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Defrosting Cold Cases

Research website by Alice de Sturler

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Bennett Family

Ewing plead not guilty

November 18, 2020 By Alice

On Nov 16, 2020 Alexander Christopher Ewing plead not guilty during his arraignment on Monday. That arraignment had been postponed several times due to Covid19. Ewing is as my readers know, the accused in two cases: the Bennett Family murders and the murder of Patricia Smith. The link between the cases is of course, DNA. […]

Filed Under: Cold Case News Tagged With: Alexander Christopher Ewing, Bennett Family, Colorado, DNA, Patricia Louise Smith

Update Alexander Christopher Ewing

July 29, 2020 By Alice

Alexander Christopher Ewing

On July 28, 2020 18th Judicial District Judge Michelle Amico ruled that there is enough evidence to proceed with the trial against Alexander Christopher Ewing. He is held without bond. His next court date for the Aurora charges in the Bennett Family murders is scheduled for Aug. 27, 2020. There is no news yet about […]

Filed Under: Cold Case News Tagged With: Alexander Christopher Ewing, Bennett Family, Colorado, Patricia Louise Smith

Break in 1984 Colorado Hammer Murders

August 10, 2018 By Alice

Alexander Christopher Ewing

Alexander Christopher Ewing (57) is accused of using a hammer to kill Bruce, Debra, and Melissa Bennett  and Patricia Smith. He faces charges for six counts of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, two counts of sexual assault on a child, burglary and five counts of committing a violent crime for the January 1984 killings of Bruce […]

Filed Under: Forensics, Unsolved Tagged With: 1984 Colorado Hammer Murders, Bennett Family, Colorado, DNA, Patricia Louise Smith, phenotyping

Phenotyping and Cold Cases

January 23, 2017 By Alice

Parabon_Snapshot_Workflow_Diagram

A few weeks ago, I received an email from Tom Shaw. He is an IAI Certified Forensic Artist & Snapshot Account Specialist at Parabon NanoLabs in Reston, Virginia. We started talking about phenotyping and how that could advance the investigations in cold cases. There are cases that grow cold because there is no DNA match […]

Filed Under: Forensics Tagged With: Bennett Family, French Murders, Jennifer Marie Bastian, Michella Welch, Patricia Louise Smith, phenotyping

Update Bennett Family-Patricia Smith

September 18, 2010 By Alice

Patricia Louise Smith

More details are popping up in the news about the night that the Bennett Family was murdered. Bruce Bennett apparently repeatedly climbed the staircase of his home in the early morning hours of Jan. 16, 1984, desperately fighting a man who sneaked into his home with a knife and hammer to attack him, his wife, […]

Filed Under: Unsolved Tagged With: Bennett Family, Colorado, DNA, Finger Printing, Forensics, Patricia Louise Smith, Rape kits

DNA ties Patricia Smith to the Bennetts

September 14, 2010 By Alice

Patricia Louise Smith

Six days before the Bennett Family was butchered and bludgeoned in their own home, Patricia Smith was killed by the same person, authorities will reveal at a news conference later today. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation recently tied the two 1984 cases together through a DNA match, said Steve Davis, spokesman for the Lakewood Police Department. The […]

Filed Under: Unsolved Tagged With: Autopsy, Bennett Family, Colorado, DNA, Forensics, Patricia Louise Smith, Unsolved Homicide

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Author Notes

On this website, I write about old, unsolved cases. Most are from the pre-DNA era and are in need of renewed media attention. I only do research and leave the active investigation of these cases to the professionals.

My posts are about homicides, missing and unidentified people, wrongful convictions, and forensics as related to these cases.

On book reviews: I only review select works of true crime, crime fiction, and historical fiction/mysteries. The stories have to fit my website's theme and research. It remains my prerogative to not review a book.

My database has over 325 cases listed by the victim’s last name. You will find a brief description there as well. The database will always be free to the public to use. You cannot buy ad space on my website, ever.

All writing suggestions that come in by email are added to my to-do list in the order in which they were received. Please be patient. My to-do list is very long but no case gets dropped and I will get back in touch.

Defrosting Cold Cases is NOT an organization. It is my brainchild.

If you have any questions about my website please check the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page, the about page, and the tabs in both menu bars. If you still cannot find the answer there, please contact me.

Thank you,

Alice de Sturler

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If you use my work, please add a link back. Let your readers know where you found your information. I do the same for you. Thank you!

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William Thomas Zeigler

Category: ALL POSTS

On March 31, 2016, an evidentiary hearing was held to request touch DNA testing. On July 18, 2016, Judge Whitehead denied that request.

On November 23, 2016, an appeal was filed with the Florida Supreme Court. On April 21, 2017, the Florida Supreme Court denied the request for touch DNA analysis.

On May 8, 2017 a motion for a rehearing with the US Supreme Court was filed. It was denied November 13, 2017.

In the summer of 2019, the appeal for DNA testing to the Florida Conviction Integrity Unit was denied.

Richard Lapointe

Category: ALL POSTS

In March 2015, the Connecticut State Supreme Court ordered a new trial for Richard lapointe. On Oct 2, 2015, International Wrongful Conviction Day, Richard was set free. The judge ruled that he cannot be retried for the 1987 rape-murder of Mrs. Bernice Martin. Richard Lapointe died on Aug 4, 2020 of Covid19 complications.

In 1987, someone killed Bernice Martin. I hope that she will not become a forgotten file.
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Copyright: Please add a link back if you use my work. Let your readers know where you found your information. I do the same for you. If you need help with this, just contact me. Thank you, Alice de Sturler

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