Apr. 15—STOCKTON — County officials are taking a new approach to solving some 600 cold cases.
The San Joaquin County board of supervisors unanimously approved creating a Countywide Cold Case Task Force, spearheaded by District Attorney Ron Freitas and Sheriff Pat Withrow at its meeting last Tuesday.
Supervisors also approved a $500,000 increase in the District Attorney’s Family Justice Center budget to support the new initiative, with funding allocated from the Proposition 69 DNA Identification Fund. The funds will assist with DNA testing, forensic analysis and the implementation of new investigative technologies, staff said.
“This task force is about hope and justice for families who’ve waited far too long,” Board chair Paul Canepa said. “The DA and Sheriff are working together to include the right people and the right tools to finally get answers, and we are proud to support their efforts. These families deserve to know what happened to their loved ones, and we’re doing everything we can to make that happen.”
The task force will not only be working to solve homicides, but also sexual assaults and missing person with suspicious circumstances, and will meet regularly to share investigative strategies, coordinate digital case tracking, prioritize cases, ensure consistent communication with victims’ families. and use private forensic laboratories to provide DNA testing.
Staff said the investment in advanced testing and cross-agency collaboration was a key recommendation of the 2024 San Joaquin County Grand Jury report that called for enhanced efforts to reduce the backlog of unsolved cases.
“The San Joaquin County Cold Case Task Force represents our unwavering commitment to justice,” Withrow said. “Every unsolved case is a promise we made to a victim and their loved ones — a promise that we will never stop seeking the truth. No matter how much time has passed, we owe it to our community to bring answers, closure, and accountability.”
The Cold Case Task Force is the result of a partnership between the San Joaquin County District Attorney and Sheriff’s offices, local police departments, and the California Department of Justice created in October.
“We’re not just opening old files, we’re reigniting a commitment to truth,” Freitas said. “The Cold Case Task Force brings together expertise, technology and determination to deliver answers and accountability. For every family still waiting, this is our pledge: we won’t stop until justice is served.”