SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) – Texas State University just partnered with the Texas Office of the Attorney General to help tackle unsolved cold cases in the state.
The new program, the TXST Cold Case Team, is a one-year-long internship in the School of Criminal Justice and Criminology, which will work with the Cold Case and Missing Person unit to help look into the more than 20,000 unsolved murders in the state.
“This partnership will connect Texas State students with amazing opportunities to work alongside my office’s Cold Case and Missing Persons Unit,” said Texas Attorney General Pax ton. “Since starting the unit in 2021, I have expanded our resources and expertise to bring justice to heartbroken families who lost their loved ones in cases that went cold.”
On the new team, four students will have the opportunity to review unsolved murders and missing person cases with the help of investigators from the Office of the Attorney General. The students will look into evidence such as police records, witness statements, digital forensic data, autopsy and lab reports, according to a press release.
“This new partnership is an exciting opportunity for our students from the School of Criminal Justice and Criminology, as it is the first program of its kind in the State of Texas,” said Jaymi Elsass, of the School of Criminal Justice and Criminology.
“Through the Office of the Attorney General, TXST Cold Case Team members are being provided with innovative experiential learning as they work to process unsolved homicides in our state, thereby helping investigators with their caseloads, as well,” she continued.”The potential for students to give back to crime victims and their families in our state by processing unsolved murder cases, while learning firsthand the investigative skills needed to prepare them for a career in this field upon graduation, is the kind of program that Texas State University prides itself on.”