As families, friends and law enforcement gathered this past Sunday, Sept. 25, for the National Day of Remembrance for Homicide Victims, many are hopeful that Virginia’s new Cold Case website will help renew the public’s attention to those cases that remain unsolved.

The website—https://coldcase.vsp.virginia.gov—which is available to the public, is a searchable database that features information, photographs, and contact information for unsolved homicides, unidentified persons and missing person cases that have remained unsolved for at least five years.

Virginia State Police is required by the Code of Virginia 52-34.16 to host the website for Virginia local and state law enforcement agency participation. Virginia Del. Danica Roem (D-Prince William) sponsored the legislation to create the searchable, online database that became law in 2020. The website initially piloted in June 2022 with a limited number of Virginia State Police “cold cases” featured. Since then, the website has e...