cold case
Shelved murder mystery
A cold case is an unsolved crime—usually a homicide—that has gone dormant after initial investigation failed to produce leads or arrests.
Police departments maintain cold case files and occasionally revisit them when new evidence emerges or forensic technology advances: DNA testing has helped solve cold cases decades old.
The term appears in countless crime dramas and true-crime podcasts.
Professional crime investigator
- investigatorOne who examines evidence
- reopenMake accessible again
- reinvestigateExamine a matter anew
- reexamineInspect once more
probe · inquiry · review · reassess · interview · interrogate · canvass · tip line
Causing another's death
- disappearanceAct of going missing
- murderDeliberate unlawful killing
- abductionUnlawful seizure of person
- missing personUnlocated person sought by authorities
victim · Jane Doe · John Doe · unidentified · unexplained · uncaught · elusive · undetected
Hereditary code molecule
- fingerprintsRidge patterns identifying individuals
- autopsyMedical examination after death
- toxicologyScience of poisons
- ballisticsProjectile motion science
pathology · coroner · blood spatter · trace evidence · luminol · fibers · hair analysis · dental records
Sense of emotional resolution
- verdictOfficial court decision
- convictionFirmly held belief
- acquittalFormal clearing of charges
- retributionPunishment for wrongdoing
sentencing · guilt · innocence · redress · accountability · resolution · healing · next of kin
Not currently functioning
- stagnantWithout movement or progress
- neglectedNot given proper attention
- shelvedDeferred or stored away
- abandonedLeft behind completely
forgotten · mothballed · suspended · languishing · unattended · backlogged · gathering dust · on hold
Organized for retrieval
- recordsStored data or albums
- documentsFormal written records
- evidence lockerSecured storage for case items
- storageSpace for keeping goods
repository · database · index · dossier · logbook · transcripts · inventory · microfilm
detective
Professional crime investigator
- investigatorOne who examines evidence
- reopenMake accessible again
- reinvestigateExamine a matter anew
reexamine · probe · inquiry · review · reassess · interview · interrogate · canvass · tip line · task force
homicide
Causing another's death
- disappearanceAct of going missing
- murderDeliberate unlawful killing
- abductionUnlawful seizure of person
missing person · victim · Jane Doe · John Doe · unidentified · unexplained · uncaught · elusive · undetected · unproven
DNA
Hereditary code molecule
- fingerprintsRidge patterns identifying individuals
- autopsyMedical examination after death
- toxicologyScience of poisons
ballistics · pathology · coroner · blood spatter · trace evidence · luminol · fibers · hair analysis · dental records · skeletal remains
closure
Sense of emotional resolution
- verdictOfficial court decision
- convictionFirmly held belief
- acquittalFormal clearing of charges
retribution · sentencing · guilt · innocence · redress · accountability · resolution · healing · next of kin · advocacy
inactive
Not currently functioning
- stagnantWithout movement or progress
- neglectedNot given proper attention
- shelvedDeferred or stored away
abandoned · forgotten · mothballed · suspended · languishing · unattended · backlogged · gathering dust · on hold · untouched
filed
Organized for retrieval
- recordsStored data or albums
- documentsFormal written records
- evidence lockerSecured storage for case items
storage · repository · database · index · dossier · logbook · transcripts · inventory · microfilm · dusty
- FBIFBI, agent, special agent, bureau, FBI Academy
- Criminal Casesweapons charge, wrongful death, white collar crime, murder trial, mistrial
- crime investigationdetective, whodunit, investigation, detectives, investigator
- Criminal Investigationdetective, crime scene, crime investigation, forensics, investigator
- mysteryclue, detective, suspect, clues, sleuth
- mystery fictionwhodunit, whodunnit, sleuth, murder mystery, detective novel