The Missing: Cold case investigators working to close unsolved crimes
HOUSTON - A cold case is defined as a crime that remains unsolved after all leads have been exhausted. A case can turn cold after just a few months, and they often stay that way for years.
CONTINUED COVERAGE OF THE MISSING
Currently, more than 250,000 murder cases across the country are considered cold, which doesn't even include those of missing persons. Numbers like that are truly overwhelming for law enforcement which is why people like Alex Baber and his wife J-Lynn have devoted their lives to fill in the gap.
For more than 20 years, The Babers and their team with Cold Case Consultants of America have been investigating unsolved crimes on their own, usually through open records requests and old case files.
The Missing: Families gather to support each other
In FOX 26's ongoing series 'The Missing,' we've spent weeks getting to know local families who are desperately searching for answers in the case of their loved one who has vanished and each of them have stressed the importance of support and awareness.
The team, which is made up of former detectives, forensic researchers, and journalists, start from the very beginning, making sure nothing was missed.
"You'd be really surprised how many people out there have never been interviewed," Alex said. "They're actually close and connected to these cases, but they have never sat down with law enforcement and been interviewed."
RELATED: Trees dedicated to bring awareness to missing residents in north Harris Co.
He has worked on more than 100 cases and although he says he can never guarantee families he'll be able to solve their loved one's mystery, he is usually able to give them more information than they originally had.
You can follow along with the CCCOA on their website and social media pages.