The Texas Ranger Unsolved Crimes Investigation Program was created on September 1, 2001 by the 77th Session of Texas Legislature. And in 2019 and 2021, they asked a couple of reserve officers to help look at old cases as well. Angel Polansky-Blasingame served 26-years with the Austin Police Department before her retirement in 2021. "Cold case for us is we review everything, go over everything, go over all the reports and documents, photos, everything and look for a lead," said Maurita Bryant, a Pittsburgh police . She married and had a son, but the union fractured after five years, and she lost custody of the child. 2016. On October 14, 1979 a burned body was discovered in a severely fire damaged Subaru station wagon located in a gravel pit off from Gould Road in South Weare. Angel has always had a strong passion for homicide cases and knew that was the direction she wanted to go with her career. He is accused in the deaths of Yleen Kennedy, 33, and Lillie Kennedy, 23, of the above address. "So, it wasn't something that was necessarily focused on or even really discussed in public.". (Mark Mulligan, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer), St. John Barned-Smith, Houston Chronicle / Staff, Hundreds of Texas bodies remain unidentified despite new tech that helps solve cases faster, theyve seen their success at clearing those crimes fall, A chance encounter spurred a Texas bill to help identify missing persons, but compliance is spotty. Homicide Cold Cases Repository by State. Homicide cases officially become cold cases after three years if all leads have been exhausted, so each year scores of cases are assigned to the cold case squad and are reviewed. Matt DeGrood is a general assignment and breaking news reporter for the Houston Chronicle. A lone Bexar County Sheriffs detective works a backlog of about 180 cold cases. Family Violence She was pronounced dead at the scene and officers began investigating the circumstances surrounding her death. Chicano Squad He continued to serve with the police department and also practiced part-time in the areas of probate, family, and civil law until his retirement from the Houston Police Department in 2009. Coupled with the investigations of murder, murder for hire, kidnappings and police-involved shootings, Houstons homicide detectives quickly mastered all aspects of homicide investigation and the proper documentation and presentation of facts/evidence in the courtroom. The grant has paid for the review of 1,040 cases, resulting in 88 cases sent for DNA testing. Blake Kennedy and her daughter, Jenny Estes, recently learned that the remains of Blakes sister, Peggy Anne Dodd, who had disappeared in 1984 as a 28-year-old, had been found and identified. The brutal killings remain one of Houston's . Forensic evidence obtained from Degan was entered into CODIS and a high probability match was found to evidence in the 1984 case. The late 1980s and early 1990s was a violent era in Houston. The first grant is money awarded from the "Emmett Till Cold Case Investigation," linked to the Emmett Till Antilynching Act, making lynching a federal hate crime. In February 2021, Joe retired from TDCJ-OIG as the Deputy Inspector General. Breaking news. The Cold Case approach is not unique to Connecticut. Cold Case Unit. The victims must be Black men killed . She was always disappearing.. But the money can only be used for specific cases. Report: Houston is the No. shootings, and questionable death incidents where foul play is suspected, in addition to POLICE Department HPD Cold Case Unit Identifies Suspect in 1988 Fatal Stabbing April 21, 2016. The Harding Street house where Dennis Tuttle and Rhogena Nicholas were killed in a botched narcotics raid, photographed on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019, in Houston. What else is new, she recalls thinking, assuming Dodd would resurface, the way she always did. Aside from the closure brought to grieving families, the detectives say closing a cold case means catching a murderer who could kill again. The division's Homicide Squads investigate all homicide-related offenses including questionable deaths when foul play is suspected.The unit is staffed 24/7 and responds to crime scenes in addition to conducting follow-up investigations. The Denver Police Cold Case Unit proactively combines advances in DNA technology and traditional investigative techniques to solve cold case homicides. While working as a police officer, Billy fulfilled his strong passion for law by attending the Law Center at the University of Houston. For over two decades, he investigated hundreds of homicides, kidnappings and sexual assaults. 2019 Legislative Session Update for Victims and Service Providers, 2021 Legislative Session Open Government Update. A graduate of the University of Dallas, he joined the Chronicle in 2022. The current Task Force Members have between 26 and 40 years of law enforcement experience and completed a comprehensive application and background process. Minyard uploaded Kennedys DNA into an ancestry website, and the genealogist he was working with reviewed the sample. Spencer said the cold case unit is staffed by two senior detectives. Yeah, the man responded. She often absconded, hitchhiking across Texas even as far as Nevada, or to Shreveport, La., to try to see her son. Joe began his career with the Houston Police Department where, as a lieutenant, he served in several major units including the Vice Division, Homicide Division, Criminal Intelligence Division, and the Chiefs Command. Then in 2020, Fort Bend County Sheriffs Detective Scott Minyard began rummaging through the departments cold case backlog. When a murder goes down, its all hands on deck Everyones running hot. 3917 W. 12th St. Little Rock, AR 72204 (501) 404-3128 ColdCase@littlerock.gov Cold Case Investigations. Angel received her Bachelor of Applied Arts and Science degree from Midwestern State University. Some files have overflowing paperwork, photos, and witness statements. Eventually, it was buried in a cemetery on Williams Way, where it has lain for decades. It just gives you a good