PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A grant from the U.S. Department of Justice will provide Washington County authorities to help solve more cold cases.
The Washington County Board of Commissions was given a $533,200 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice on Wednesday that will be used to “increase the capacity of state and local prosecution offices to address violent crime cold cases,” the Washington County District Attorney’s Office said in a release.
The DA’s office also said that it was able to create its cold case unit thanks to a similar grant in 2020. The initial funding helped investigators use DNA evidence to identify a suspect in a 1988 homicide case, who was later charged with the murder of his estranged wife.
At least 14 of the county’s 43 unsolved homicides, dating back to 1968, contain DNA evidence.
“We are very pleased to be awarded another federal grant which allows us to pursue justice for victims of crimes, no matter how much time has passed,” said District Attorney Kevin Barton. “The Washington County DA’s Office Cold Case Unit has shown incredible progress in the last three years, and we look forward to working to solve more cases with this additional grant funding.”
