Cold Case Handbook

The Cold Case Handbook - 2nd Edition!
October 15, 2024

By: Joseph L. Giacalone

The Cold Case Handbook is an insider’s look into what goes into a cold case investigation. As the former Commanding Officer of the NYPD’s Bronx Cold Case, retired Sergeant SDS, Joseph Giacalone takes the reader into the realm of cold case investigation. The book is not only written for law enforcement, but also for the victim’s families and the true crime community.

The text has been edited, overhauled, and new material has been added.

The Cold Case Handbook is packed with great ideas and suggestions to help law enforcement to tackle America’s most difficult cases. It may be possible with the help of the victim’s families, the true crime community, and two new federal laws. The two new laws are Homicide Victims’ Families’ Rights Act and the Help Find the Missing Act. Both laws were signed in 2022 and a breakdown of the most important parts are included in the text.

The book is available on Blue 360 Media and Amazon.

The Cold Case Handbook 2nd Edition Chapter List:

Chapter 1: The Homicide Victims’ Families’ Rights Act
Chapter 2: Starting a Cold Case Squad
Chapter 3: Choosing the Right Personnel for the Cold Case Squad
Chapter 4: Why Do Cases Go Cold?
Chapter 5: Choosing a Cold Case to Investigate
Chapter 6: Organizing and Reviewing the Cold Case File
Chapter 7: Researching a Cold Case
Chapter 8: The Photographic Crime Scene Walkthrough
Chapter 9: The Reinvestigation of the Case - Reading the Reports
Chapter 10: The Reinvestigation of the Case - Reinterviews
Chapter 11: Social Media for Cold Cases
Chapter 12: Report Writing
Chapter 13: Cold Case Missing Persons
Chapter 14: The Search for a Known Suspect
Chapter 15: Interrogation
Chapter 16: Cold Case Sexual Assaults
Chapter 17: Victims’ Family Resources
Chapter 18: Cold Case Prosecution

Chapter 19: Requesting Help from the Media

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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?

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Coming Soon!

The Cold Case Handbook By: Joseph L. Giacalone Welcome to the home of the Cold Case Handbook and everything cold case related. The Cold Case Handbook was authored by Joseph Giacalone, a retired NYPD Sergeant SDS and former Commanding Officer of the Bronx Cold Case Squad. The Cold Case Handbook is the first book of its kind that not only includes ideas and suggestions for law enforcement personnel, but the victims’ families and the true crime community as well. It also includes the two new federal laws passed in 2022 that are helping to close some of America’s toughest cold cases. New Federal Laws for Cold Cases The two new federal laws signed by President Joe Biden in 2023 are: The Homicide Victims’ Families’ Rights Act and the Help Find the Missing Act. Both laws are bound to set cold cases moving forward. There is however, some points that need to be addressed in The Homicide Victims’ Families’ Rights Act. For instance, it is unclear if a federal agency must have jurisdiction or...

The Cold Case Handbook

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