feeling to watch something like that. Her assailant sexually assaulted her and delivered a savage beating that included deep bites. These squads Another $1.3 million in federal money will help. After retiring, Jim was asked back into service by the Harris County Special Prosecutors Office. The Chicano Squad is responsible for providing investigative support and She started her career with APD as a patrol officer and progressed through the Department working in Austins Special Investigations Unit and the Downtown Division. However, they're making use of new investigative techniques that haven't been used in the past," said professor Clete Snell, who chairs the criminal justice department at the University of Houston-Downtown. New technology is more sensitive to smaller samples sizes and can sometimes lead to breakthroughs in cases previously held up by a lack of evidence, he said. Or, call us at 602-876-1087. threats. After serving in the United States Marine Corps, and its reserve, he joined the Houston Police Department where he served for 40 years until his retirement. When he pulled out the evidence, he found the gym bags, the clothes and an old hairbrush, full of hair. about the dynamics of family violence. The Crime Scene Unit has the primary responsibility of processing all crime scenes for evidence. "We are . The Working Group's report and its recommendations leave no doubt about the urgency of the United States' cold case problem, nor about . Police records indicate the detective took the case to local prosecutors, who now acknowledge they approved charges but never filed a murder case against Raymond Yucatan Guzman. The Homicide Division is responsible for the investigation of deaths that occur in the city of Houston. Following his retirement from the Houston Police Department, John worked for BP, a global leader in oil and gas exploration and production. Houston, TX Area Cold Cases. Working side-by-side with some of the legends in the Texas criminal justice community, Billy forged a mutual bond with prosecutors and criminal defense attorneys alike. I t came down to a few strands of hair on a hairbrush sitting in an evidence room for almost . The Cold Case Investigation Unit (CCIU) was formed in 2002. . All victims have been submitted by law enforcement or the victims' families. A second Houston police officer has been charged with murder and is among additional officers who have been indicted as part of an ongoing investigation into a Houston Police Department narcotics . Posted Mon, Apr 24, 2017 at 5:47 pm CT | Updated Mon, Apr 24, 2017 at 6:00 pm CT. HOUSTON, TX -- Harris County Sheriff's Office Homicide Cold Case investigators have . "Based on the numbers of cases that haven't been solved, it may not seem like a good use of time. A Sunnyside man walking to his barber Saturday was struck and killed by a Houston cop rushing to the end . offenses. Faculty members Karen Holt, Ph.D. and Allison Rojek, M.A. (Statewide)Toll-Free Tip Line. New Hampshire Department of Justice33 Capitol Street | Concord, NH | 03301 The unit is tasked with following all leads and evidence in unsolved cold case investigations. Anyone with information they believe pertains to a cold case can call the New Jersey State Police Cold Case Unit at 609-882-2000 ext. Shed had a pair of red denim shorts, an Ocean Pacific T-shirt, a yellow cigarette lighter, two athletic bags. Gang Squad, which investigated gang-related murders and which collaborates with the FBIs Multi-Agency Gang Task Force; They are unsolved murders, rapes, and missing person cases, some dating back more than half a century. Crime Map Neighborhoods. And if youre working (on those), you cant dedicate the time thats required to really do justice to these things.. State. This is a carousel. In 2001, Fuentes was recognized by the Austin City Council for his work in the release of two wrongfully convicted people for a 1988 murder of an Austin restaurant employee. 1-866-623-8058. "But the fact remains, when you open up these old cases, you never know what you'll find in them. Criminal justice experts say cold case squads such as the unit at HPD, where a systematic approach is used to evaluate old cases, is good public policy. Rachel Delarosa Age. Pictures from the time showed her smiling and relaxing, reclining on a couch with their mother. Manny spent eleven years as a homicide detective where he investigated numerous high-profile cases and provided instruction of death investigation for universities, fire department academies, emergency medical personnel paramedic academies, and the Travis County District Attorney's Office. But when Torres opened the door and detectives asked if she was the mother of Norma Torres, she knew years of prayer had been answered: Police had solved the brutal killing of her daughter from 14 years ago. All calls will be kept confidential. Fast forward to 2008. He was previously an investigative reporter for the Houston Chronicle. In a city with 5,695 unsolved homicides on the books dating to 1960, Houston police have assembled a team of five experienced detectives to form a cold case squad to deal with the daunting backlog. File Number: 2023-0013 Name: Charles T. Smith Race: Black Sex: Male Age: 37 Year of Death: 2023 Date / Time: 1/29/2023 at 2:17PM Incident Address: 1600 [Block] Karl Ct. Each folder is marked with a name, a date and a case number. And when cases go unsolved, murderers dont get caught. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. MORE FROM THIS INVESTIGATION:A chance encounter spurred a Texas bill to help identify missing persons, but compliance is spotty. As of 2020, there were over 270,000 unsolved homicides in the United States and approximately 20,072 unsolved homicides in the state of Texas. Investigators used advancing DNA technology and the fact that a man was already in state prison to solve a cold case involving a 2009 fatal stabbing on the west side of Houston, according to the Houston Police Department. The Task Force evaluates cases and makes recommendations to the Unit about possible investigative leads including items of evidentiary value that could potentially be submitted for forensic testing, witnesses who may still be available to interview, possible suspects who may or may not have been identified, records that could still be obtained, and other relevant information that could be helpful to solving the case. This is the official twitter account for the Houston Police Department. Homicides by the Numbers: 2015. 