Western Michigan University partners with Michigan State Police to crack cold cases

A new partnership between Western Michigan University and Michigan State Police will allow students enrolled in the Criminal Justice program to examine unsolved murder cases. Students will organize and catalog cold cases, reviewing the previous work done by detectives to look for new leads and reexamine evidence using technology that did not exist when the initial investigations took place. The partnership benefits both the police department by lightening its workload, and the students by providing valuable experience that will help them in their future careers. 

WMU recently published a news release about the partnership, which states that the cohort of undergraduates starting at WMU in the fall of 2021 will be the first to participate. Students will work both in classroom and lab settings, learning about forensic techniques and technology. Students will be assigned a cold case and will work directly with detectives from Michigan State Police, giving them access to state resources such as crime labs and genetic testing facilities.

Dr. Ashlyn Kuersten, professor of sociology, directs the new Cold Case Program at WMU. In the news release she spoke about the advantages of the program, "It's going to be a phenomenal opportunity for students to utilize their education while in college, gain some extremely valuable skills and experience for the job market, help them to investigate and discover a career that best suits their talents and give back to their community by assisting police in their investigation efforts."

Michigan State Police First Lt. Chuck Christensen spoke to local news station WWMT who also published an article about the program. Christensen explained that when detectives tackle cold cases, it can take up to three months to complete the organization process of reviewing and cataloging the case, which is one reason this program will be beneficial. "This is a win-win because it's taking a lot of heavy lifting off the backs of the detectives while in turn helping out a program for future detectives, future investigators on how to do a job," he said. 

According to the release from WMU, doctoral students Carl Huber and Ashley Chlebek will assist with the program as well. Huber talked about the unique opportunity the program will provide to students, "It's one thing to sit in the classroom and hear about (a case). It's another thing to get your hands dirty and review it from inception all the way to what detectives were doing 20 years later that the primary detectives didn't do, identifying some of the holes they didn't catch." Huber went on to say that he hopes students will be able to help solve one of the cases, "Looking at a cold case that eventually leads to the apprehension of a suspect, providing closure to a family that never had that wound closed for all those years is a really rewarding aspect."

Dr. Kuersten is eager for the students to experience all aspects of detective work, "It's not just the technology; it's really hands-on stuff. It's really emotional when you actually get in there with the evidence and you're handling it and talking to people who knew the victim and their family. It becomes so real."

When speaking to WWMT, Dr. Kuersten pointed out that as far as she can tell, this program is the only one of its kind in the country. She also said that the demand is high, with almost 300 students expressing interest in the program, which will accept only 25 students, all of whom will have to pass a police background check.