Providing Funding to Law Enforcement for Unresolved Cases
The Cold Case Project of Monterey County is registered as a (pending) nonprofit organization with the Internal Revenue Service, code 501(c)(3).
Mission
The Cold Case Project of Monterey County aims to assist law enforcement agencies in their ongoing efforts to solve violent crimes, specifically unsolved homicides, unsolved sexual assaults, long-term missing persons cases, and the identification of unidentified human remains.
Vision
The Monterey County Cold Case Project was created to help provide justice to victims and their families who have been affected by unsolved violent crime.
Why Project Cold Case?
While Monterey County Law Enforcement agencies, including the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office Cold Case Task Force, have achieved remarkable success in bringing a sense of closure to many victims and families, sustaining these efforts presents significant challenges. One of the most pressing obstacles is the high cost of advanced forensic analysis, such as SNP DNA extraction and Investigative Genetic Genealogy, which are performed by private laboratories. These services, while groundbreaking in their ability to identify perpetrators (and victims), are often cost-prohibitive for local law enforcement agencies.
This has the very real potential of delaying the closure of unsolved cases. The exhaustion of federal grant funds, which previously supported many of these investigations, has further complicated the path forward. Without continued financial support, the momentum gained in resolving cold cases risks being stalled.
To address this critical gap, the Cold Case Project of Monterey County was established. This initiative, run by an all volunteer team, ensures that local law enforcement can access the resources they need to continue investigating and resolving unsolved cases. By providing ongoing financial support, the Project empowers investigators to pursue justice without the burden of prohibitive costs.
It is through community support and collaboration that we can overcome these challenges and continue the vital work of restoring justice for victims, and their families. we invite you to join us in this mission and help sustain the fight against unsolved crime in Monterey County.
“For victims and families, there are no cold cases.”
What We Help Fund
Although the California Department of Justice Forensic Labs do assist local law enforcement agencies with their investigations, as stated above, many of the latest technological advancements in forensics are only performed by private labs. This work, often expensive, is invaluable in closing previously unsolvable cases.
All donated funds, except for the minimum operational costs of this nonprofit organization, are utilized to support law enforcement agencies in their pursuit of justice.
Unsolved Homicides
The Monterey County District Attorney’s Office Cold Case Task Force (CCTF) has identified over 600 unsolved homicides among all of the law enforcement agencies in Monterey County.
Long Term Missing Persons
According the California Department of Justice’s Missing and Unidentified Persons Unit (MUPS), there are 38 long-term missing people in Monterey County. There is no doubt that some of these cases involve homicide.
Unidentified Human Remains
The Monterey County Coroner’s Office has records of over 50 cases of Unidentified Human Remains (UHRs) having been found in Monterey County dating back to the 1960’s. Some of these cases involve victims of homicide. Unsolved homicides with unknown victims are some of the most difficult cases to solve.
Note: Unidentified Human Remains cases may also be individuals that have been reported as long-term missing people, from Monterey County or other areas. Without modern forensic DNA testing, their identities cannot be determined.
Unsolved Sexual Assaults
There are over 100 unsolved sexual assaults in Monterey County where potential forensic evidence exists. If no suspect has been identified and there is no DNA “hit” in CODIS, state-of-the-art forensics and Investigative Genetic Genealogy can be used to try and identify the suspect(s). This type of work is done by private forensic labs and businesses, requiring law enforcement agencies to fund this work, which can be prohibitively expensive.
How it Works
A law enforcement agency submits a request to the Cold Case Project for funding to solve a specific unsolved case. For instance, they may request funding to extract SNP DNA from a rootless hair left by the suspect at the crime scene and then use Investigative Genetic Genealogy to develop an investigative lead on potential suspects. These state-of-the-art processes can currently cost around $15,000 in total.
A panel of law enforcement experts that are part of the Cold Case Project team reviews each request, then forwards all approved cases to the Project’s Board of Directors. If approved, the Project will provide payment to the specific lab or other entity, which will collaborate with the law enforcement agency to complete the investigation. The Cold Case Project of Monterey County has no involvement in the actual investigation of any case.
