News

All NSW cold cases reopened as police hunt for killers

May 14, 2018

NSW Police are opening up around 500 cold cases.

Fresh hope for murder victims’ families as NSW police review all cold cases

There is fresh hope for the long-suffering families of murder victims in New South Wales, after police announced they will review all cold cases from the last 40 years.

Police hope “fresh eyes” and new technology will help them find previously untapped leads in some of the most mysterious and well-known homicide cases of the last four decades. They have now assigned a special team to dig back into the tragic cases, looking for new clues.

It’s thought around 500 cases will be up for review, with 17 already being re-investigated. The state’s homicide squad will lead the investigations and will assign cases in priority order depending on a number of matters, including the evidence available.

According to The Daily Telegraph, some of the more high-profile cases back in the spotlight include that of Maria Smith, 20, – a student teacher who was found raped, bound and gagged inside her Randwick apartment in 1974, Lynette White, 26, – a hairdresser who was stabbed to death in her Coogee apartment in 1973, and Jordan Thomson – the 21-month-old was killed by a lethal injection of antidepressant drugs while his mother was out running errands.

Detective Superintendent Scott Cook confirmed in a statement that formal case reviews will be carried out by detectives from right across the force.

“While the Unsolved Homicide Unit is a finite resource, the NSW Police Force has a wealth of investigators whose skills can be harnessed to increase our capacity to put fresh eyes on cold cases,” he said.

He added that he hopes to re-strengthen relationships with families, and added: “We are committed to ensuring the most effective and efficient allocation of resources in order to maximise our capability to provide justice for victims and answers to their families.”

The squad has now reclassified their investigations right back to 1972, putting them all into four categories: unsolved, unresolved, undetermined, and resolved.

The cases in the first three categories are now being assessed to then be prioritised, with a “bi-annual follow-up and indefinite monitoring for developments in the case, new lines of inquiry, and partial and full re-investigations”.

The homicide squad first introduced the Unsolved Homicide Unit in 2004, focusing heavily on unsolved murders and unexplained disappearances. It’s already resolved more than 30 matters, and another five are now before the courts.

“The priority of re-engineering is to implement a structure that addresses current and future crime challenges, and deliver the best outcomes for the people of NSW,” Assistant Commissioner Mal Lanyon added.

“We are continuing to build on previous successes in all areas of investigation, and the latest evolution of the Unsolved Homicide Unit ensures our diligent approach to cold case investigations.”