Cold Case Homicide Division
The Cold Case Homicide Division exists to promote public safety by working cooperatively with local law enforcement to resolve unsolved homicides within San Diego County. The division continues to maintain close working relationships with law enforcement agencies throughout San Diego County, including police laboratory criminalists. These relationships are key to solving and successfully prosecuting cases where the trail has gone cold for years.
Time is the enemy in any homicide investigation. The suspect has the lead and in some cold cases that lead can be measured in years, even decades. Closing in on murder suspects and solving cold cases not only delivers long-awaited justice, but also brings a measure of closure to families whose lives have been shattered by tragedy.
Since it was established in 2003, the Cold Case Homicide Division has closed the file on numerous unsolved murders. Cold homicide cases currently pending or under review in the division have victims ranging in age from 15- to 83 years old, from all walks of life and from all areas of the county. While the majority of cold cases handled by the division occurred in the 1980’s and 1990’s, the oldest case currently being handled by the division dates back to 1975.
In 2010, the prosecutors of the Cold Case Homicide Division took six cold homicide cases to trial. Among those tried included the case against four defendants for the savage attack on Dotie Attig, who in 1986 was gang raped and murdered. Other cases were resolved by guilty pleas including the a plea by Alejandro Fernandez who in 2001 entered the home of an 84-year old retired psychiatrist, then raped and murdered her. Likewise, Eddie Williams pleaded guilty to the rape and murder of an 18-year old girl in 1995.
In addition to handling cases in which charges were already filed, the division also reviewed several other unsolved homicides. From those reviews, charges were filed in two separate cases and those defendants have now been extradited to California to stand trial for their crimes.
