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Cold Cases quiz: 12 questions with answers

Question 1 of 12Correct: 0

Why is a case harder to solve when the attacker was a stranger?

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Why Crimes Go Unsolvedin the app0/2Why Evidence Gets Lostin the app0/2Why Are Cold Cases Printed on Playing Cards0/2How Crimes Are Solved Years Later0/2How DNA Testing Changed Criminal Investigationsin the app0/2What Is Investigative Tunnel Vision0/2

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Answers and explanations12 questions
  1. Why is a case harder to solve when the attacker was a stranger? There is no narrow pool, motive, or shared connectionWithout a link between the victim and attacker, there is no list of names, so the investigation waits for a chance match or a witness.From “Why Crimes Go Unsolved”
  2. Why are the first hours after a crime so important? Traces disappear and witnesses' memories changeFootage is erased, traces are washed away, and memories quietly get reconstructed over time.From “Why Crimes Go Unsolved”
  3. Why is evidence from old cases often unsuitable? Storage conditions, disposal deadlines, and contamination during testingStorage rules were introduced much later than the storage facilities themselves.From “Why Evidence Gets Lost”
  4. Why do experts leave part of a sample untouched? For future analytical methodsWhat cannot be analyzed today may become decisive 20 years from now.From “Why Evidence Gets Lost”
  5. Why are unsolved cases printed on playing cards? The deck stays in hand for months, and the face appears dozens of timesThe goal is a lasting reminder where an ordinary notice would be read once and forgotten.From “Why Are Cold Cases Printed on Playing Cards”
  6. What is known about these programs' effectiveness? Some cases were solved, but there is no controlled evaluationThe programs continue for years and have documented examples, but no comparison with a control group has been conducted.From “Why Are Cold Cases Printed on Playing Cards”
  7. Why can a DNA profile fail to help an investigation for years? It doesn't work without a database for comparisonA DNA profile becomes a key to a name only when that name is already in a suitable database.From “How Crimes Are Solved Years Later”
  8. How can DNA lead to a suspect through distant relatives? Matches are used to build a tree and narrow the listMatches with distant relatives help build a tree and create a short list for direct DNA testing.From “How Crimes Are Solved Years Later”
  9. What did reviews of convictions using genetic analysis show? Most wrongful convictions relied on mistaken eyewitness identificationThe witnesses were usually highly confident.From “How DNA Testing Changed Criminal Investigations”
  10. What is the weak point of high sensitivity? It is easy to get a profile from someone who merely handled an object or whose trace was transferredThe analysis answers whose trace it is, but not how it got there.From “How DNA Testing Changed Criminal Investigations”
  11. What is investigative tunnel vision? An early theory becomes a frame for fitting the factsThis is not bad intent, but a feature of attention under deadline pressure.From “What Is Investigative Tunnel Vision”
  12. What helps break it? Blindly passing evidence to experts and reviewing alternativesIf an expert knows the expected answer, the likelihood of seeing a match increases.From “What Is Investigative Tunnel Vision”