There have been several books, films, and TV shows recently that focused on cold cases, such as the CBS drama by that name, "Cold Case." One of the most crucial keys to solving these cases is DNA evidence. There is an educational site, DNA.gov, which gives a nice overview of solving cold cases with DNA, starting with a primer titled "The Long and Short of DNA."
You can also learn about CODIS, the Combined DNA Index System, which permits the cross-comparison of DNA profiles developed from biological evidence found at crime scenes. As the site explains, even if a perpetrator is not identified through the database, crimes may be linked to each other, thereby aiding an investigation, which may eventually lead to the identification of a suspect. You can also read more about how law enforcement agencies identify, analyze and prioritize cold case files and how cold case squads really work (TV notwithstanding).
If you're working on a novel and have procedural questions regarding DNA and cold cases, this is a good starting point.
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