U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs National Institute of Justice National Best Practices for Implementing and Sustaining a Cold Case Investigation Unit U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs 810 Seventh St. N.W. Washington, DC 20531 David B. Muhlhausen, Ph.D. Director, National Institute of Justice This and other publications and products of the National Institute of Justice can be found at: National Institute of Justice Strengthen Science • Advance Justice NIJ.ojp.gov Office of Justice Programs Building Solutions • Supporting Communities • Advancing Justice O J P.gov The National Institute of Justice is the research, development, and evaluation agency of the U.S. Department of Justice. NIJ’s mission is to advance scientific research, development, and evaluation to enhance the administration of justice and public safety. The National Institute of Justice is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Assistance; the Bureau of Justice Statistics; the Office for Victims of Crime; the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking. Opinions or conclusions expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. Cover Photo Sources: ©Nikada/iStockphoto, ©Photographee.eu/Shutterstock, Inc., ©spxChrome/iStockphoto, ©Prath/Shutterstock, Inc., ©FatCamera/Shutterstock, Inc., and ©focal point/Shutterstock, Inc. 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NCJ 252016 Contents NIJ Cold Case Investigation Working Group ................................................iii Summary of Recommendations for Best Practice .....................................vii Chapter 1: Background On Cold Case Units .................................................1 Cold case crisis ........................................................................................1 The current picture ..................................................................................4 Chapter 2: The Need For Cold Case Units .....................................................7 Why are cold case units needed? ..........................................................7 Why now? ..............................................................................................13 Chapter 3: Determining the Needs and Scope of a Cold Case Investigation Unit .......................................................................21 Case inventory .......................................................................................21 Determining the scope of operations ..................................................22 Chapter 4: Designing a Cold Case Unit........................................................25 Identifying support for a cold case unit ..............................................25 Preparation ............................................................................................26 Planning .................................................................................................28 Assessment of success in cold case investigation .............................29 Operational considerations .................................................................30 Unit models ...........................................................................................32 Multidisciplinary teams ........................................................................36 Chapter 5: Implementing a Cold Case Unit ................................................37 Unit requirements ................................................................................37 Agency organization ............................................................................37 Cold case unit expenses ......................................................................38 Protocols and directives ......................................................................40 Victim-centered and trauma-informed approaches ...........................41 Staffing ..................................................................................................46 National Best Practices for Implementing and Sustaining a Cold Case Investigation Unit n i Chapter 6: Operating a Cold Case Unit .......................................................53 Case selection........................................................................................53 Modernizing the case............................................................................55 Information management ....................................................................57 Roles .......................................................................................................61 Training and continuing education ......................................................64 Media ....................................................................................................65 Chapter 7: Identifying Support For a Cold Case Unit ...............................69 Local and state agencies as sources of support .................................69 Community resources as sources of support .....................................69 Academia as a source of support ........................................................70 Federal resources as sources of support ............................................72 Nontraditional sources of support .......................................................74 Chapter 8: Conclusion ...................................................................................77 List of Abbreviations ....................................................................................79 Glossary .........................................................................................................81 References .....................................................................................................93 Resources ....................................................................................................109 General Resources .............................................................................109 Federal Agencies ................................................................................. 114 Victim Advocacy Groups .................................................................... 115 Databases ............................................................................................ 116 Publications ......................................................................................... 116 Appendices .................................................................................................. 119 APPENDIX A: Standard Operating Procedures ................................. 119 APPENDIX B: Investigation Checklist Template .................................128 APPENDIX C: Sample Contents of an Investigative Case File .........129 APPENDIX D: Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) ...............130 APPENDIX E: Nondisclosure Agreement (NDA) ...............................132 APPENDIX F: Sample Application for Case Review .........................133 ii n National Institute of Justice NIJ Cold Case Investigation Working Group ince 2005, the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) has assisted state and local law enforcement agencies across the nation in Sinvestigating cold cases through NIJ’s Solving Cold Cases with DNA program. In 2015, NIJ assembled a group of subject matter experts from the cold case investigation community to review the state of cold case investigations and cold case units in the United States. One identified concern was the lack of agencies addressing the growing needs of unresolved cases. As a result, the Cold Case Investigation Working Group and NIJ collaborated to create this guide in an effort to assist law enforcement agencies in creating a mechanism for addressing the cold cases in their jurisdictions. The recommendations in this document are not mandated by any governing body; they are provided as recommended best practices based on research, well-established processes, and the extensive professional experience of the working group members. NIJ Cold Case Investigation Working Group Members James Adcock, Ph.D. Tiffany Brown, D-ABMDI U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Clark County (Nevada) Office of the Command, retired; Mid-South Coroner/Medical Examiner Cold Case Initiative Amy Dobbs Bob Alford National Missing and Johnson County (Texas) Sheriff’s Unidentified Persons System Office, retired; Texas Sheriff’s Association Cold Case Squad Bill Doogan, M.C.J. Boston (Massachusetts) Hannah Barcus Police Department, Booz Allen Hamilton, consulting for Unsolved Homicide Squad National Institute of Justice Eric Duvall, M.S.F.S. Patrick Barron Denver (Colorado) Police Department Los Angeles (California) Crime Laboratory Police Department, Foothill Homicide Division, retired Suni Edson, M.S. Armed Forces DNA Martha Bashford, J.D. Identification Laboratory New York County (New York) District Attorney’s Office, Lou Eliopulos Sex Crimes Unit Navy Criminal Investigative Service, Cold Case Homicide Unit National Best Practices for Implementing and Sustaining a Cold Case Investigation