There are over 1,000 cold cases in NYC every year, and according to statistics, only about 30% of these cold cases are solved.  Three women are trying to change this narrative, and their stats have surpassed many other cold case squads. 

Aden Naka, Shivonne Hutson, and Angela Soler have all worked in forensic science for several years. Most of the cases they are presented with involve people with known identities, but whenever they have the time they turn to what most people would call lost causes. Cases with little to no background or information on the person. To solve these types of cases, they utilize certain scientific technologies to be able to use more advanced algorithms. Now, they can identify and find information about a person solely based on the chemical signatures of their bones, teeth, and hair. Fascinated by this, Noelle Bullis (10) shares how “It is so amazing how they are able to gather so much information and derive exactly what they need to solve the case. The efficiency of it is mind-blowing.”

One cold case they took on involved a woman whose body had been found in the streets of Brooklyn in 2011. Using only her teeth and denture they were able to find more information than most cold case squads could have. A member of the squad explains how “What was interesting about the denture is that it had what we call an open-faced crown, which is essentially a yellow-gold color on one of her teeth for decoration, and this is quite typical in Central American and Mexican communities.” Using this, they were able to identify which neighborhood she lived in and to whom she might’ve had connections with. Solar goes on to explain how “Everything that you ingest, the water you drink, the food that you eat, leaves a chemical signature in your skeleton. In your teeth, it reflects your childhood. And your bones, it’s reflecting the past several years of life, and in your hair is reflecting the past several months” (CNN).

They’ve been able to solve 20 cold cases in just the past month using this technology. But what makes these women so extraordinary is the sentiment that lies within their motives. Their heart is with the families whose lost loved ones end up being cold cases. In an interview with NBC, they talk about how once they find a case and know the story behind it they can’t stop thinking about it. The passion and love that lies within the motives of these women are an inspiration to people everywhere.