Dallas County Criminal District Attorney John Creuzot says his office has secured nearly $4 million in federal grants to help solve thousands of cold case homicides and sexual assaults.
The district attorney's office announced Friday that a grant of $2,366,241 will be used to establish the Dallas County Cold Case Initiative Project, and a grant of $1,499,991 would be used to continue funding the office's Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI).
The DA's office said the grants "will fully fund these critical programs for the next three years, reinforcing Dallas County’s commitment to solving cold cases and providing justice for survivors of violent crimes."
“This grant money will allow us to apply more resources to solve more violent crimes and solve them faster than ever before,” said Creuzot in a statement. “This is an incredibly profound time for the people of Dallas County to finally get justice for some of the worst crimes committed against our citizens.”
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According to the DA's office, the Cold Case Initiative Project will divide responsibilities between two dedicated units: the established SAKI Unit, which will continue to handle cold case sexual assaults, both fatal and non-fatal, and the soon-to-be-formed Cold Case Homicide Unit, which will focus exclusively on unsolved murders.
Creuzot's statement said the Dallas Police Department currently has more than 3,000 cold case homicides and that in many of those cases, there was a sexual motive.
“This project strengthens our long-standing relationships with the Dallas Police Department, the FBI, and other law enforcement partners,” Creuzot added. “Our office is a leader in cold case investigations, utilizing cutting-edge technology like Investigative Genetic Genealogy to solve cases that have remained cold for decades.”
The DA's Cold Case Unit will be staffed by five people, including two prosecutors, one investigator, a victim advocate, and a site coordinator, all of whom will devote their full time to investigating and prosecuting cold cases.
"The addition of a victim advocate will ensure trauma-informed care and streamlined services for survivors of homicide victims throughout the notification and justice process," the DA's office said.
Creuzot's office said the SAKI Task Force was formed in 2015 thanks to the efforts of ADA Amy Derrick, who serves as Administrative Chief over the Dallas County DA’s Office Sexual Assault Division. The DA said the task force investigated 375 cases, prosecuted 121, and identified more than 90 serial offenders responsible for more than 600 victims.
“The SAKI Task Force has been instrumental in ensuring justice for survivors of sexual violence,” said Derrick. “These grants affirm our commitment to using every available resource to hold offenders accountable and keep our community safe.”
The continuation of the SAKI grant funding will enable the task force to keep its staff of two investigators, two prosecutors, a victim advocate, and a site coordinator.
The Dallas County District Attorney’s Office said the federal grants allowed them to advance justice, protect the community, and deliver long-awaited answers to victims and their families.
