Local High Profile and Cold Case Links

Here are some links to high profile or cold cases for Riverside and San Bernardino Counties:

Riverside County Sheriff High Profile Cases

San Bernardino County Cold Cases (sbsun.com)

San Bernardino County Police Cold Murder Cases

It really is heartbreaking to see that many unsolved murders and to think of the families who have been left with no answers.

Cold Cases: It’s Always The DNA That Gets You

Jannette Ortiz of Riverside was arrested today, by Riverside County cold case investigators, for an eight year old murder.  In 2002, her cousin Fernando Martinez was shot and murdered and found in Woodcrest orange groves.  Ortiz had been suspected of participating in the murder, along with her then boyfriend Edwin Gonzales, but there had never been the evidence to prove it.  Grant funded DNA testing by a private lab in Texas made the connection for the cold case team.   The Sheriff’s Department received a $500,000 grant that will cover DNA testing costs for cold case investigations.  This is the first case solved as a result of the DNA testing grant.

Riverside County Cold Case Facts:

• As of a November 2009 Pe.com story, the the Cold Case Unit had reviewed 669 cases, 220 of which were identified as cold cases.
• 73 have DNA evidence that could be submitted for testing, Brown said. The oldest case so far with DNA evidence dates to 1973.
• Since 2007, the Cold Case Unit has been poring over the almost 2,000 homicide cases the department handled from 1928 to 2000.

San Bernardino County has their own Cold Case unit and has recently produced their 2nd edition of “Cold Case Playing Cards”. The cards are sold in jails and are hoped to generate interest and conversation about unsolved cases.  Actually, one of the cases – from the 4 of spades card, was solved as a result.  See the link above for the article on the cards and an example.