Tennessee's Cold Case Resolution 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 grant funds to to implement a project utilizing innovative strategies to prioritize identification and selection, and to seek resolution of cold cases based on the potential to solve and/or prosecute cases where DNA from a known or unknown suspect has been identified. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Tennessee District Attorney General Conference will build and sustain the state’s capacity to give resolution to families and communities impacted by the growing volume of unresolved violent crimes in Tennessee.

CA/NCF