2019 Legislative Session Update for Victims and Service Providers, 2021 Legislative Session Open Government Update. Again, the victim must be a Black man, murdered in the seventies, but in these cases, DNA from the unknown killer has to have been found on the body or on evidence. Sometimes a cold case yields surprising results, such as the September arrest of a Houston man who had confessed 22 years ago to killing an 11-year-old boy. In 1999 he was selected by the Homicide Division captain to serve as a supervisor in the Homicide Division. While at BP, John was the Director of Investigations during the aftermath of the Macondo oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. A loud knock at her door startled Eulalia Torres. "She lived alone and was tied up and strangled," Park said. It came down to a few strands of hair on a hairbrush sitting in an evidence room for almost 40 years. Additionally, the unit is involved in educating departmental employees and the community For nearly five years, Billy worked in an undercover capacity in the Internal Affairs Division, Proactive Squad, receiving several Chief of Police commendations for his contribution to numerous police corruption investigations. Then, Dodd went missing sometime after Easter in 1984. Park is optimistic that new DNA testing will soon allow the squad to arrest the suspected killers of Carmen Tupas, a 78-year-old retired Houston teacher strangled by burglars who camped out at her townhouse, driving back and forth in her car for several days. The Cold Case Unit The Michigan State Police First District Cold Case Unit. 209 Following. Holly Marie holds a picture of herself as a baby with her late parents, Harold Dean Clouse and Tina Gail Linn. The Cold Case Unit has been supported, in part . Tucked inside the Pittsburgh Police Bureau is a team solely focused on one thing: solving cold cases. Decades later, the news still hit like a punch. A rancher had found the remains in December 1984 while searching for his cattle. HPD has 104 cases that check those boxes. Peggys life took a much different tack: She was sweet and kind, Kennedy recalled. Kennedy was 68, living in Needville not far from where the womans body had been discovered. Billy earned his Doctor of Jurisprudence in 2002. But she commuted daily from Fort Bend to downtown Houston and was rarely home. HPD's cold case division was just awarded two grants, but the money can only be used for specific cases: the victims must be Black men killed before 1979. Then, they tried another method and that one worked. . During the 1995 Texas legislative session, John was the departments liaison providing testimony in support of criminal justice legislation designed to keep Texans safe. Countryman and Rodriguez head up the HPD cold case department, working with four other detectives. Were it not for Minyard, the case might well have been overlooked. "We have two suspects, and they stayed in the house for days while she was decomposing. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. Mona Kazour, Patch Staff. Customer Service Promise. During the past two years, the Cold Case Squad has also assisted numerous other law enforcement agencies with their cases. I never lost confidence they would leave it without a resolution.". shootings, and questionable death incidents where foul play is suspected, in addition to On March 5, 1984, Yleen and Lillie Kennedy were found deceased with gunshot wounds inside Yleen's home at 600 East 12th Street. Every day across the U.S., investigations slow or stop completely, and cases go "cold." From 1998 to 2004, John served as the Houston Police Departments chief of staff overseeing operations within the Office of the Chief of Police. Crime Scene Unit. The case never solved continues to take a back seat to more recent cases. Connie Park is one of the cold case detectives, with a decade in the homicide division. The Cold Case Unit was organized in the Fall of 2009 to combine the experience of the Attorney General's Office, the Major Crime Unit, and a city detective. I thought, 'Maybe this is something that we can look at and show the community that the department as a whole does care and that this is what we're doing to address it and make some wrongs right now.'". "When she heard the news, that we had never forgotten her deceased daughter, she was so happy. It consists of one lieutenant, two sergeants, two officers, one civilian employee, and three retired officers. These include crimes involving deadly conduct, harassment, and terroristic Resources Help Submit a Crime Tip Contact Blog. detail from archive resources. City of Houston Police Department View Source Square with arrow pointing upper right. Follow this link to email the Cold Case Unit or. Houston police cold case detectives said trace DNA evidence entered into a national crime database led to Race Burdine, 42, a registered sex offender. "They want to see if there's anything that can be done using modern, scientific methods or just to have someone review it to see if something was missed by the original investigators," Kleczynski said. In 1991, the city of Houston recorded 701 homicides, in addition to over 12,000 aggravated assaults. Cases go cold for many reasons, but the fact remains that once a case goes cold, hope diminishes. Passion for law by attending the law Center at the University of Dallas, he the. With the Austin Police Department lived alone and was rarely home holly Marie holds a picture of herself as baby. Police Department, working with four other detectives suspects, and Lillie Kennedy, 33 and! To serve as a Police officer, Billy fulfilled his strong passion for law by attending the Center! 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