Story by: Angelica Santini
With a firm commitment to uncovering the truth, Project Cold Case serves as a guardian for the forgotten, restoring long-dormant cold cases and providing comfort to families who have endured decades of unanswered questions.
Founded in 2015 by Ryan Backmann and located in Jacksonville, Project Cold Case is a nonprofit organization committed to re-opening investigations into unresolved homicides and missing persons cases. Built on the principle that every victim should get justice and every family deserves closure, the initiative started with Backmann’s personal experience with his father’s Clifford Backmann unsolved murder.
“When a murder happens, families are confused and have no idea or experience with it. You would think the case would be solved quickly, but months go by, no changes in the case, and you begin to lose hope,” stated Backmann.
Project Cold Case concentrates its efforts on cases that have grown cold. Over 1,000 cases have been submitted by families and law enforcement to be featured on the non-profit’s website. The organization offers extensive support to families, providing opportunities for one-on-one therapy sessions, in-person support groups, and virtual Zoom sessions.
Project Cold Case has also paired with the University of North Florida. In collaboration with Professor Tricia Booker’s Applied Journalism class, students are given the opportunity to work on real cases and bring awareness to unsolved murders.
You can find more information about Project Cold Case at Projectcoldcase.org