33 Cases: Cold Case Initiative


November 20, 2009

The FBI has a Cold Case Initiative underway. Agents are investigating racially-charged murder cases that happened some 30 to 40 years ago. And now the hunt is on for relatives of victims.


Audio Transcript

Mr. Schiff: The FBI has a Cold Case Initiative underway. Agents are investigating racially-charged murder cases that happened some 30 to 40 years ago. And now the hunt is on for relatives of victims.

Ms. Deitle: “While in the majority of our cases we do understand what happened, it’s been very difficult for us to find the families of these victims.”

Mr. Schiff: That’s Cynthia Deitle, Chief of the FBI’s Civil Rights Unit .

Ms. Deitle: “I think it’s incredibly important that we try to not only see if there are any perpetrators or subjects that we can arrest and prosecute, but also that we can provide closure to the family and let them know what happened to their loved one.”

Mr. Schiff: Deitle says agents are going back to neighborhoods where the murders occurred or victims lived or worked.

Ms. Deitle: “We’ve had a lot of success actually going to barber shops and schools, beauty salons, any establishment that existed at the time of the crime.”

Mr. Schiff: Check out the names at www.fbi.gov and give the FBI a call if you can help out. I’m Neal Schiff of the Bureau, and that’s what’s happening at the “FBI, This Week.”

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