WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (WHO-TV)— Nearly every one of Iowa’s 99 counties has an unsolved homicide or missing persons case. But now, there’s a new push to solve them. The criteria to categorize a case as ‘cold’ can be different depending on who you talk to, but by definition, it is when detectives run out of fresh leads. Often, that means it loses priority over newer cases that might be more solvable. That’s one of the reasons Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird is using her position as one of the state’s most powerful people to create a statewide cold case unit.

Iowa currently doesn’t have investigators at the state level who are looking into unresolved cases. A federally-funded unit within the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation shut down in 2011 when the funds ran out after three years. Bird has pleaded with state lawmakers, requesting $523,464 as a ‘critical budget need’ to help cut down on the hundreds of cold cases the state has. It’s a dollar amount that Bird said she feels will make an impact — to start.

If approved, Bird said the funding would go toward creating positions for three full-time investigators and one prosecutor who would comprise the new cold case unit within the state’s Department of Justice. The hiring process could get underway by the summer. The unit would then work at the request of smaller, local agencies to collaborate on an old case and review tips, re-evaluate evidence and, hopefully, bring cases to justice.

The criteria might be different depending on who you talk to, but by definition, a case is categorized as ‘cold’ when detectives run out of leads. And most of the time that means it loses priority over newer cases that might be more solvable. The 2011 high-profile murder of West Des Moines realtor Ashley Okland is one example. According to Jody Ewing, the woman who runs IowaColdCase.org, there are more than 750 unsolved cases in the state. Ewing said her organization is the only database tracking the numbers, and it is the catalog of crimes that Attorney General Bird pointed to when she made her budget proposal.

The Attorney General said she believes she has the support to get the state funding approved. Coupled with all of the advancements in technology in recent years, it could prove to be a big boost for unresolved investigations across the board. A tentative budget for fiscal year 2025 was approved by the legislature on April 20. It was sent to Governor Kim Reynolds’ office for review. She has line-item veto power.

A spokesperson for the Attorney General’s office said they won’t know how much funding they have to work with until it’s officially approved. However, the FY 2025 budget will have to be approved by July 1, 2024. A tentative budget for fiscal year 2025 was approved by the legislature on April 20. It was sent to Governor Kim Reynolds’ office for review. She has line-item veto power.

Unsolved cases can be found at iowacoldcases.org., and on Facebook at iowacoldcases.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Iowa Wing of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) took to the sky Tuesday afternoon, to survey storm damage from the April 26th tornadoes that struck western Iowa. Colonel Jonathan Lartigue, Commander of the Wing, told KJAN News the CAP responded at the request of the United States Air Force (USAF), as well as federal and state agencies, such as FEMA and the Iowa Department of Homeland Security & Emergency Management, to document the tornado damage.

He said Tuesday their efforts began Monday, and will continue until their services are no longer needed.

A Civil Air Patrol aircraft is shown at the Atlantic (IA) Municipal Airport.

Colonel Lartigue says their work will help to ensure assistance gets to those who need it.

He says Civil Air Patrol pilots understand the role they play in the storm recovery process.

The Civil Air Patrol, a USAF Auxiliary, operates 560 aircraft across the country, and performs inland search and rescue, saving 155 lives in 2019. More than 66,000 members of the CAP perform homeland security & disaster relief missions, promote STEM education, and mentor 28,000 cadet members.