Cracking the Case: How law enforcement solves cold cases

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KSWT, FOX 9) In this week’s Cracking the Case, News 11 digs into how cold case’s are solved.

Technology, leads and tips are some ways police are able to solve these cold cases, according to the Yuma Police Department (ypd).

In fact, one case was solved years later after a 78-crime tip came in.

Jimmy Ferrara, a western movie star, was murdered in Yuma in 1985.

It came to light close to 20 years after the murder that his wife hired two Marines to kill him.

“And they did, they played and waited and shot him multiple times.” butted “these guys had moved on with their life and they wound up getting arrested along with the wife and they all got sent to prison,” said Sgt. Lori Franklin, Yuma Police Department.

That is not the only way that officers can solve cases.

Advances in technology have made DNA testing much easier.

Sgt. Franklin said many cases, in general, have been solved by DNA testing.