels Nelson, was not without flaw. However, everyone you asked had a positive first impression from Raymond Nelson. Rebecca has chosen to share her thoughts about her father, his […]
Moira Holly Branagan Alert
The Grand Jury is making progress in the cold case of Moira Holly Branagan. New material have been sent to the labs to be examined for DNA, and a report is expected at the end of the month. Moira “Holly” Branagan (1962 – 1979) was found stabbed 18 times in the back with a 10-inch kitchen […]
Jimmy Stanaway 1966-1990
Jimmy Stanaway 1966-1990. He was born on Dec 5 in 1966 and was killed in Jersey City (NJ) on Feb 2, 1990. Everyone knew his simply as “Jimmy.” This nickname was also his well known signature and is the feature on his headstone. To this day, there are questions in this case that have never been […]
Book alert: Cold Case Research
Book alert: Cold Case Research. 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 […]
Penn State CSI Students on the Zeigler Case
Penn State CSI Students on the Zeigler Case: a review of Zeigler Project. During their final spring semester twenty five (25) undergraduate and five (5) graduate students from Penn State University (PSU) reviewed documents pertaining to the trial and conviction of William Thomas Zeigler. Mr. Zeigler was convicted in 1976 of murdering his wife Eunice Zeigler, […]
“Who Killed Betsy” by Derek Sherwood
“Who Killed Betsy” by Derek Sherwood is about the Betsy Aardsma case. Derek Sherwood has worked hard to collect all the available information and to add his thoughts about this case. He generously agreed to make an excerpt available for DCC’s readers from the chapter entitled “As Time Goes By” from his book. “In the years […]
Hodel answers questions about the Black Dahlia
Steve Hodel will answer your questions. As you know, our #cclivechat on July 15, 2011, centers on the case of Elizabeth Short. Elizabeth (July 29, 1924 – January 15, 1947) was found savagely murdered and her body was left in plain view for anyone to see the grotesque mutilations that she was subjected to before she […]
A message from the Caughlin Family
The Caughlin family has been very cooperative and courageously opened up the lines of communication with me. I have alerted them to every post and and every comment and they have read everything. This message was sent to me and is for all who work on the case, for all DCC readers, and especially for […]
Hal’s answers 3
WARNING: this post contains graphic photography! ________________________________________ Bluedog89 asked about lifting fingerprints from an eye and also can an eye capture an image at the time of death. Wow… interesting questions! Frankly, I am no fingerprint expert. Richard Case or Joe Giacalone could speak with far greater authority on this topic, then myself. I am […]