Defrosting Cold Cases

The case of Betsy Aardsma is more alive than ever. Derek Sherwood has been working hard on a book 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,” in his book ”Who Killed Betsy?” [...]

Tags: Autopsy, Betsy Aardsma, Book Reviews, Crime Scene, DNA, Evidence, Finger Printing, Forensics, Identification, Investigations Division, Partial Finger Printing, PennState University, Pennsylvania, Police, Unsolved Homicide, Victim, Witnesses

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 died. Over the years, many authors [...]

Tags: Autopsy, Black Dahlia, Book Reviews, California, Crime Scene, Cruelty, DNA, Elizabeth Short, Evidence, Expert Testimony, Faulty Evidence, Finger Printing, Forensics, Identification, Investigations Division, Partial Finger Printing, Police, Rape kits, Unsolved Homicide, Victim, Witnesses

We are finally able to see the face of the lady known as Grace Doe. Please take a look and see whether you recognize her. Police believe Grace was killed more than a month before her remains were discovered and that it had probably happened on Halloween night, 1990. A witness reported nearly 20 years [...]

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

The Observer reports that “The Ontario Provincial Police won’t be handing over its investigation of the Karen Caughlin murder to another police agency for external review. Commissioner Chris Lewis is confident OPP detectives have conducted a “thorough and professional” investigation and will not ask for an independent review of the cold case file, Insp. Dave [...]

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

New details emerged and people have been ruled out by DNA in the case of the “Manchester Building Female Skeleton.” We now have a facial reconstruction of the victim. She was most likely European but could have come from the Middle East or Indian sub-continents. She also had a number of fillings in her teeth [...]

Tags: Autopsy, Crime Scene, Cruelty, DNA, DNA Database, Evidence, Expert Testimony, Finger Printing, Forensics, Identification, Investigations Division, Manchester, Missing Person, Partial Finger Printing, Police, Rape kits, UK, Unsolved Homicide, Victim, Witnesses

Colorado Springs, Colorado: Patrolman Burchfield of the Colorado Springs Police Department was shot to death on November 26, 1953, with a .22 caliber handgun by an unknown subject during an armed robbery investigation in the area of 1600 N. Wood Ave. That robbery was part of a pattern that had plagued the area. Burchfield was [...]

Tags: Autopsy, Ballistics, Colorado, Crime Scene, Evidence, Finger Printing, Forensics, Gun Fire, Identification, Investigations Division, Partial Finger Printing, Police, Unsolved Homicide, Victim, Witnesses

Champaign, Illinois: On November 25, 1967, police found patrol officer Tatman lying on his back in front of his own squad car, the motor still running, it’s revolving lights still on, and the front door at the driver’s side open. His flashlight was lying on his left side. His hat was on the ground near the curb. [...]

Tags: Autopsy, Ballistics, Crime Scene, Evidence, FBI, Finger Printing, Gun Fire, Identification, Illinois, Investigations Division, Partial Finger Printing, Police, Unsolved Homicide, Victim, Witnesses

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