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 towards the workable definition of a case that has no more active, or hot, leads. Definitions that include a time frame may prevent the most valuable thing you can lose in a case - time.
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If you want to learn more about investigating cold cases
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