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Families of murder victims seeking cold case team

posted by: Jeffrey Wolf , Web Producer
written by: Thanh Truong , 9NEWS Reporter created: 3/19/2008 5:25:04 PM
Last updated: 3/20/2008 6:30:27 AM



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Families of murder victims seeking cold case team. 9NEWS at 4 p.m. 03/19/08




DENVER - More than a decade ago, Josephine Avila's son, Michael, was murdered. On Wednesday, she joined more than a dozen other families at the State Capitol for the release of a list of Colorado cold cases.


The advocacy group which calls itself, families of homicide victims and missing persons compiled the list of victims, cases and missing persons. It listed more than 1,200 cold cases. Among them is Michael Avila's.

"I want that closure, I want to go to the cemetery and see Michael and say ok baby, it's over," said Josephine Avila.

The group presented the list in hopes of attracting attention and eventual funding to their effort to establish a state cold case unit that would be run by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.

The CBI currently plays a support role in cold cases, assisting local enforcement agencies. As part of a bill that passed last year, the CBI is compiling its own cold case database.

Lance Clem, a spokesman for the CBI, says the advocacy group's list is fairly accurate. Clem says the CBI would like to help the families, but there are financial and logistical issues of establishing a cold case team that must be considered.

"You can't go out and just a hire a bunch of agents, you have to deal with vehicles, office equipment," Clem said.

Families of homicide victims and missing persons understand that. The group hired its own research consultants to gauge how much money it would cost to "effectively" run such a team. They estimated $1.5 million to $3 million would be needed.

The group backed a bill last year that tried to move state money used in death penalty cases to cold cases. That bill failed.

The group's director, Howard Morton, whose son was murdered in 1975, says he hopes one day taxpayers and legislators will be willing to help their cause.

"These killers are walking among us. They are living in our neighborhoods. Will Colorado make the decision to use the resources to bring them to justice?" Morton said.

The group plans to lobby lawmakers for new legislation that it hopes will bring an end to years of suffering.



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