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Defrosting Cold Cases

Unsolved cases and book reviews

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You are here: Home / Archives for Forensics

Forensics

DNA shows Zeigler is innocent

January 19, 2025 By Alice

the Zeigler wedding

The latest DNA testing of all the evidence in the case of William Thomas Zeigler confirms what he said all along, he did not kill his wife, his parents-in-law, and he did not kill Charles Mays on Christmas Eve, 1975. The article in the Tampa Bay does an excellent job summarizing what happened. Plus, it […]

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Filed Under: Forensics, Zeigler Tagged With: death penalty, DNA, Florida, Forensics, William Thomas Zeigler

Detecting DNA

July 15, 2020 By Alice

DNA double helix

In the post I wrote about Gina Renee Hall, I mentioned that her sister Diane “was introduced to Dr. Arpad Vass, a forensic anthropologist who had invented an instrument to detect DNA buried beneath the surface. Since then, Gina’s remains have been discovered across eight locations throughout the New River Valley using that device.” Vass’ website states that […]

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Filed Under: Forensics Tagged With: DNA, Forensics, profiling

Robert Boulin: Second Investigating Judge appointed

February 23, 2019 By Alice

Robert Boulin

One Investigating Judge was already appointed to the case of Robert Boulin, who was Minister of labor under Valéry Giscard d’Estain. The request Boulin was found dead in 1979 under suspicious circumstances. Boulin’s daughter Fabienne has long pressed for a second investigating judge to be appointed to investigate her father’s death. The request for a […]

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Filed Under: Cold Case News, Unsolved Tagged With: Autopsy, DNA, drowning, Forensics, France, Robert Boulin, suicide

Keith Combs and Eugene Ellis

September 21, 2018 By Alice

Keith Combs and Eugene Ellis

WARNING: this post has crime scene and autopsy photography from both Keith Combs and Eugene Ellis. Introduction On the morning of Sept. 25, 1993, people riding off-the-road motorcycles found the bodies of Keith Edmond Combs (Aug 20, 1970 – Sept 25, 1993) and Eugene Clifford “Cliff” Ellis (June 21, 1973 – Sept 25, 1993). They […]

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Filed Under: Forensics Tagged With: Autopsy, Ballistics, California, Crime Scene, DNA, Eugene Ellis, Forensics, Keith Combs, Keith Combs and Eugene Ellis, Unsolved Homicide

Sum it Up! #55

December 15, 2017 By Alice

sum it up #cclivechat

Sum it Up! #55 covers a lot of ground. Here we go: Wrongful Convictions 1: Lamonte McIntyre After being wrongly imprisoned for a double-murder for the past 23 years, Lamonte McIntyre walked out of Wyandotte County Courthouse a free man! Lamonte McIntyre was wrongly convicted in 1994 of a double murder he never committed. His conviction […]

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Filed Under: Unsolved Tagged With: Forensics, Police Misconduct, Sum it Up!, Wrongful Convictions

Opening up the Valerie Percy files

September 8, 2016 By Alice

Valerie Percy and what could be the murder weapon

From the Chicago Tribune: Last “Wednesday, a Cook County judge ordered Kenilworth officials to hand over some of the paperwork so she can determine whether the voluminous case file should be allowed to remain under wraps as the murder mystery enters its sixth decade.” Authorities now have a seven-day deadline to explain why they fear […]

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Filed Under: Forensics, Unsolved Tagged With: Chicago, Forensics, Knife Attack, Valerie Percy

The Boulin case is reopened

September 13, 2015 By Alice

Robert Boulin

The Boulin case is reopened by the French prosecution and can have significant consequences for some politicians. The Telegraph reports that “the family’s lawyer, Marie Dosé, said new evidence had emerged indicating that Boulin, a decorated veteran of the French Resistance during the Second World War, was kidnapped on the night of his death at the […]

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Filed Under: Unsolved Tagged With: Autopsy, DNA, drowning, Forensics, France, Robert Boulin, suicide

Case of the Month: Jackie Johns

March 1, 2015 By Alice

Jackie Johns

Case of the Month: Jackie Johns (20) was last seen alive on June 17, 1985. The next day, her sports car was found abandoned. The backseat was covered in blood as were the clothing police found there (a top, jeans, and underwear all soaked in blood). On June 22, 1985, Jackie’s nude body was pulled from […]

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Filed Under: Case of the Month Tagged With: Autopsy, Case of the Month, Crime Scene, DNA, Evidence, Forensics, Jackie Johns, Missouri

Last chance: Robert Boulin

February 23, 2015 By Alice

Robert Boulin

Last chance: Robert Boulin was either murdered in 1979 or he committed suicide. We might be able to find out a little more soon. Thanks to one of my readers I got the link to this article from Les Inrocks. It is in French but you can use Google translate. One quote: “2015 will be a […]

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Filed Under: Unsolved Tagged With: Autopsy, DNA, drowning, Forensics, France, Robert Boulin, suicide

Case of the Month: the Zeigler wrongful conviction

November 30, 2014 By Alice

William Thomas Zeigler/Grid AdS

Case of the Month: the Zeigler wrongful conviction has been part of my life since 1993 when I started working for Amnesty International in Switzerland. I am appalled that the injustice endures. In December 1975, a quadruple murder took place in the Zeigler Furniture Store in Wintergarden, Florida. The victims were Charles Mays, Virginia and Perry […]

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Filed Under: Case of the Month, Miscarriages of Justice, Unsolved, Zeigler Tagged With: Autopsy, Ballistics, Capital Punishment, Case of the Month, Crime Scene, Evidence, Florida, Forensics, Miscarriage of Justice, Prosecutorial Misconduct, William Thomas Zeigler

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Author Notes

Since 2009, I write about unsolved cases that need renewed media attention. I only do research and leave active investigations to the authorities.

My posts cover homicides, missing and unidentified people, wrongful convictions, and forensics as related to unsolved 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, tone, and research. It is my prerogative to not review a book. Please check the FAQ page for more.

My databases are free to the public. Cases are sorted by the victim’s last name.

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 cannot find the answers there, please contact me.

Thank you,

Alice de Sturler
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