TULSA, Okla. — Seeking answers and justice for victims and their families.
That is the mission of the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation Cold Case Unit.
Law enforcement agencies across Oklahoma have a crucial resource in the OSBI.
WATCH: OSBI uses latest technology to solve cold cases
Most cases that OSBI handles come through requests from local law enforcement, emphasizing their collaboration in solving crimes across the state.
One of the team’s key initiatives is the Cold Case Unit, established in 2018.
Their job is to review and investigate unresolved cases that have been overlooked for to long.
2 News recently spoke with OSBI agent, Dale Fine to learn more about how the unit operates and its role in helping smaller jurisdictions provide answers to grieving families.
“We work very closely with our forensic science center and when we review and analyze these types of cases, we are going to utilize the latest technology and investigative techniques and forensic laboratory techniques,” said Fine.
Fine noted that DNA technology is a critical tool for them.
When leads dry up, the team meets to reassess cases and see if any recent advances in technology could help.
2 News asked him about the biggest challenges they face when chasing new leads.
“Some of the challenges that you run into with cold cases are you look at the evidence challenges. Sometimes over the years, evidence can deteriorate. Sometimes that evidence can potentially be kind of lost or contaminated and additionally, if you’ve got interviews that you’ve taken of cold cases, sometimes those people will move away you know and you have to try and find that person,” said Fine.
He emphasized that analytics play a significant role in their investigations.
“When you start looking at analytics you can add those to those types of cold cases and help generate timelines, mapping, and of course we understand the digital evidence, cellphones, computers, and just simply the advancement in those technologies to,” said Fine.
For families looking for information, the OSBI website is a helpful resource.
It features a list of cold case files and offers ways to contact investigators if anyone has tips or information to share.
https://oklahoma.gov/osbi.html
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