From the moment I held the book ‘Four Shots in Oskie’ by Justin Wingerter in my hands, the word unassuming started to flutter around in my brain. Like the sound of rustling leaves on a windy fall day, the sound popped up in various degrees of loudness, often just a whisper, to never really leave. […]
touch DNA
The Peterson Murders
Henry W. and Ann M. Peterson were found murdered in their two-bedroom apartment around 10am on April 3, 1978. They worked as on-site residential managers of the 36-unit Canterbury Apartment complex on 875 Liberty St, SE in Salem, Oregon. Henry Peterson had retired from the US Army Corps of Engineers. They were ‘avid bowlers, square […]
John David Watson Jr (1959 – 1974)
John David Watson Jr (Oct 18, 1959 – May 2, 1974) was fourteen years old when he left his home in Wheeler, Pennsylvania, around 9pm on May 2, 1974. He never came back home. He was found murdered on May 3, 1974. His murder was never solved. While reading up on his case, I found […]
Sophie Sergie: Hearing Day 4
On Friday, Feb 5, the evidence hearings in the 1993 murder of Sophie Sergie continued. Gun Steven H. Downs’ former girlfriend Katherine deSchweinitz Lee testified through videoconference in court: according to her Steve did not own a gun during the years they dated at Alaska State University (ASU) and they dated for about 4 years. […]
Remembering Cherilyn Ann Gartin Hawkley
Cherilyn Ann Gartin Hawkley (Mar 19, 1954 – Oct 31, 1993) was murdered on Halloween night in 1993. Two days later, she was found just off Elmhurst Drive less than a mile from Eureka Elementary School where she taught fifth grade, in Granite Bay, California. It is part of the Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area. The […]
Cold cases and the M-Vac
Please welcome back guest blogger Jared Bradley. Jared will give us an overview of exciting developments in the field of cold cases and the M-Vac. _________________________________ Guest blogging is always full of pressure, but writing for Alice’s Defrosting Cold Cases takes it to a whole new level. Like all of you, I thoroughly enjoy reading […]
Zeigler: touch DNA denied
The Florida Supreme Court has denied William Thomas Zeigler’s request for touch DNA testing. I have converted the PDF to images below. On March 31, 2016, an evidentiary hearing was held for William Thomas Zeigler to request touch DNA testing in his case. Judge Whitehead denied that request for touch DNA on July 18, 2016. On November […]
The Sims Family: 1966-2016
The Sims Family Murders (Tallahassee, Florida) are Case of the Month for October as this year marks the 50th anniversary of their unsolved homicides. We lost Robert Wilson Sims (Aug. 24, 1924 – Oct. 22, 1966), Helen Sollie Sims (Feb. 23, 1932 – Oct. 31, 1966), and Joy Lynn Sims (Mar. 5, 1954 – Oct. […]
M-Vac secures conviction in Krystal Beslanowitch case
The M-Vac System has secured a conviction in the 1995 cold case of Krystal Lynn Beslanowitch. From KSL: “After about four hours of deliberation, jurors found Joseph Michael Simpson, 49, guilty of aggravated murder Thursday in the 1995 death of Krystal Lynn Beslanowitch. The teenager who had been living in Salt Lake City was found […]
Zeigler’s touch DNA request denied
On Monday July 18, 2016 Judge Whitehead denied William Thomas Zeigler’s latest DNA request. It asked for testing of evidence with modern technology with emphasis on touch DNA. From the Orlando Sentinel: “In the 30-page ruling, Orange-Osceola Circuit Judge Reginald Whitehead held that Zeigler’s petition for DNA testing was too similar to others that he’s […]
Hernando County Jane Doe 1972
The Hernando County Sheriff’s Office (Florida) needs help with a 1972 cold case. It involves the remains of a woman found July 19, 1972. The Hernando County Jane Doe 1972 was near High Corner Road and Cortez Boulevard (State Road 50) in Brooksville. “The replica skull was created from scans of the original at USF’s […]
The cold case of Valerie McPherson
Valerie McPherson’s case (Oct 16, 1958 – Aug 05, 1991) needs a better digital footprint. She was stabbed to death around 8am on Aug 5, 1991, while jogging along Contour Drive in Olmos Park, San Antonio, Texas. Valerie had her 19 month old daughter Lauren with her. The little girl was in her stroller when Valerie was […]
Who murdered Debra Joyce Bruce?
Debra Joyce Bruce (Nov 11, 1956 – Nov 10, 1976) was found murdered one day shy of her birthday in Slocum, Anderson County, Texas. She was a housewife and had married James Robbins just five months ago in June. A passerby saw the house on fire and called the fire department. Fire fighters found Debra between […]
The cold case of Theresa M. Corley
The cold case of Theresa M. Corley (June 1, 1959 – Dec 4, 1978) needs another review. With new technology such as the M-Vac which has proven crucial in solving cold cases, we should check several items for touch DNA. Theresa (19) was enrolled at Holliston Junior College (this school closed in 1989) and had a […]
The costs of touch DNA testing
What are the costs of touch DNA testing? That is what I asked Jared Bradley, President of M-Vac Systems. For many police departments and for victim family members, this is an area where few straight answers are given hence this guest blog post by Jared. ____________________________________ When More Expensive Costs Less By Jared Bradley, President M-Vac […]
M-Vac: superior results
Study reveal superior results with the M-Vac. A (UC)-Davis study reveals that the M-Vac’s unique DNA collection is superior when compared to traditional methods such as swabbing and cutting. From PRWeb: “The UC-Davis studies focused on scenarios involving large surface area requirements, recovering minute or degraded DNA material from skin, with limited knowledge of where to […]
Follow-up #I Karen Caughlin
Yesterday, we posted the first in a series of articles about Karen Caughlin who was killed in 1974, Sarnia, Canada. In one day, that post soared to the top of popular posts but what is far more important: people are talking. Comments and emails are coming in and I am sorting through the information right […]