Defrosting Cold Cases

Since 1974, the Caughlin Family has been wondering why their beloved 14 year old Karen had to die. To this date, there are no answers. Maybe we will never get the answers we need but then again, it might be possible with the help of some special people. The Caughlin Family would like to have [...]

Tags: Autopsy, Canada, Crime Scene, Evidence, Forensics, Identification, Investigations Division, Karen Caughlin, Michigan, OPP, Police, Sarnia, Unsolved Homicide, Victim, Witnesses

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

The Caughlin family is calling for an independent external review of the 1974 murder of their little sister Karen Caughlin. “It’s been 37 years, and it’s time,” said Caughlin, who will hold a press conference in Sarnia next week to discuss and seek public support for the review. “This is not going to be solved under [...]

Tags: Autopsy, Canada, Crime Scene, Cruelty, DNA, Evidence, Expert Testimony, Faulty Evidence, Finger Printing, Forensics, Identification, Investigations Division, Michigan, Partial Finger Printing, Police, Sarnia, Unsolved Homicide, Victim, Witnesses

Our Kathleen Ryan has started blogging about the Brenda Martinez case. Her first post is here. Brenda was only 23 years old when she disappeared around Christmas, 1988, in Flint, Michigan. Her snow covered body was discovered on January 5, 1989.  The cause of death was not revealed, but authorities have labelled her case a homicide. Please read [...]

Tags: Autopsy, Crime Scene, Evidence, Forensics, Identification, Investigations Division, Michigan, Police, Unsolved Homicide, Victim

By Miriam Said and Stephanie Saunders with Vidster ________________________________________ We have some new details in the 1974 Canadian cold case of Karen Caughlin. Karen was NOT wearing saucer earrings but hoops! I think that we described them in an earlier post as “saucer like” but they were hoops. She left the house with those earrings [...]

Tags: Autopsy, Canada, Crime Scene, Cruelty, DNA, Evidence, Expert Testimony, Finger Printing, Forensics, Identification, Investigations Division, Karen Caughlin, Michigan, Partial Finger Printing, Police, Sarnia, Unsolved Homicide, Victim, Witnesses

We still need to find out in what condition Karen’s clothes were found and whether the paint chips were on the back or the front of her bomber jacket. We did find that there was blood and a tire impression on Karen’s coat. We do not know as of yet whether the collected DNA that [...]

Tags: Autopsy, Canada, caugh, Crime Scene, Cruelty, DNA, Evidence, Finger Printing, Forensics, Identification, Investigations Division, Michigan, Partial Finger Printing, Police, Unsolved Homicide, Victim, Witnesses

The Caughlin family has been very cooperative and courageously opened up the lines of communication with DCC. 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 [...]

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

Please welcome guest blogger Miriam Said!  Miriam plans to study law as a mature student. Her aim is to become a UK Magistrate. She just started a blog and you can follow her on Twitter. ___________________________________________________________ The 1974 murder of Karen Caughlin By Miriam Said with Vidster Introduction Sarnia, Canada: a quiet border city on the Canadian side [...]

Tags: Autopsy, Canada, Crime Scene, Cruelty, DNA, Evidence, Expert Testimony, Faulty Evidence, Finger Printing, Forensics, Identification, Investigations Division, Michigan, Partial Finger Printing, Police, Sarnia, Unsolved Homicide, Victim, Witnesses

UPDATE: the posting of the letter in full has led to comments and remarks that have been forwarded to the Midland County Sherrif’s Office. In 1991, Richard McRoberts lost his beloved son Greg McRoberts (24). Greg was struck while riding his bicycle around 7 p.m. on December 12, 1991, near his home at 1862 S. Meridian [...]

Tags: Autopsy, Crime Scene, Evidence, Forensics, hit-and-run, Identification, Investigations Division, Michigan, Police, Unsolved Homicide, Victim, Witnesses

Today, detectives in the Saginaw Police Department’s Cold Case Unit packed up their things. The news they hoped would not come had arrived. Their federal grant funding will not be renewed. “It’s not that I’m losing my job. The hard part is that we didn’t get to fulfill what we wanted to,” says Det. Roy Walton, who [...]

Tags: Michigan, Unsolved Homicide, Victim