Florida is officially turning up the heat on thousands of unsolved murders. Attorney General James Uthmeier announced a new statewide partnership this week that pairs the Office of Statewide Prosecution with Othram, a forensic technology firm known for solving “unsolvable” crimes through advanced genetic genealogy.
The initiative is designed to be proactive rather than waiting for local agencies to ask for help. By using forensic DNA testing that goes far beyond traditional methods, officials hope to finally put names to faces and handcuffs on suspects in cases that have sat on shelves for decades.
“For too long, many victims and their families have been left without answers,” Attorney General Uthmeier said. “Our partnership with Othram will add an invaluable tool to our proactive approach for solving cold cases. We hope this effort brings answers and some measure of closure to those who have waited years.”
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The state is hitting the ground running with three specific investigations: a 1970s murder tied to Broward and Miami-Dade Counties, a double homicide from the late 2000s in Miami Gardens, and a 1980s homicide out of Central Florida.
Currently, Florida is haunted by roughly 21,000 unsolved murders and nearly 900 sets of unidentified human remains. While traditional databases like CODIS require a direct match to a known offender, Othram’s technology can build out family trees from even tiny or degraded DNA samples.
“These cases remained unsolved not because the evidence wasn’t there, but because the technology didn’t exist to interpret it,” explained Othram Founder David Mittelman. He noted that the new approach allows investigators to generate leads even when there is no suspect or existing database match.
Senator Ana Maria Rodriguez and FDLE Special Agent in Charge John Vecchio both emphasized that the passage of time hasn’t lessened the state’s resolve.
“I am proud to stand with Attorney General Uthmeier and our law enforcement partners as we take another meaningful step forward in cracking open cold cases and delivering the justice that victims deserve,” said Senator Ana Maria Rodriguez. “We owe it to every victim, every family, and every community to pursue the truth—no matter how much time has passed. Because justice matters. Accountability matters. And closure matters.”
While the program is starting with homicides, officials expect to expand the partnership to tackle serial sexual battery cases. The ultimate goal is to provide local police with the breakthroughs they need to close files that were previously considered dead ends.
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