Friday, March 28, 2008

Cold case

There is a nice article in this morning's Lincoln Journal Star about Dr. John Dietrich, who is retiring as Director of the Nebraska State Patrol Crime Laboratory. He's been a tremendous asset to our profession, and will be missed.

Crime scene investigation and forensics have come a long way, Dr. Dietrich notes. Tremendous advances such as DNA analysis and automated fingerprint identification systems have helped solve cases that were long dormant. Across the country, detectives have been dusting off old homicides for a fresh look with new eyes and new tools. I think I'll put this one from Capt. Ireland's blotter in our own cold case hopper:


Thursday May 30, 1889 9:15 AM

Officer Post and wagon returned and brought to station a box containing a human skeleton found in an out-house near the alley bet. 11th & 12th, N and O Sts. Box was taken to dumping ground and buried by special officer Crick, per order of Marshal Cooper.
I'm not sure where I heard or read this, but I think that the "dumping ground" around this time may have been around the place we all now know as the Sunken Gardens.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

it reads Thursday, May 30th, 1889 not 1989.

Anonymous said...

Maybe they were pirate bones and that was Davy Jones' outhouse.

Anonymous said...

HBO 24000 ?? (did they have a code for an outhouse back then?)

Anonymous said...

Maybe you need to get Chief Inspector Morse sent over loan from the Thames Valley Police for this one. He's had success with another very old case, somewhat similar to this, and he might like the working vacation.

Tom Casady said...

Anonymous 10:10-

Loc. code 96 ?

Anonymous said...

I was thinking more of a 10 (get it?) or maybe a 12.