"They took away my life, my grandchildren, my dreams" I. A Life Interrupted Kristin O'Connell was twenty years old in the summer of 1985 — a college student from Burnsville,...
True Crime Podcasts at the Crossroads of Ethics, Investigation, and Advocacy
Based on: Gamache, K., Rice, K., Allen, A., & Pontbriand, W. (2026). The impact of true crime podcasts on cold case investigations and victims' advocacy. Journal of...
Empowering Families Left Behind: Why Cold Case Advocacy Is More Urgent Than Ever
In the United States, over 250,000 homicide cases remain unsolved - each one representing a shattered family, a silenced voice, and a justice system that stopped short. These...
The Homicide Victims’ Families’ Rights Act: A Turning Point in the Fight for Cold Case Justice
Over 30 years ago, a quadruple homicide claimed the lives of four teenage girls in Austin, Texas and today the case remains unsolved. The Homicide Victims’ Families’ Rights Act...
The Power and Perils of Citizen Detectives in Solving Cold Cases
The Rise of the Modern Sleuth A cold case once meant finality—trails gone cold, evidence forgotten, and justice denied. But in recent years, the emergence of citizen detectives...
Why Cold Cases Need New DNA Technology, and How You Can Help
For decades, thousands of families across the United States have lived with the same haunting question: what happened to my loved one? Cold cases, unsolved homicides, sexual...
How to Write an Advocacy Letter That Gets a Lawmaker’s Attention (Updated for 2025)
When justice stalls, your voice can be one of the most powerful tools to push for action. Writing a well-crafted, emotionally compelling advocacy letter to a lawmaker, district...
8 Devastating Consequences of Unsolved Homicides on Victims’ Families (Updated for 2026)
Losing a loved one to violence is a traumatic experience, but when the case remains unsolved, the ripple effects can be even more devastating. The families of homicide victims...
Top 5 Reasons Cold Case Families Lose Faith in Law Enforcement
Understanding The Emotional and Systemic Struggles of Families with Cold Case Victims Families of cold case homicide victims are burdened not only by loss but by the heavy weight...