Can you help state’s Cold Case Unit?
On Sunday nights, during my childhood, I watched the crime drama “Cold Case” on CBS with my parents. I was captivated by the dedication and determination of the show’s “detectives” to solve decades old cases.
Years later, my interest in cold cases was renewed when I stumbled upon the HBO Documentary, “I’ll Be Gone in the Dark.” What intrigued me the most about the documentary was the network of everyday citizens that collaborated with the police to solve the decades-old cold case. I could not help but wonder, if citizens within the Connecticut community corroborated with the police, how many cases would turn from cold to piping hot?
Connecticut is particularly dedicated to solving cold cases. In 1998, the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney established the Cold Case Unit. The intention of the unit was to focus on solving crimes that have gone unsolved for a prolonged period. The unit is currently investigating many of the 250 open cold cases that are predominantly from the Hartford area.
One afternoon, I had the pleasure to speak with Supervisory Inspector Michael Sheldon, who leads the Connecticut Cold Case Unit. From my conversation with him, it became apparent to me that Sheldon and his unit view each as case more than just a box of evidence contents; they care about and remember the person who was lost and who and what they left behind.
A case becomes cold when there is no new information or no witnesses. Evidence that is gathered at the scene of the crime and brought to laboratories for inspection can only tell law enforcement so much. That is why the police rely so heavily on citizens to come forward with information. The singular belief surrounding these cold cases is that someone out there knows something. Even a small clue can solve a big mystery. After all, Son of Sam was caught because of a parking ticket he received the night of his last murder.
The Unit is constantly reminded of the very real people who are behind those cold case files. As they routinely listen to the cries of agony from a parent whose hunger for justice drips from every word. Those cries are why Connecticut’s dedicated law enforcement, as Sheldon so eloquently explained, “leave no stone unturned in their determination to solve these cases.” Those cries further lead Sheldon to ask that, “anyone who knows anything about these cases, the unit would love to hear from you or meet with you or would be happy to take the information anonymously.”
If you go on the Cold Case Unit website, the faces of some of Connecticut’s Cold Case victims will greet you. We owe our fellow neighbors, such as Iroquois Alston, Barbara Hamburg, Luis Gonzalez, and Rackita Smalls, to come forward with information that can solve their case. For anyone who is hesitant to do so, ask yourself, What if it was your picture on the Cold Case Unit website?
Anyone who wishes to leave an anonymous tip with the Cold Case Unit can contact them at: E-Mail at: Cold.Case@ct.gov Mail At: Post Office Box 962, Rocky Hill, CT 06067
Toll Free Automated Tip Line: 1-866-623-8058.