RivCo Seeks Federal Funding To Help Pursue Cold Case Prosecutions

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — The Board of Supervisors Tuesday authorized Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin to submit a request for federal grant funding to support cold case prosecutions.

In a 5-0 vote without comment, the board gave the DA's Office the go-ahead to file an application for a U.S. Department of Justice-Bureau of Justice Assistance grant totaling $500,000 for the current fiscal year.

"The BJA provides funding to support the prosecution of violent cold case crimes where a suspect — known or unknown — has been identified through DNA evidence," according to an agency statement. "Provided a DNA profile attributed to a suspect has been developed from crime scene evidence, this funding also supports investigative activities, as well as crime and forensic analyses, that could lead to the successful prosecution of violent cold case crimes."

The DA's Cold Case Unit prosecutors collaborate with a team from the Riverside County Sheriff's Department, as well as investigators from multiple municipal law enforcement agencies countywide, to bring old murder cases to trial.

The agency said the BJA has made $8 million in grants available in fiscal year 2023-24, but individual applicants are limited to a maximum of $500,000 each.

There was no word on when the grant might be approved.