Texas Rangers Double Their Cold Case Unit to Hunt Down Decades-Old Killers
Finn's Take· TL;DR- Texas Rangers doubled cold case unit with new legislation, adding investigators to each regional company statewide for faster investigations.
- Program has solved over 300 cases since 2001, including 156 sexual assaults, demonstrating proven success justifying expansion investment.
- Expansion particularly helps rural counties lacking resources access specialized forensic expertise and investigative support for decades-old unsolved murders.
A Major Expansion Built on 25 Years of Results
The Texas Department of Public Safety has announced the expansion of the Texas Rangers' Unsolved Crimes Investigation Program — a specialized unit dedicated to solving cold case murders and sexual assaults across the state. The move is one of the most significant investments in the program's history, and for the families of victims whose cases have sat dormant for years, it may represent a renewed chance at justice.
Under Senate Bill 1, passed by the Texas Legislature and signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott last year, the department was awarded funding to support new positions — bringing the number of personnel assigned to the specialized unit to 17 Rangers and three support staff, doubling the size of the program. DPS officials said the expansion will allow the program to build on its track record of solving cases that, in some instances, had gone cold for years or even decades.
What the Expansion Actually Looks Like on the Ground
The new positions include one additional Texas Ranger specializing in cold case investigations assigned to each of the six Texas Ranger companies across the state. Previously, each company had a single Texas Ranger assigned to investigate unsolved murders and sexual assaults in their area. That's a fundamental shift — going from one investigator covering an entire region of Texas to two, which in a state this large makes a real operational difference.
The department is also adding a second Staff Lieutenant to supervise the growing unit and assist with the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative, a federally funded program that provides investigative support for unsolved sexual assault and sexually related homicide cases. The SAKI Program, funded by the Department of Justice/Bureau of Justice Assistance, provides investigative funding for agencies across the United States to further unsolved sexual assaults and sexually related homicide investigations.
Rural counties and smaller municipal departments often lack the dedicated manpower, budget, or advanced forensic resources required to keep momentum on stalled investigations, and they heavily rely on the Rangers to step in. Doubling the team means specialized help is much closer and more accessible for local detectives.
A Track Record That Justifies the Investment
Created by the 77th Texas Legislature in 2001, the Texas Rangers' Cold Case Program provides Texas law enforcement agencies with a process for investigating unsolved murders or what appears to be serial or linked criminal events. Since there is no statute of limitations on the offense of murder, the state has the moral and statutory obligation to pursue these cases to a successful resolution, or until no other viable lead remains.
Since its creation in 2001, the program has helped solve more than 300 cases, including more than 156 sexual assault investigations since the statewide Sexual Assault Kit Initiative launched in 2020. The program has also helped identify the remains of 12 previously unidentified people during that time. Rangers assigned to the unit also work with agencies to apply advanced DNA testing and other forensic techniques to long-unsolved cases.
The Message to Those Who Think They Got Away
Texas Ranger Division Chief Scotty Shiver made the stakes clear in announcing the expansion. He noted that for nearly 25 years, the program has helped partner law enforcement agencies bring justice to victims and their families in every corner of Texas, and that the expansion is "a testament to the Rangers' success in working alongside investigators and forensic scientists to identify and arrest criminals who, sometimes for many years, have believed they have gotten away."
The Texas Rangers' Cold Case website provides information on more than 140 unsolved or cold cases in an effort to garner public interest. As part of a DPS public awareness program, one case is featured bi-monthly to generate new investigative leads, and Texas Crime Stoppers rewards are increased to up to $6,000 for featured cases to generate additional tips. With twice the investigators now working those leads, the program enters a new chapter — one with greater reach, more resources, and a clear message that time does not protect the guilty in Texas.