AI’s Role in Solving Cold Cases: The Symbiotic Relationship between Technology and Detectives

Harvey Castro discusses how artificial intelligence (AI) could potentially aid in solving cold cases and highlights the symbiotic relationship between AI and detectives. The case of “Midtown Jane Doe,” whose remains were discovered in 2003, serves as an example. She was identified this year through a genealogy tree match with a relative who died during the September 11 attacks. Detective Ryan Glas shared that they found McGlone’s skeleton while renovating a concrete floor; she had been hogtied and left in the fetal position. The NYPD cold case unit has now identified McGlone, a 16-year-old girl believed to have died around 1969 near an erstwhile rockstar haunt. Glas notes that with AI’s help, they can match DNA samples from crime scenes and databases like GEDmatch or FamilyTreeDNA to build genealogy trees for leads. This technique has been instrumental in cracking recent cases involving violent crimes. With a name established, investigators now aim to uncover McGlone’s killer by leveraging the insights gleaned through AI-powered tools that analyze crime scenes and CCTV footage, providing valuable clues such as height estimates or facial recognition data. Glas adds that technology is an indispensable ally in these cases but notes that human intuition remains crucial to solving crimes effectively.