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Cold cases

Just Identifying Gacy’s Victims, Part 2

December 2022

In episode two of our Case Studies Part 2: mini season Just Science sat down with Jason Moran, commander of police at the Cook County Sheriff's Office, to discuss how he and his colleagues set out to identify the remaining victims of John Wayne Gacy, decades after their bodies were found. Technological limitations can sometimes make it very challenging to identify decomposed human remains. In the case of serial killer John Wayne Gacy, eight of his 33 victims remained unidentified for more than 30 years.

Just Identifying Gacy’s Victims, Part 1

December 2022

In episode two of our Case Studies Part 2: mini season Just Science sat down with Jason Moran, commander of police at the Cook County Sheriff's Office, to discuss how he and his colleagues set out to identify the remaining victims of John Wayne Gacy, decades after their bodies were found. Technological limitations can sometimes make it very challenging to identify decomposed human remains. In the case of serial killer John Wayne Gacy, eight of his 33 victims remained unidentified for more than 30 years.

National Missing and Unidentified Persons System

Overview

What is NamUs?

Resolving missing and unidentified persons cases is especially complex. Information-sharing across agencies and jurisdictions can be fragmented, paired with limited investigative resources and a high volume of cases. In many instances, significant time has passed since the person went missing. Still, we have a societal responsibility to ensure dignified and lawful outcomes. Each resolution can also uncover links to multiple crimes—and...

Advancing Justice for the Missing and Unidentified Through Research - 2024 NIJ Research Conference

September 2024

Forensic science research is developing essential knowledge to fill in the holes in death investigations, creating new ways to identify challenging skeletal remains. These methods inform cause of death, time of death, and familial relationships to guide investigations, identify suspects, support prosecutions, and bring justice to families.

Closing Cases Using Gunshot Residue

May 2024

Not every crime scene will have definitive evidence, such as DNA, to link an individual to a crime. In those cases, law enforcement relies on other evidence to build the burden of proof. NIJ graduate research fellow Dr. Shelby Khandasammy developed a tool to analyze organic gunshot residue and distinguish between different firearms calibers and manufacturers. She joins Marie Garcia, office director for the Office of Criminal Justice Systems at NIJ, to talk about her work and experience as a research fellow. 

Cold Cases and Serial Killers, Part 1

September 2023

In April 2018, the Golden State Killer, Joseph DeAngelo was arrested. NIJ support helped lead to his arrest, and in the aftermath of the arrest, NIJ Social Science Analyst Eric Martin was among those tasked with finding other cases NIJ helped law enforcement solve. Eric joins the show to talk about some of those cases, and answer some broader questions about serial killers: What is a serial killer? Are they on the rise? How do we know how many serial killers are currently active?