The Cold Case Files
Jim Kouri, CPP
July 26, 2005
The Massachusetts State Police will receive $500,000 from the Department of Justice to help solve old, unsolved "cold" cases and identify the missing using DNA evidence. The announcement came at the "National Strategy Meeting: Identifying the Missing" -- a first-ever DOJ conference on the missing and unidentified dead -- that $14.2 million in grant money will go to thirty-eight jurisdictions nationwide.
The grants are part of the President Bush's DNA initiative, "Advancing Justice Through DNA Technology," a five-year, more than $1 billion effort to eliminate casework and the convicted offender backlog; improve crime lab capacity; provide DNA training; provide for post-conviction DNA testing; and conduct testing to identify missing persons. Last fall, the Department of Justice awarded $95 million in DNA grants nationwide.
Repeatedly DNA has proven its ability to both implicate and exonerate suspects. Recent cases have made clear the need for adequate staffing and funding at the Massachusetts State Police crime lab. This grant will hopefully assist in alleviating the backlog of DNA testing that needs to be done. Justice can only served when investigations are carried out expeditiously and completely and are in no way hindered by delays in DNA lab testing.
The Massachusetts State Police will receive $500,000 over 18 months to assist in solving cold cases using DNA and other forensic examinations. The funds will be used to review and prioritize "cold" cases, examine these prioritized cases for potentially probative biological materials, and perform DNA or other trace forensic testing of recovered materials. Using both in-house and contracted DNA and other forensic testing services, the collaborators under this grant will work to generate cold case DNA profiles and other forensic examination findings to provide the greatest chance of assisting in the resolution of serious unsolved crimes.
The promise of DNA to help solve cold cases and identify the missing and deceased is endless. On average, there are over 100,000 missing persons listed in the National Crime Information System, the national, computerized index of criminal justice information. Over 45,000 of those have a last known contact of over a year ago and just 50 of the missing persons in the NCIC have their DNA information listed. Of the 5,800 unidentified dead that are listed in the NCIC, only 33 of these have their DNA information entered into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), a database that enables federal, state, and local crime labs to exchange and compare DNA profiles electronically, thereby linking crimes to each other and to convicted offenders. However, there are an additional 244 DNA profiles of unidentified human remains in the CODIS that are not recorded in NCIC.
According to a study by the National Institute of Justice, the research, development and evaluation arm of the Department of Justice, researchers estimated that there are approximately 542,700 instances in which biological evidence is either still in the possession of local law enforcement or backlogged at forensic crime laboratories. With these grants, the Department of Justice has made sure that local jurisdictions, which often have the greatest DNA backlogs, are directly awarded DNA money.
Jim Kouri, CPP is currently fifth vice-president of the National Association of Chiefs of Police. He's former chief at a New York City housing project in Washington Heights nicknamed "Crack City" by reporters covering the drug war in the 1980s. He's also served on the National Drug Task Force and trained police and security officers throughout the country. He writes for many police and crime magazines including Chief of Police, Police Times, The Narc Officer, Campus Law Enforcement Journal, and others. He's appeared as on-air commentator for over 100 TV and radio news and talk shows including Oprah, McLaughlin Report, CNN Headline News, MTV, Fox News, etc. His book Assume The Position is available at Amazon.Com, Booksamillion.com, and can be ordered at local bookstores.
The grants are part of the President Bush's DNA initiative, "Advancing Justice Through DNA Technology," a five-year, more than $1 billion effort to eliminate casework and the convicted offender backlog; improve crime lab capacity; provide DNA training; provide for post-conviction DNA testing; and conduct testing to identify missing persons. Last fall, the Department of Justice awarded $95 million in DNA grants nationwide.
Repeatedly DNA has proven its ability to both implicate and exonerate suspects. Recent cases have made clear the need for adequate staffing and funding at the Massachusetts State Police crime lab. This grant will hopefully assist in alleviating the backlog of DNA testing that needs to be done. Justice can only served when investigations are carried out expeditiously and completely and are in no way hindered by delays in DNA lab testing.
The Massachusetts State Police will receive $500,000 over 18 months to assist in solving cold cases using DNA and other forensic examinations. The funds will be used to review and prioritize "cold" cases, examine these prioritized cases for potentially probative biological materials, and perform DNA or other trace forensic testing of recovered materials. Using both in-house and contracted DNA and other forensic testing services, the collaborators under this grant will work to generate cold case DNA profiles and other forensic examination findings to provide the greatest chance of assisting in the resolution of serious unsolved crimes.
The promise of DNA to help solve cold cases and identify the missing and deceased is endless. On average, there are over 100,000 missing persons listed in the National Crime Information System, the national, computerized index of criminal justice information. Over 45,000 of those have a last known contact of over a year ago and just 50 of the missing persons in the NCIC have their DNA information listed. Of the 5,800 unidentified dead that are listed in the NCIC, only 33 of these have their DNA information entered into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), a database that enables federal, state, and local crime labs to exchange and compare DNA profiles electronically, thereby linking crimes to each other and to convicted offenders. However, there are an additional 244 DNA profiles of unidentified human remains in the CODIS that are not recorded in NCIC.
According to a study by the National Institute of Justice, the research, development and evaluation arm of the Department of Justice, researchers estimated that there are approximately 542,700 instances in which biological evidence is either still in the possession of local law enforcement or backlogged at forensic crime laboratories. With these grants, the Department of Justice has made sure that local jurisdictions, which often have the greatest DNA backlogs, are directly awarded DNA money.
Jim Kouri, CPP is currently fifth vice-president of the National Association of Chiefs of Police. He's former chief at a New York City housing project in Washington Heights nicknamed "Crack City" by reporters covering the drug war in the 1980s. He's also served on the National Drug Task Force and trained police and security officers throughout the country. He writes for many police and crime magazines including Chief of Police, Police Times, The Narc Officer, Campus Law Enforcement Journal, and others. He's appeared as on-air commentator for over 100 TV and radio news and talk shows including Oprah, McLaughlin Report, CNN Headline News, MTV, Fox News, etc. His book Assume The Position is available at Amazon.Com, Booksamillion.com, and can be ordered at local bookstores.
Print
Email
