Dallas police re-launch cold case unit after years without one

Dallas police re-launch cold case unit after years without one Tasha Tsiaperas

Mark Woolsey wants to know who killed his brother nearly nine years ago in an apparent road rage incident in Dallas. (Andy Jacobsohn/The Dallas Morning News)

By TASHA TSIAPERAS and JULIE FANCHER
Staff writers

For nearly nine years, the family of Kenneth Woolsey has longed to know who shot and killed the 41-year-old father in an apparent road rage incident.

Now they may find out.

The Dallas Police Department has re-established a dedicated cold case unit to help solve old cases after years without one.

Chief David Brown “really recognizes the importance of trying to follow up on cases where leads have been exhausted and we need to go back and take a closer look,” said Deputy Chief Rob Sherwin, head of the crimes against persons division. “Those cold case detectives can now look through those cases to see if they can bring someone to justice.”

Kenneth Woolsey was fatally shot in an apparent random shooting in northeast Dallas in March 2007. (Courtesy photo)

The department last formed a cold case unit in 2008. That four-person unit, was made up of veteran homicide detectives and the unit disbanded a few years ago when several of those investigators retired.

With the start of the new unit, the original plan called for the most seasoned detectives to be on it. But some officers have expressed disappointment that the new unit doesn’t adequately reflect the level of experience of the previous cold case detectives.

The new cold case squad will have two detectives from the robbery division, a crime scene analyst and a homicide detective. Sherwin understands the frustration of some who might have wanted the unit to be filled with more seasoned homicide detectives, but he said he wants a different approach in setting it up – and how the new unit will operate.

“I specifically made that request and I’ll take responsibility for that,” Sherwin said. “I wanted detectives who would look at something in a new way, not somebody who would look at something with a certain belief system.”

Last unit in 2008

Solving a cold case takes a lot of time; time to read over old detective notes, track down witnesses, submit physical evidence for testing. It’s a full-time job because the work is more than a detective can handle in his or her free time.

Many cases are like Woolsey’s. They are ready for another look after going unsolved for years. Maybe there’s evidence that wasn’t tested. Maybe relationships have changed and someone who wouldn’t talk at the time the crime happened is willing to spill the details now.
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