Prosecuting Cold Cases Using DNA Project

The Prosecuting Cold Cases Using DNA program provides funds to support the prosecution of violent crime cold cases, where DNA from a suspect has been identified (suspect(s) may be known or unknown). Provided that DNA attributed to a known or unknown suspect has been identified, funding support includes investigative activities and crime and forensic analyses that could lead to prosecuting violent crime cold cases, and decreasing the number of violent crime cold cases awaiting prosecution.

The primary objectives are: 1) Prosecution of cold cases involving violent crime where suspects have been identified through DNA evidence; and 2) Decreasing the number of cold case violent crimes where suspect DNA has been identified. The following activities are permissible as secondary objectives. All secondary objective activities must directly relate to cases where suspect DNA has been identified which include: 1) Increasing the capacity for state and local prosecution offices to address cold cases involving violent crime; and 2) Identifying, locating, collecting, processing, and analyzing evidence, including non-DNA evidence, to assist prosecutors with the litigation of violent crime cold cases where suspect DNA has been identified.

The recipient will utilize funds to prosecute the individuals who committed murder in the city of Detroit between 2015 and 2017. Its purpose is to encourage faith in the criminal justice system, advance overall community safety, and make the homicide cold case collaborative a permanent part of operations. The project will follow two tracks. Under the first track, project partners will leverage the resources available with an Advanced DNA Testing for Other Violent Cold Cases (OVCC) award. By funding the testing of DNA evidence associated with homicide cold cases, OVCC’s multidisciplinary workgroup and detective manpower will supplement the paid overtime allocated in the associated budget. The second track will focus on prosecuting cold cases developed from returned warrants where DNA from a suspect has been identified beginning with warrants brought to the prosecutor’s office by DPD between January 2015 and December 2017.

CA/NCF