The Cold Case/Shooting Task Force Bureau is responsible for the investigation and prosecution of violent crime. The Bureau includes our Shooting Task Forces and Cold Case Units, which investigate and wherever possible prosecute serious crimes that have gone "cold," or unsolved for a long period of time. The cases assigned to this Unit typically include unsolved murders, some of which took place decades ago. The Unit works closely with the Connecticut State Police, municipal police departments, and nationally recognized forensics experts, utilizing the latest technology to solve these crimes.
The Cold Case Unit was established in the Office of the Chief State's Attorney in May of 1998 to focus special investigative efforts on crimes that have gone "cold," that is, unsolved for a prolonged period of time. Since the inception of the original unit, cold case investigations have resulted in arrests and convictions in approximately four dozen previously unsolved homicides. Additionally, Cold Case investigators have been involved in investigations that resulted in the Federal court convictions of several homicide cases.
Cold Case Units bring together experienced prosecutors and investigators from the Division of Criminal Justice (Office of the Chief State's Attorney and State's Attorneys) to work closely with the Connecticut State Police and municipal police departments. These investigators start from scratch, reviewing all evidence and taking a fresh look at the crime. This work relies upon the latest investigative techniques and the newest technology, including highly sophisticated DNA analysis. Many of these techniques were not available when the crimes occurred and the original investigations were undertaken.
The Cold Case Unit in the Office of the Chief State's Attorney currently includes Inspectors from the Division of Criminal Justice and Hartford Police detectives. At various times, the unit has also included investigators from the State of Connecticut Department of Correction, the Greenwich Police Department, Norwalk Police Department, East Hampton Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The various State's Attorneys also facilitate cold case task forces working in collaboration with police departments in the Judicial District.
The Cold Case approach is not unique to Connecticut. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and many other state and local jurisdictions also have Cold Case Units or Squads.
Contact Information
Follow this link to e-mail the Cold Case Unit
(Statewide)Toll-Free Tip Line
1-866-623-8058
Hartford Area Tip Line 860-548-0606
Statewide by U.S. Mail: Cold Case Unit P.O. Box 962 Rocky Hill, CT 06067
Connecticut DCJ Cold Case Unit Facebook Page
The Division of Criminal Justice established the Connecticut DCJ Cold Case Unit Facebook Page in an effort to generate new leads in cases that have gone "cold" or unsolved for a prolonged period of time by reaching out to a wider audience using social media. Posts on the Connecticut DCJ Cold Case Unit Facebook page include cases already featured in the Connecticut Cold Case playing cards. The Connecticut DCJ Cold Case Unit Facebook page also will include posts about updates on the hundreds of cold cases in Connecticut and will highlight media coverage of the unsolved cases. Featured on the Connecticut DCJ Cold Case Unit’s Facebook page is a personalized challenge coin that shows the Division’s seal and picture of a lion with the words, “The wicked flee when no man pursueth, but the righteous are bold as a lion.” Surrounding the lion, the coin reads: “Cold Case Unit. We Never Forget.”