After being disbanded two years ago, the Portland Police Bureau has announced the reinstatement of the Cold Case Unit thanks to a grant awarded through the National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI).
The $2.5 million grant—which was applied for in 2022 and officially granted at the start of this year—will fund four detectives and provide monies for outsource testing, including forensic investigative genetic genealogy efforts.
The original Cold Case Unit had a long, successfully history, forming back in 2004 to use advances in technology to review and investigate unsolved homicides dating back to the 1960s. Over the course of the next 18 years, the unit reviewed over 270 cases, clearing 50-plus of those cases and charging more than 30 individuals with homicide-related crimes.
The unit was originally staffed with four active detectives and 6 to 8 retired police officers who would help triage cases. A patchwork of grants over the years helped keep the Cold Case Unit a float, and the City of Portland event provided monies whenever there was a gap in funding.
Unfortunately, that all came to a head in 2022 thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, exponential increases in homicides and gun-related crimes, a staffing shortage and overall civil unrest. As a result, the Portland Police Bureau was forced to reallocate resources—and the Cold Case Unit was officially disbanded.
“The disbanding came at a time when nationally, advances in forensic made a lot of unsolved cases solvable again,” said Detective Brendan McGuire, who was part of the original Cold Case Unit and will continue his role going forward. “It was a doble whammy that we couldn’t really do the work, but the work was expanding.”
Of course, the detectives still did the work—at least the best they could with the disbanding. In September 2023, for example, the Portland Police Bureau identified “Baby Precious,” a newborn infant girl found deceased at a recycling center in 2013, and arrested her father as the murder suspect.
McGuire had started working on the case in 2019 as part of his work with the Cold Case Unit. He sent tissue samples to Bode Technology for forensic genetic genealogy assistance, but analysis did not immediately result in a lead. In December 2021, McGuire was alerted to a family connection via an anonymous tip. Then, the Cold Case Unit was disbanded, but McGuire didn’t stop working the case. It took another year-and-a-half, but eventually McGuire was able to identify Baby Precious’ maternity and paternity, and locate a suspect.
“All these unsolved cases were worked as best they could because we didn’t stop thinking about them,” said McGuire.
The SAKI grant will fund the Cold Case Unit for three years, including four detectives and an advocacy position to work with victims’ families. The grant also provides $300,000 over its duration for outsourced testing, such as forensic investigative genetic genealogy.
McGuire actually started a list of cold cases eligible for genetic genealogy back in 2022 before the disbanding, so the unit was able to get a jumpstart on things and may be announcing their “first” case solve in the near future, the detective said.
The Cold Case Unit has about 300 unsolved cases to examine, dating back to the late 60s. The cases will be prioritized based on severity, with homicides being a priority. Violent crimes will be prioritized based on time remaining on the statute of limitations.
“Ultimately, our goal is to bring as many of our unsolved cases up to current investigative standards as we can, and by doing that hopefully solve and bring resolution and justice to the cases and the families,” said McGuire.