Cold Case Task Force will look into past crimes, including missing persons

Attorney General James Uthmeier says Florida is establishing a Cold Case Task Force in hopes of finally closing many unsolved crimes.

Unsolved criminal investigations known as “cold cases” can be among the most frustrating for law enforcement agencies and torturous for families of the victims. The Task Force is designed to reopen some of Florida’s 21,000 unsolved murders, 900 cases of unidentified human remains and more than 2,500 missing persons that have been classified as cold since 1965.

Uthmeier said the Task Force will look at past investigations that may have suffered from a lack of modern resources.

“Today, technology has advanced,” Uthmeier said at a news conference in Miami. “Many of these thousands of cases have evidence that contains DNA.”

Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) officials will be at the forefront of reopening the cold cases. FDLE Special Agent in Charge John Vecchio said the agency is eager to bring resolution to some of these cases.

“Investigating cold cases means using every resource available,” Vecchio said.

Othram, a forensics technology firm, will apply newer scientific methods to cases in question. Othram Senior Director of Commercial Operations Danny Hall reiterated that many cold cases haven’t been resolved mainly because evidence wasn’t fully analyzed due to technical limitations.

“Many of these cases were never unsolvable,” Hall said. “Investigators can now generate leads even if there is no suspect. This program creates a coordinated statewide approach.”

The Cold Case Task Force shines light on those old cases that have been “getting dusty,” Uthmeier said.

“These cases don’t get a lot of attention here in Florida. Why? Because we are busy. Through this initiative… we’re letting agencies across the state know that we’re here to help,” Uthmeier said.

“We still need to answer questions and, God willing, provide that closure and provide that peace for family members and friends.”