Author Joseph Giacalone

Joseph Giacalone is a retired NYPD Sergeant SDS and former Commanding Officer of the Bronx Cold Case Squad. He is an adjunct professor and author of two books: The Criminal Investigative Function” A Guide for New Investigators 4th Edition and The Cold Case Handbook 2nd Edition - both published by Blue 360 Media.

For more information, visit the Official Author Page of Joseph Giacalone

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Freedom of Information Offices by State

Freedom of Information Offices by State By: Joseph Giacalone Freedom of Information Offices can be your greatest teammate in the effort to solve cold cases. If you are, or want to be, a cold case advocate, then you will need this list of the Freedom of Information Offices by state. The National Coalition of Freedom of Information Coalition (NFOIC) has created a page on their website that provides access to each state that has a FOIA Office. Writing Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) or Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests will be part of your routine when investigating and helping out victims’ families searching for information on cold cases. It is a vital part of obtaining official documents from a variety of governmental entities. Whether it’s the police department, courts, or the medical examiner / coroner, you will need to understand what is available through a request and what is not. For instance, reports from the medical examiner / coroner are generally not available to the...

What is a Cold Case?

What is a Cold Case? By: Joseph Giacalone I am often asked for the what is the definition of a cold case? That’s part of the problem. There are too many definitions of what makes something a cold case. There are over 18,000 law enforcement agencies in the United States and some like to explain it as 18,000 ways of doing things. There are no national standards for just about any policy and procedure - not even issues related to U.S. Supreme Court decisions. I created this YouTube short to explain the definition of how cold cases are defined. It depends on your jurisdiction and which law enforcement agency is leading the way. Some locations the job falls on the police, in others, the district attorney. That is part of the journey and the problem of investigating cold cases in the United States. Suggested Definition of a Cold Case If we want to close more cases, I believe that law enforcement needs to have a common definition of what defines a cold case. I would lean towa...

How To Request an Autopsy Report

How to Request an Autopsy Report Here’s a clear step-by-step outline of what’s usually required to obtain an autopsy report from a local medical examiner or coroner’s office in the United States. Procedures vary slightly by state or county, but these are the general steps and details you’ll need. A good first step would be to find the medical examiner’s official website. There, you will find information on how to obtain records, fees, and policies. Just a reminder that a request to the ME, will not get you police reports. You would still need to make a public records request from the police department for the case file, reports, photos, etc. 1. Confirm Medical Examiner’s Jurisdiction Determine which office performed the autopsy. Autopsies are handled by the medical examiner or coroner in the county or city where the death occurred, not where the decedent lived. You can look up the correct agency by searching: “ County name Medical Examiner’s Office autopsy report r...

The Cold Case Handbook

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