AUSTIN – The Texas Attorney General’s Cold Case and Missing Persons Unit is hosting a free seminar for law enforcement agencies across the state titled “Investigating Cold Cases in 2022: DNA, Genealogy, Cell Phone Location Analytics, and Other Resources” on October 5 and 6.
The program is designed to help law enforcement agencies to utilize every resource at their disposal to bring long-awaited justice to Texas families who have suffered unspeakable tragedies at the hands of violent criminals.
The
free seminar will bring together leading experts from around the
country in the fields of forensic investigative genetic genealogy, DNA testing, government and private human identification database searches, digital technology, and other resources for working unsolved homicide and missing persons cases. The seminar is expected to have over 170 attendees representing agencies from around the state.
The
presentations will provide a wealth of information to homicide
investigators, prosecutors, crime scene specialists, DNA technical
leaders, lab analysts, and support staff of all experience levels. The
speakers will cover new technology and trends in
forensic science and provide a basic review of investigative tools and
resources that are readily available to law enforcement agencies, as well as blueprints for implementing them.
Established in 2021 by Attorney General Paxton, the Cold Case and Missing Persons Unit supports
law enforcement agencies across the state by providing resources
including funding for forensic testing, investigatory assistance, free
statewide trainings such as the one being hosted this week, and the creation of a Retired Homicide Investigators Task Force for cold case reviews.
