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Category: Forensics
Clay 3D rendering of Jane Doe
October 24, 2025

3D facial reconstruction of Jane Doe may help solve cold case

Using clay, artistry and time-honored techniques, a forensic artist—in partnership with the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO)—produced this likeness of a woman murdered in 1973. The case was featured in the premiere episode of the agency’s video series Detective Desk – LCSO Cold Cases which you can view on Instagram or Facebook.

→ In addition to the 3D rendering, LCSO has additional images at their website of what Jane Doe may have looked like. (The photo is used with permission from the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office.)

..........................
When: May, 1973
Who: Unidentified female, age: late 20s - early 30s
Where: Found deceased by farmhands in Lincoln, Virginia
What: Gunshots
Features: 5' 7" tall, black hair, 145 lbs., wore purple & red nail polish and a ring with a blue stone 
Family: Potential surnames: Booker, Shepherd, and Loving

Furry cat reclining
October 1, 2025

Cat-ching criminals with DNA from pet hairs

Along with writing “cat-chy” headlines, the University of Leicester (U.K.) has developed a new technique to extract DNA from pet hair. In a 2023 study published in Forensic Science International: Genetics, researchers concluded: “Through these means it is now possible to discriminate between individual cats to a much greater degree when considering cat hairs or other degraded DNA sources as evidential material.”

→ Get article and link to study at University of Leicester (U.K.)

Ferris wheel under cloudy sky
October 1, 2025

Mystery solved after 50 years: FCPD identifies victim in 1970s cold case

In August, Fairfax County Police Department (Va.) gave an update on the 1972 case of Carl Matthew Bryant, a four-year old found deceased in a creek underneath a bridge.

But a mystery remains. What happened to his infant brother, James?

→ See FCPD’s press release and press conference video.

Colorful word cloud of genealogy terms
October 1, 2025

Bridging disciplines to form a new one: The emergence of forensic genetic genealogy

In the journal, Genes, a University of New Haven professor discusses this relatively new tool in cold case investigations.

→ Download paper (for free) at the National Library of Medicine.

Single mushroom atop ground cover of grass and old leaves
September 26, 2025

How I use nature to solve murders & catch serial killers

A little bent twig, or a footprint in the grass, or disturbed leaves means something to me … Tiny little things that people don’t notice. –Patricia Wiltshire

Minutes With hosts U.K. professor Patricia Wiltshire and takes you on a journey from her childhood love of nature to work as a botanist. Learn how a policeman’s curiosity during a murder case led him to Wiltshire and eventually put her on the path of forensic ecology. Since then, Wiltshire has used her skills on hundreds of criminal cases for both prosecution and defense teams.

→ View wideo at YouTube (LADBible Stories channel) ~28 minutes

Gavel on a table
September 26, 2025

Advanced DNA analysis leads to conviction of identical twin in Woodbridge rape from 1987

Advances in DNA testing helped jurors convict a Florida man in this unique and complicated cold case from Prince William County (Va.) where the suspect turned out to be an identical twin.
→ Read story at WUSA9-TV.

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Cold Cases, Etcetera  shares selected news from local  national–and some international media about cold cases, forensics, research tools and more. Subscribe for free to be alerted of the latest posts.


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