10 Cold Case Blogs Worth a Follow

Think crimes always get solved? Think again. These 10 excellent cold case blogs shed light on gruesome murders that remain in need of resolution.

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) defines a cold case as one in which “probative investigative leads have been exhausted.” While ‘probative’ means having the ‘tendency to prove,’ the sad matter is that one-third of murders in the U.S. remain unsolved. In fact, according to an article by NPR, some 200,000 murders have gone unsolved since the 1960s. What’s more perplexing is that more than 50 years ago, about 90 percent of murders were solved. So, what’s changed? Maybe not all that much—except for attitudes. The NPR article points out that clearing crime is a matter of priority and that some jurisdictions do better at it than others.

In addition, some jurisdictions make it a point to pull old cases to see if new technology can help. According to the NIJ, supporting local cold case law enforcement programs can solve many violent crime cold cases, including murder and sexual assault, thanks to advancements in DNA analysis.

According to research published in The New York Times, increased support can only be achieved by hiring more crime investigation personnel. And with the murder rate at an all-time high in the United States in 2020, it’s possible that the increase in cold case investigations will equate to more closure and justice for unsolved murders.

While some of these factors are encouraging, there are still too many families out there waiting for clues and answers. In light of that, we share with you a list of 10 cold case blogs that are worth a look and a follow in 2022.

1. Project Cold Case: This blog may be one of the best, highlighting cold cases that have occurred and been forgotten throughout the years, through the use of regular posts, pictures, and old newspaper clippings.

One of the most recent posts concerns the case of 20-year-old Jeremiah White, who was shot multiple times in the back in Jacksonville, Florida, and whose perpetrator has never been found. Even now, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, reachable at (904) 630-0500, seeks leads, including anonymous leads, in this case as it comes close to five years of being unsolved.

2. Defrosting Cold Cases: Although the name of this blog is downright chilling, it takes a unique approach to cold cases, profiling one a month on a detailed basis—all in the hope of creating new interest and getting people talking about the victims again.

One highlighted case is that of Michaella Welch, whose murder was solved in 2018 due to forensic genealogy. Michaella was attacked while separated from her sisters on a hike and was brutally raped, beaten to death, and left in a ravine. “Gary Charles Hartman was arrested in 2018 after detectives matched the DNA found at the crime scene to DNA found on a napkin he discarded at a fast-food restaurant,” the blog author writes. At age 66, Hartman was convicted of first-degree murder and first-degree rape and sentenced to 26 years and six months in prison.

3. My Life of Crime: This blog takes a fresh look at cold cases, if only because it reports mainly on cases that have been solved—yes, murderers identified and found! This includes three men charged with the murder of Gary Dawson in 1983 and another man sentenced to life without parole in the 1993 death of Shawna Yandell. The blog is updated several times a month and includes information on convicted inmates and links related to new articles about posted cold cases.

4. Denver Post Cold Cases: Who would think there could be so many cold cases in one city, but that’s what Denver Post reporter Kirk Mitchell has revealed in his cold case blog. Actually, the blog extends to unsolved murders throughout the entire state of Colorado, not just Denver, including the shooting death of a man picked up outside a gay bar in 2005 and the 1991 deaths of a couple volunteering at a VFW club in Buena Vista. Mitchell provides pictures of the victims in almost every post and a brief background about the case.

5. Iowa Cold Cases: Although this blog is specific to cold cases in Iowa, it provides the background, details, and updates that could interest anyone intrigued by unsolved crimes and murders.

The blog, launched in 2005, aims to keep an interest in unsolved cases in the state alive, and now features more than 500 cases in all. It was originally launched to help compile a list of cold cases in the state – since there was no official compendium. Jovontia Antonio “Jovi” Jones, who died by gunfire in a drive-by shooting in a parking lot in Davenport, Iowa, is one of the profiled unsolved murder cases. This blog helps to provide information on cases and turned into a non-profit with a tag of ‘… where hope is never laid to rest.’

6. North Texas Crime Commission: This blog features unsolved homicide cases that currently don’t have an active homicide detective. Entries range from requests for tips for credit card theft to unsolved homicides in the Dallas and North Texas region.

Most recently, police found Du’Vonte Lampkin, a 25-year-old man, lying on his back, dead from a single gunshot wound. Persons with information are encouraged to call the Crime Stoppers line at 877-373-8477 with anonymous information. Rewards of up to $5,000 can be awarded to persons who share information that leads to the arrest and indictment of suspects.

7. Huff Post Cold Cases: It’s hard to imagine the Huffington Post overlooking any aspect of potential reporting, so it’s really not far-reaching for the organization to host a Cold Cases blog. The Huff Post blog page features multiple rails, catchy headlines, and photos to help draw readers in and entice them to click for further reading on one of the listed cold case stories.

Of gruesome note, details about an unidentified woman and three children found inside a steel drum more than 30 years ago in New Hampshire comprise the latest blog post. But, this case became even more chilling, the blog points out, when the bodies of two young girls were found 15 years later inside of another steel drum.

8. Crimesider: Find regular updates to cold cases in this CBS News-hosted blog, including details about an arrest that was made in the 1996-slaying death of Maryland teen Stacy Lynn Hoffmaster. In fact, the arrest came almost a year after a new primary investigator in Hoffmaster’s case was assigned and several witnesses and original investigators were re-interviewed. The blog also includes recent information about three people indicted in the 2013 death of a college student, two brothers charged in a 1983 beating death in Illinois, and much more.

9. A&E True Crime Blog: Short for “Arts & Entertainment”, this American basic cable network features non-fiction works such as reality documentaries, miniseries, and true crime.

In May 2022, A&E profiled the unsolved murder of Lollie Winans and Julie Williams who were found sexually assaulted and murdered in Shenandoah National Park in 1996. A&E True Crime interviewed journalist Kathryn Miles who published a book titled “Trailed: One Woman’s Quest to Sole the Shenandoah Murders” which exposes the lack of investigative cooperation between the National Parks Service and the FBI.

10. Stories of the Unsolved: This blog raises awareness of unsolved murder and disappearance cases with the primary goal of helping families find closure.

In May 2022, a recent entry involved a human skull discovered in Montgomery County in 1998 that was later determined to be of a woman of Asian descent, between the ages of 20 and 33, with her teeth glued in place and a mounting hole drilled into her skull. Those with information about this gruesome case can call Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office at (936) 760-5800 or the county’s Cold Case Squad at (281) 297-6508.