The Iowa attorney general wants to start a cold case unit with the state Department of Justice and is seeking just over $500,000 in funding to begin working on the roughly 600 unsolved cold cases. There is.
Attorney General Brenna Byrd met with the state’s House Appropriations Subcommittee on Monday, including the Division of Criminal Justice, Division of Civil Litigation, Division of Government Counsel, Division of Consumer Protection, Division of Agriculture and Liberty, Division of Consumer Advocacy, and Division of Executive Branch. , and the Attorney General.
But there’s one thing missing in her department. That’s the cold case division.
Recent advances in DNA forensics have led many states across the country to invest resources into cold cases, unsolved murders that have been shelved for decades despite investigators exhausting every lead. and has begun working on mysterious death cases.
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Iowa Republican Attorney General Brenna Byrd wants funding to begin tackling the state’s backlog of cases. (AP Photo/Charlie Neighborgal)
“Iowa has 585 unsolved cold cases,” Byrd said during the hearing. “About 400 of them could be considered cold cases.”
During his presentation, Byrd showed a map of Iowa showing the number of cold cases in each region. The presentation also noted that every county in the state has at least one unsolved case.
“It’s important to always try to solve these cases because new evidence may come to light over time,” Byrd said. “While new science is available about DNA, witnesses who have passed time may also choose to come forward if they are no longer as afraid of those involved or if they have made changes to their lives. Maybe they want to take certain things they know off their conscience.”
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Advances in DNA technology have helped solve many cold cases. (Andrew Brooks, via Getty Images)
The state’s top prosecutor is asking for $523,464 and four full-time staff, including three investigators and a prosecutor.
Byrd said the case is difficult because of the passage of time, adding that he wants prosecutors to be involved from the beginning.
A spokesperson for Byrd’s office told FOX News Digital that the Justice Department has enough trouble filling law enforcement positions on the streets, let alone taking the time to reexamine cold cases. , said it has been unable to establish its own cold case unit. The creation of this division will reduce the burden on the shoulders of law enforcement agencies.
Once established, the team will work on cases it knows are close to being solved, the spokesperson said.
“With the help of law enforcement, we are working across the state to uncover clues, provide long-delayed answers to victims’ families, and ensure no one gets away with murder. “The spokesperson added.
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This isn’t the first time Iowa has focused on solving cold cases.
In 2008, the state Legislature passed the creation of a cold case unit as part of the Department of Public Safety, as reported by KGLO in Mason City, Iowa.
The state also began investigating the case about a decade ago, using a federal grant to hire a laboratory technician and several investigators.
