MN BCA Solving Cold Cases with DNA

The BCA Cold Case Unit was formed in 1991 to assist our criminal justice partners in the investigation of cold case homicide and missing and unidentified person investigations. The level of funding for this unit has fluctuated with the various budgetary considerations and restraints that impact all state government. The BCA has experienced a 19% reduction in the number of special agents bureau-wide from a 2006 number of 69 agents to our current staffing level of 56 agents. In the past two years, the unit has been forced to reassign all full-time personnel assigned to this unit and is currently staffed part-time by agents and analysts assigned to reactionary violent crime investigations. The Cold Case Unit has thirty active cold case investigations, not including the numerous cases that await review. We also have roughly 50 additional cases that are inactive cold case investigations. Unfortunately, due to the current lack of resources, the Cold Case Unit is unable to fully pursue all cold case investigations. Through a recent examination of BCA records, the cold case unit has identified approximately 275 cold violent death investigations that have been identified for review, with approximately 80 of these cases assigned to various special agents throughout the state of Minnesota. Many other cases are not presently assigned to BCA personnel. This funding would allow for assignment, review, classification, and identification of cases for DNA analysis and further investigation. The funding will also allow for necessary DNA testing of cases identified during the review process. ca/ncf