COLD, BUT NOT CLOSED

The unit within the Montreal police force that handles cold cases has three lieutenants overseeing eight detectives each. Between 1990 and 2017, there were 1,265 homicides in the area covered by the force — 838 have been solved, 427 remain unsolved.

Vincent Rozon, head of the SPVM’s major crimes unit at the time of the interview, says the force usually considers a case cold after two years.

“With some cases, unfortunately, we do the investigation and at some point, we hit a dead end,” Rozon said. “Cases are never closed, but when we’ve done everything we can, we need to wait for new information to help us reopen the case.”

Rozon said he understands that can be challenging for families, but the force doesn’t have the time or resources to reach out to each family on a consistent basis. A detective will only communicate with a family when new information surfaces, he said.

In 2017, the SPVM started reviewing every one of its cold cases, Rozon said, a process that continues to this day. Of the 427 unsolved homicides, there are several in which the force suspects it knows who the culprit is, but doesn’t have the evidence to prove it.

“And that’s frustrating for everyone — the detectives and the families.”