VA Cold Case Database Serves Families of Lost Loved Ones

https://coldcase.vsp.virginia.gov/
To draw attention to unsolved killings, grant justice to victims and bring closure to their families, VSP launched a cold case website granting public access to cases of unidentified remains, missing persons and unsolved homicides in Virginia. Developer AIS Network built a scalable, highly searchable database that solicits tips and functions as a modern tool to help investigators and 400 state agencies pursue new leads in unsolved cases dating back to 1973.

Client
The Virginia State Police (VSP) ensures public safety and security through leadership, collaboration and community engagement. The agency provides a range of statewide law enforcement services to Virginia’s citizens and visitors.

Challenge
The Virginia General Assembly directed VSP to provide a central, public portal for cold cases in Virginia. Case descriptions should be easily searched via multiple external and application-level criteria, and a password-protected environment must also be integrated. Because the site serves a broad population and hundreds of Virginia agencies, it must be built on a device- and browser-agnostic, responsive platform. The accessible pages would offer the option to submit a tip to investigators or share cases via social media.

Solution
Working under the Virginia eGov contract, AISN built the database using a combination of actively maintained open source and COTS solutions that meet the security standards of, and are widely used by, both federal and state government agencies. Customizations of the database, public pages and administrative screens were combined with custom development to create a complete solution that met VSP’s business, functional and user experience requirements. In addition, AISN provides monthly hosting and support.

Results
VSP’s cold case database takes a step toward helping victims’ families obtain justice and closure by shedding new light on their loved ones’ unsolved cases. The site features more than 300 cases and will scale as VSP integrates hundreds more cases from local law enforcement agencies. More than 52,000 visitors have engaged with the site. In addition to soliciting tips from the public, the database functions as a modern tool to help investigators and 400 state agencies pursue new leads in cold cases.