On a recent episode of Eye on America, CBS News spotlighted a groundbreaking initiative out of Detroit — one that may well forever change how this country approaches unsolved murders.
>Listen to the entire episode of Eye on America here: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/detroit-detective-dug-deep-for-long-buried-answers-to-missing-person-cases/ar-AA1GQgqW
And it all began with a simple idea…
In a first-of-its-kind collaboration between the Detroit Police Department and the FBI, spearheaded by Detective Shanna Jones, the city has begun the mass exhumation of unidentified murder victims from decades past. Their goal? Apply modern DNA testing to remains that were buried without names and, in many cases, without investigation. These are not just cold cases — they’re frozen in place, sometimes for half a century or more. Their families were left on idle wondering why their loved one never returned home.
This is no small undertaking. It’s an acknowledgment that justice delayed can still be justice pursued — and that even in cities with limited resources, compassion and innovation can co-exist.
When the Dead Speak Through Science
While DNA testing is now a staple of forensic work, this marks the first deliberate mass exhumation program of its kind in the U.S. Instead of reexamining one or two files a year, Detroit is making a statement: the forgotten deserve to be remembered.
This effort brings to mind the remarkable work of Jason Moran, the forensic investigator and commander in the Cook County Sheriff’s Office in Illinois, who was featured on my podcast Domino Effect of Murder in February of 2025. Moran exhumed over 150 unidentified remains, often from unmarked graves, and used DNA science to return names to those long thought lost. His work was driven not only by science — but by compassion, persistence, and a belief that “No one should be buried as a number.”
You can listen to his full story here: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/cold-case-investigations-with-detective-jason-moran-of-cook-county-illinois–64439612
Detroit’s new initiative carries that same spirit forward — and amplifies it.
The Ripple Effect of Cold Cases
In the United States, there are more than 250,000 unsolved homicides. Many involve victims who remain unidentified. Every one of those cases represents a family still waiting for answers. They exist in a purgatory of uncertainty, unable to grieve properly, unable to move forward. Justice isn’t denied, but it is suspended.
By exhuming and identifying these victims, law enforcement isn’t just solving old crimes — they’re restoring humanity to victims who’ve been treated like footnotes. As Detective Shanna Jones stated, “Every one of these people had a story. We just need to listen in the language science now speaks.”
A Path Forward — But Only If We Choose It
This project could serve as a national model — if the public, lawmakers, and law enforcement agencies recognize its value and invest in it.
Here’s what you can do:
- Share stories like this blog or the CBS News segment to raise awareness.
- Contact your state’s law enforcement agencies or attorney general and ask whether similar efforts are underway or being considered.
- Support federal and state funding for cold case units and forensic identification initiatives.
- Remember the families still living in limbo. Just because a case is old doesn’t mean the pain has faded.
As someone who lost my husband to homicide, I understand the ache of unanswered questions. And as the host of Domino Effect of Murder, I’ve spoken with dozens of others who live with that same uncertainty. We all deserve to know the truth — whether it’s been five days or fifty.
Detroit is reminding us that it’s never too late to listen to the dead. And never too late to bring peace to the living.
