Bringing Justice to Cold Case Sexual Assault Survivors
Bringing Justice to Cold Case Sexual Assault Survivors: Cold Case Symposium.
The North Carolina Department of Justice (NCDOJ) will present a two-day symposium to discuss the investigations and prosecutions of cold case sexual assaults. NCDOJ has been working with law enforcement partners across the state to test the backlog of sexual assault kits. The results from these kits provide an opportunity to deliver justice to survivors while increasing public safety in North Carolina communities.
Since 2019, the North Carolina Department of Justice has tested more than 10,000 previously untested sexual assault kits. Some of these kits are decades old. To date, 17 percent of these kits tested have been matched through the National Combined DNA Database (CODIS). The research is clear. Many individuals who perpetrate sexual assault go on to rape again with 50 percent being serial violent offenders. Successful investigations of these cases “prevent the next crime” and should be regarded as a high priority for criminal justice officials in North Carolina.
North Carolina criminal justice professionals will engage in the specifics of sexual assault cold cases and be exposed to relevant approaches to the successful investigation and prosecution of these crimes. This summit builds on the experiences of law enforcement and prosecutors who have taken this challenge.
Who should attend: Detectives, Prosecutors, Supervisors, Advocates, and Counselors involved in the investigations and prosecutions of Cold Case Sexual Assault.
View the Symposium agenda here.
Themes and Topics for Symposium
- The power of DNA in sexual assault investigations and prosecutions
- How to Organize Your Caseload of Sexual Assault CODIS Hits
- NC State Lab requirements for CODIS hits
- NC Statutes regarding Sexual Assault: Then and Now
- Prosecution Strategies for Cold Cases
- Case Connectivity and Public Safety
- Effective Approaches to Working with Survivors
- SAKI Resources and Grant Applications Information
Presenters
- Jeff Welty—Professor of Public Law and Government UNC School of Government
- Angela Garcia-Lamarca—Durham Cold Case Prosecutor
- Lindsey Wade—Senior Law Enforcement Specialist RTI
- Amy Sweatt—CMPD NC Owed DNA Initiative
- Roger Crosby—Detective Corporal Caldwell County SO
- John Somerindyke—Lt. Fayetteville PD (ret)
- Melissa Lanning—Assistant Chief Counsel ICE/DHS
- Mallory Rogers—Clinical Trauma Therapist
- Amanda Overman—NC Crime Lab
- Troy Armstrong—Sgt CMPD (ret), NCDOJ Cold Case Investigations Specialist
- Nathaniel Thompson—SBI Cold Case Investigations Team
- Jamie Markham–Professor of Public Law and Government UNC School of Law
View speaker bios here.
Date: September 19 – 20, 2024
Location:
Wake Tech Public Safety Education Campus
321 Chapanoke Road
Raleigh, NC 27603
Training is offered free of charge by the North Carolina Department of Justice
Sworn NC officers offered continuing education credit through Wake Tech Community College
Hotel:
A room block has been reserved at the Tru by Hilton Raleigh Garner for a rate of $107/night. Please reserve your room by August 19, 2024, to secure that price.
Tru by Hilton Raleigh Garner
565 US Hwy 70
Garner, North Carolina 27529
Registration is closed. To be added to the waiting list, email tarmstrong@ncdoj.gov.