BCI has established these definitions:
Cold case homicide
A cold case homicide involves any investigation that remains unsolved after being reported to law enforcement and in which all significant and viable leads have been exhausted. The category includes the following:
- Unsolved homicide investigations
- Questioned death investigations in which the cause of death is undetermined but suspected to be homicide
- Suspicious missing person cases in which the person is suspected to be the victim of a homicide
- Unidentified remains investigations
Cold case sexual assault
A Cold Case Sexual Assault Kit Investigation (SAKI) involves any unsolved crime of a sexual nature, or an attempted such crime, in which:
- A sexual assault evidence kit was collected as part of the investigation.
- There are no further apparent investigative strategies or unexplored investigatory leads.