§60901 Case File Review

Summary

When one designated person files a written request, the agency head must review the file for a cold case murder to see if a full reinvestigation could find useful leads or a likely suspect. The review looks for missed investigative steps, checks whether witnesses need new interviews, examines physical evidence for more forensic testing, and updates the file using current investigative practices. The person doing the review cannot be someone who worked on the original investigation, and only one review can happen at a time for the same victim. The agency must quickly confirm it got the request and tell the applicant their rights. If the case does not meet the cold-case rules or all useful leads are already exhausted or no likely suspect can be found, the agency head will send a written certification to the applicant saying a full review is not needed. The review must finish within 6 months of the request. The agency may extend that deadline one time for up to 6 more months if workloads make the time limit impractical, and must notify the applicant with an explanation.