Critical funding in solving cold-case murders runs out
Dozens of cold-case homicides, such as the brutal murder of Kala Peterson in 1995 near Woodlawn Park, were reopened and aggressively investigated, thanks to critical federal funding.
Now, the money to allow retired detectives to investigate these crimes has run out.
Thanks to a federal grant, the number of investigators in the Portland Police Bureau's cold case unit was boosted from five volunteers to eight paid full-time detectives, relieving the workload of investigators working current cases.
The grant boasted many solved cases over the years.
In the case of Peterson, retired detective George Young said he will never forget the horrific homicide of Peterson, who was killed seemingly for the jacket on her back.
The case went cold for 18 years.
But the retired detective, acting on a caller’s tip, worked the Northeast Portland homicide and identified a suspect. In 2010, the accused killer Shawntell Moses was found not guilty in the murder of Peterson. However, his cousin, Dana Rankins, is serving 25 years in connection to the killing.
Investigators say the federal grant made a huge impact: Between 2004 and 2007, 57 cold cases were reviewed – compared to the 187 reviewed between 2007 and 2011.
Roughly 300 of the countless homicides investigated by Portland police are unsolved.
Young said investigating the unsolved cases allows him provide a service to the community. He suspects some of the retired detectives will still work for free now that the funding is gone.
The retired detective said the memories compel him to keep hunting down leads.
“You remember innocent victims. You remember things that simply shouldn’t happen to people,” Young said.
 Is the Cold Case section of the Portland OR police detective division still in operation? My Mother was murdered in SE Portland on Sept. 25, 1980 late morning or early afternoon.  The case was never closed. There was only one person of interest in the case and that person is now deceased.  I contacted the detectives and cold case department every year finally stopping in 2010 (I think). If the Cold Case DEPT is closed what happens to cases still open. IS IT POSSIBLE that someone in or out of the Portland area has information that would help close this case. IS THERE A WAY I can get FACEBOOK FAMILY to think back that far and possibly remember something that would help. Even after all these years, I'm still looking for answers.
Police: Sell some of the needless military hardware
the Fed's GAVE you and you can pay for these dedicated
retired officers to again serve the public.
The stuff received from the feds cannot be sold, only given back. Sorry there!
If the retired investigators continue to review the unsolved cold cases working for free, there is still a cost involved in providing support services for those investigation to continue. There are lab costs, work-space costs, supervision costs, etc., not to mention vehicle cost and insurance. There is also a cost involved in keeping them certified as law enforcement officers. I applaud the efforts and conscientious devotion to unfinished or unresolved cases, but there are certain fiscal realities involved which need to be addressed by PPB.
At least we have bike boxes and free clean-up for the Alberta art hipsters.
"He suspects some of the retired detectives will still work for free now that the funding is gone. The retired detective said the memories compel him to keep hunting down leads."
Â
Much respect to the retired detectives who have to live with the painful memories...those who continue on their own time deserve all the support they can get. Aren't there a couple of miles of bike lanes that could forgo a new coat of paint in favor of catching a criminal?
We don't have money for stuff like this. Keep that money going to build bike paths and keeping people on welfare.
@2012 Hope and Change And the rusted crappy metal structures that look like a scrap heep. Oh I ment art around the city. Don't for get the art work
Â
I wonder how much their grant was? It's too bad but our country is going bankrupt, we gotta trim the pork here and there to make thing slim!
 @portlandborn83 Yes we do but it ain't gonna happen for 4 more years and maybe not even then if people have still not woke and and started paying attention to what the people the vote in actually stand for and do.
 @FreedomRocks  @portlandborn83 The problem isn't the President, it's Congress. It's Congress that decides how to spend the money and adds all that pork.
Â
But until people start really looking at their Members of Congress, their votes, etc., nothing will change. Congress has something like single digit approval numbers, yet everyone reelects them. It's because to them, "Congress" is the problem, but not their individual Members of Congress. Until that changes, I have a hard time seeing things getting better. A President can be the best President ever, but without a good Congress, there is only so much that the President can do.