There are more than 250,000 unsolved murders and disappearances in the United States, and amateur investigators want to help. But how can they navigate the techniques and risks when they are not members of law enforcement? The Cold Case Coalition has been grappling with this question for nearly a decade, consistently proving that civilians can play an important role in tackling the cold case crisis. With too many open cases and not enough law enforcement resources, ordinary citizens can be instrumental to solving the unsolved. This book explains how to use resources available to the general public (court records, archives, criminal histories, and many others) and highlights the steps necessary for amateur investigators to help solve cold cases. Each chapter features stories of successes and lessons learned from members of the Cold Case Coalition, providing an honest and in-depth overview of the many obstacles and processes involved in cold case investigations. This book can aid loved ones seeking answers, true crime researchers, podcasters, ex-law enforcement and other non-law enforcement readers
Format: Paperback / softback
CONTRIBUTORS: Karra Porter
EAN: 9781476659893
COUNTRY: United States
PAGES: 160
WEIGHT:
HEIGHT: 229 mm
PUBLISHED BY: McFarland & Co Inc
DATE PUBLISHED: 2026-12-17
CITY:
GENRE: SOCIAL SCIENCE / Criminology, TRUE CRIME / General
WIDTH: 152 mm
SPINE:
Book Themes:
True crime, Crime and criminology
Karra Porter is the president of Christensen & Jensen, P.C., in Salt Lake City, specializing in civil rights and business law. She cofounded the Cold Case Coalition and its forensic DNA laboratory Intermountain Forensics. She was the 2018 Utah Lawyer of the Year.