Siena Hosts NY's First Cold Case Day

When does a criminal case become a "cold" case? Who can go back and try to solve them, and what methods can they use?

A cold case is one where all leads available to the primary investigators are exhausted, and the case remains open and unsolved for a period of three years. To remember local unsolved cases, highlight the obstacles in solving them, and brainstorm solutions, Siena hosted New York state's first-ever Cold Case Day on September 26.

The event, which featured five community panelists in law enforcement and journalism, was sponsored by the College's criminal justice studies program and organized by Tobi A. Kirschmann, M.S., visiting instructor of forensics and investigative genetic genealogy, and Annie Rody-Wright, J.D., criminal justice program coordinator.

"The powerful and sometimes emotional dialogue between panelists and attendees surpassed my expectations for information-sharing," said Kirschmann. "The evening was very successful, and we ended with a commitment to move cases forward in the name of the victims and families."

Four student interns - Ashley Bonomi '25, Madigan Hoffman '26, Kelly Kropp '26, and Roisin O'Neill '25 - helped organize the event. Siena plans to host a second annual Cold Case Day next year, to share how cold cases have been moved closer to being solved.

"The event left me feeling both hopeful and confident that we can make progress on our cases and return next year to share our success," said Kirschmann.

Charlotte Felice '26 said the event highlighted several important needs in solving cold cases.

"There is a need for greater diversity within investigative teams, more curiosity and passion from law enforcement, and greater public transparency," said Felice. "These barriers can cause cases to become 'frozen.' The overarching message was the importance of perseverance in cold case investigations and the need for law enforcement to open up and share information with the public in order to foster trust and find solutions."

Synphany Hartley '28 said cold cases serve as "a reminder of the constant need for kindness, dedication, and creativity in the fight for justice," while Kaitlyn DeBonis '27 noted that the most crucial element in solving a cold case is to not give up hope, especially with the development of new technologies.

Cold cases can be reopened as new information and clues, new technology such as forensic investigative genetic genealogy, and advocacy from families and activists help crack them. Siena's new major in criminal justice studies challenges its students to envision the criminal justice system through a restorative lens, and that mission helped inform Cold Case Day, according to Rody-Wright.

"The event was a perfect example of how we educate and challenge our students in this program to reimagine the criminal justice system as more humane and equitable," she said. "Using forensic genetic genealogy to solve cases and identify the remains of loved ones fulfills the restorative justice mission of repairing harm by giving closure to families, possibly leading to the arrest of the person who caused the harm, and even creating a path for the exoneration of those wrongfully convicted."