The new unit, based at the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, reaches out to local law enforcement agencies to initiate a fresh look at unsolved cases.
Last year, the Ohio Attorney General’s Office created a new cold case unit to investigate unsolved crimes. Explore 11 unsolved cases Ohio’s new cold case unit will investigate “It’s just time, some of these cases didn’t have to get cold and you need to separate (active) homicide cases from the cold cases so they can be given enough attention,” Cranford said. She said she hopes the cold case unit detectives will stay focused on cold cases only so that they can develop new leads and bring justice for families who have suffered too long. “I’m very glad to hear that something is going to be done to enhance that cold case unit,” she told the Dayton Daily News.Ĭranford said for years she only had one point of contact at the police department. The department will now have three full-time detectives working cold cases.Ĭarol Cranford, the mother of Corey Mitchell, a Dayton man who was killed in 2010 and whose case remains unsolved, said the cold case expansion is welcomed news. “The Dayton Police Department will continue to utilize advancements in technology such as DNA, forensic genealogy, computer forensics, and more, to help solve these homicide and sexual assault cases,” the department said. Retired detectives will also assist to try to identify cases that might have a high chance of being solved based on available evidence.
The department is teaming up with University of Dayton interns who will help organize the cases.
Johns said victims of violent crimes are never forgotten, and he plans to meet with the cold case detectives every Friday to get an update on statuses of investigations. He said the department is focused on the long term and solving as many cases as possible. Jason Hall are expanding the cold case unit trying to solve homicides and sexual assaults. Dayton Major Brian Johns who is in charge of investigations along with Lt.