Cold case sexual assaults and sexually related homicides (SRHs) represent a significant and growing challenge for law enforcement. U.S. estimates of unresolved homicides range from approximately 250,000 to 350,000, with many involving forensic evidence that has never been fully leveraged.¹ In Texas, the absence of a centralized cold case repository made quantifying the scope of unresolved sexual assaults and SRHs difficult until the Texas Ranger Division (TRD) of the Texas Department of Public Safety, in partnership with the state crime laboratory, systematically queried the laboratory information management system (LIMS) under a National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) Purpose Area 4 grant.²

The TRD developed and refined a practical, replicable framework that combines forensic, investigative, and intelligence-driven strategies to systematically resolve cold case sexual assaults and SRHs. The approach includes (1) querying lab data to identify cases with single-source forensic DNA profiles in the FBI Combined DNA Index System (CODIS); (2) prioritizing serial sexual offenders (SSOs) and SRHs; (3) systematic file reexamination; (4) a progressive forensic testing ladder aligned with U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) guidelines; (5) multiagency collaboration with dedicated coordination; and (6) intelligence fusion when persons of interest (POIs) emerge.

TRD’s effort produced dozens of leads, multiple arrests and indictments, and solved cases through CODIS familial searching and forensic genetic genealogy (FGG)—all while maintaining strict compliance and victim-centered practices. Police executives can adapt this model to reduce their own cold case backlogs, enhance public safety, and deliver justice to victims and survivors.

In order to access the rest of the article, sign in with your IACP or Subscriber credentials.