Governor Rell: State Applying for Stimulus Funds

To Enhance Investigations of Unsolved Crimes

$220,737 Two-Year Grant Would Provide

Specially Trained Researcher for Cold Case Investigators

Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced that the state is applying for a two-year $220,737 federal stimulus grant to hire and train a researcher who would assist criminal justice inspectors in the investigation of unsolved or so-called “cold case” violent crimes by handling critical, but lower-level tasks, such as preparing reports, compiling timelines and obtaining old records and analyses.

 “This initiative would help bring these violent criminals to justice,” Governor Rell said. “We can bring some measure of closure to victims and their families by delivering the answers and justice they deserve and have awaited, in many cases, for decades.”

The state Division of Criminal Justice is applying for the competitive grant through U.S. Department of Justice’s Edward Byrne Memorial grant as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). The grant is specifically for the hiring of civilian staff in law enforcement agencies.

The state’s Cold Case Unit, established in 1998, uses two veteran inspectors from the Chief State’s Attorney’s Office, who work closely with state and local police. They focus on solving violent crimes, such as homicides, kidnapping and aggravated sexual assaults, that have gone “cold” and are not subject to a statute of limitation. These cases, by their very nature are labor intensive. Investigators often have to start from scratch and review all evidence. They are able to use the latest in forensic technology, which was not in existence when many of the crimes were committed. The Cold Case unit currently has more than 1,000 cases worthy of an active investigation.

The Governor said a specially trained criminal justice researcher is expected to free up more than 4,000 man hours, allowing cold case detectives to concentrate on 35 more unsolved crimes. Based on the unit’s past success, 40 percent of the additional case will be solved. The stimulus grant would fund all personnel costs and specialized training over two years. To maximize the effectiveness of Cold Case Unit inspectors, the research assistant would take on a number of responsibilities, including:

·        Developing and tracking timelines

·        Organization of physical evidence

·        Scheduling and requesting follow-up records, such as medical reports, ballistics tests, etc.

·        Organization of subpoenas

·        Conducting background and public data searches

·        Tracking of evidence chain of custody

·        Making initial contact with outside agencies

“The state will use every resource available to pursue these violent offenders, who have eluded the law for far too long, and take them off our streets,” Governor Rell said.

To view the Cold Case Unit application or for more information on the ARRA in Connecticut, visit the state’s official stimulus Web site at www.ct.gov and click on the CT Recovery link.

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