Cold Case 101: College Sleuths Try Their Hands

A college club is using cold cases to instruct criminal-justice students in techniques of investigation—and perhaps uncover that crucial piece of evidence missed by police, CNN reports. The Cold Case Investigative Research Institute, counting students at three Southern schools, uses high-profile cases like Natalee Holloway and Chandra Levy, to bring “textbooks to life,” in the words of founder Sheryl McCollum.

"The students became completely dedicated once they met the family members of the victims," McCollum said. "The victims are real people, the cases are real cases, and the research is real investigative work." (More cold cases stories.)