The FAQ page answers most questions about the website and me. You can always use the contact page to email me.
Are you a police officer? A private investigator? An investigative journalist?
No. I do not actively investigate cases. I leave that to the professionals. I am a writer with a background in law and human rights. I am an associate member of the American Bar Association (ABA), and a member of the American Society of Criminology (ASC).
Can you reopen a cold case?
No, only the authorities can do that.
Is Defrosting Cold Cases an organization?
No, it is just me.
I love your work. Can I quote it, copy it, use it?
Fair use is encouraged but if you use my work please mention that you found the information on my website. Use as credit: Defrosting Cold Cases, add the link, and use as author: Alice de Sturler. I do the same for you.
As you can see at the bottom of all pages, all rights are reserved. Remember that if you use my photographs (especially the collages or grids) to include the credits as well. We regularly check the web using Copyscape and we will call you out on ‘unfair’ use.
Note that if you read out loud my entire case analysis or database summaries online, you are still violating copyright laws. If you ever see a podcast or vlog claiming to be from me, or anything else with a camera or a microphone, using my website’s name ‘Defrosting Cold Cases’ or my name, you know that you are dealing with fraud. Conferences that I attend are of course, an exception. Should I ever start anything with a cam or mike, I will let you know. That chance however, is near zero.
Do I need to pay to use the database?
Never.
Do you review books?
Yes, I review select works of true crime, forensics, select crime fiction, and historical fiction or mysteries. The stories have to fit my website’s theme and research though. Book reviews are posted here on my website first. After that, I share my book reviews online.
I cannot meet deadlines due to my workload. If you want me to review your book, contact me. I reserve the right to not review a book. I prefer to receive a book in paper form or printed PDFs so my eyes get less screen time. Sorry, no eBooks.
How do I comment on posts?
I encourage my readers to share their thoughts on their own social media platforms or websites. By discussing a cold case on your own social media accounts with your network, you enhance the victim’s digital footprint. If we all keep that up maybe one day a victim’s story pops up in news feeds from people who can help advance the case. And that is the goal.
If I send you a message on the Contact Page, does it get posted on your website?
No, messages sent via the contact page land in my email inbox and are for my eyes only.
Can anyone guest blog on your website?
No. My guest bloggers are people I know such as professionals, victim family members, their friends etc. and they have communicated extensively with me. Note that I do not publish repeated content, be unique.
Can I buy ad space on your website?
No.
Do you respect my privacy?
YES, no email address is ever shared unless you ask me to do so. There are no ads here, I don’t sell anything, and you cannot purchase anything from someone else here either.
Why is there a picture of a military fort on your website?
This picture in the left margin was used as header in previous website themes so for continuation, I now use it in the mission statement (upper left hand corner of this website’s theme).
Dinaburg Fort is located in Latvia, Europe. It is the biggest fort in the Baltic States. I chose this photograph as my header because it represents how I feel about unsolved homicides.
Arches are a familiar feature in old prisons. In this photograph, you see moss everywhere. To me that indicates the cold, moist areas where unsolved crime files are stored often in a dismal state with little done to properly preserve the evidence. The arch you see in the picture opens into another area that holds the same dreadful features but one thing is different: the other area has two windows. These windows are like eyes and they let me look into a different direction. I can look out but also review the case by looking in from the other side, change the angle, change the starting point, etc.
Passing the arch symbolizes that the cold cases stored there for decades were taken up by different people but still without results. However, there is hope that one day we just might find that piece of information that allows us to see the case with “new eyes” as represented by those two small windows.
A cold case is a puzzle. However, if after decades the puzzle pieces still do not fit together then maybe it is time to think outside the box. Maybe the bits of information we had were never meant to be placed together in that order. Maybe we started the puzzle with the wrong pieces. And that is what this website does. I look at the puzzle and try to find alternative explanations for the facts in hopes to regroup the puzzle pieces to get a clearer picture.
Who is your webmaster?
Jacques Soudan has been responsible for the technical aspects of my website since 2009. I highly recommend him.