Seminole Co. launches new team to look into cold case murders

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — Seminole County investigators are hoping to get new leads that could solve more than two dozen cold murder cases.

WFTV's Bianca Castro found out a new team will look into the crimes case by case.

Almost 30 years ago 25-year-old Pamela Cahanes was killed. Her body was dumped off a Sanford road. Her killer was never found.

WFTV spoke to her brother on Tuesday from Minnesota.

"You hear about it, you know? Some other people's murders aren't solved and then when it happens to yourself, you just can't believe it. Why can't they find somebody or why can't they get this concluded?" said Doug Cahanes.

Now the sheriff's office is launching a new effort to close its 30 or so cold cases.

Investigators will go case by case revisiting witnesses who were interviewed, and looking for new DNA evidence. They'll also use grant money to hopefully add a cold case investigator.

A lot has changed in the time that has passed, but investigators said all they need is one new nugget of information to open up the dead end they reached 30 years ago.

Investigators already have new DNA evidence in the Pamela Cahanes case. Now they just need a match.

DNA helped them solve a different a cold case earlier this year.

David Hedrick of Apopka was convicted of tax fraud and was forced to give a DNA sample. It just happened to match DNA from a murder 20 years ago. That closure gives hope to Cahanes' brother.

"We got to keep hoping don't we?" said Doug Cahanes.

Investigators from area police departments are also on the new cold case review team. They're scheduled to meet for the first time before the end of this month.

WFTV