NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — The Newport News Police Department just launched a new initiative to help bring families closure.
The department now has a team working exclusively on solving cold cases.
News 3 reporter Kelsey Jones sat down with the department's police chief, who explained how the new team could help crack cold cases.
"Until there’s resolve, we will keep pushing forward. We owe that to Keir Johnson and that little girl," said Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew in reference to the disappearance of a mother and daughter seven years ago. To this day, it remains unsolved.
Watch previous coverage: Newport News police seek answers in mother, daughter disappearance
The team could also help bring closure to families, including LaTanya Grady's, whose son was beaten to death and stuffed in a crawl space four years ago in Newport News.
"You still have to face that judgment one day and I believe that judgment will be given," said Grady.
Chief Drew says he hopes the new team will help families like LaTanya Grady's heal.
"I know that solving a case, a homicide in particular, doesn't bring anyone back, but it does provide some closure and it erases that thought of, have my loved ones been forgotten? Does anybody care about justice being served?" said Chief Drew.
Watch previous coverage: Newport News family honors man who was beaten to death; case still unsolved 4 years later
The department's new team will focus on cold cases over the last 10 years. Chief Drew says the team will include two full-time detectives and a part-time detective who worked in homicide 15 to 20 years ago. That individual retired from the department, but is coming back to offer a fresh perspective.
At this time, it is unclear how many cold cases this team will be working on, but in Newport News police say unsolved homicide numbers are in the hundreds.
"There's a couple of high-profile cases that we've had in our city in the last five, six, seven years that I want them to take just another look at," said Chief Drew.
The new three-person team will use DNA analysis and other technology to help crack these cases. They will also be working with local, state and federal law agencies.
"I'm excited. It's something we've been wanting to do for a while and I just think we owe it to our community," Chief Drew added.
With every unsolved homicide, police say the amount of time that goes by since the killing can sometimes lead people to finally come forward. Anyone with information about an unsolved case can share with with the new cold case team by calling the police department at 757-247-2500.
