CMPD Solving Cold Cases with DNA

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) seeks funding through the NIJ for its Homicide Cold Case Unit and Sexual Assault Cold Case Unit to continue to actively investigate more unsolved homicide, sexual assault, and rape cases involving possible DNA evidence. CMPD currently has more than 550 inactive, unsolved homicides and over 1,500 unsolved sexual assault cases. Each year the CMPD adds approximately 100 new cases to the total number of unsolved violent cold cases.
The goals for this 2011 proposal include reviewing 600 violent crime cold cases and identifying 300 violent crime cold cases with the existence of biological evidence. Funding would allow for the performance of DNA analysis on 150 violent cold cases likely resulting in 120 cold cases yielding DNA profiles. We will enter 90 DNA profiles into CODIS and expect 72 (80 %) CODIS hits. Unique to the 2011 application, is the funding request to hire retired Mecklenburg County Assistant District Attorney Barry Cook and a DNA Analyst dedicated to performing analyses on the biological evidence identified by the retired detectives. ca/ncf