Indiana Expands 'Cold Case' DNA Testing

New law aims to provide closure for families of unsolved crimes.

Apr. 3, 2026 at 2:58am

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An extreme close-up photograph of a tarnished metal object, such as a spent shell casing or a twisted piece of jewelry, lit by a harsh camera flash against a pitch-black background, conceptually representing the forensic investigation of an unsolved crime.Advanced DNA testing could provide new leads in long-unsolved 'cold case' crimes across Indiana.Indianapolis Today

The Indiana state legislature has passed a new law that will allow for expanded DNA testing on evidence from unsolved 'cold case' crimes. State Representative Carey Hamilton, a Democrat from Indianapolis, believes the law could help provide justice for dozens or even hundreds of families whose loved ones' cases have gone unsolved for years.

Why it matters

This new law represents a significant shift in how Indiana approaches unsolved crimes, giving investigators more tools to potentially crack cases that have gone cold. It reflects a growing national trend of using advanced forensic DNA analysis to revisit old evidence and provide closure for victims' families.

The details

The new Indiana law will allow law enforcement to submit DNA evidence from unsolved crimes, even those that occurred decades ago, for advanced genetic testing. This includes access to expanding DNA databases that may contain matches to evidence collected at crime scenes. The goal is to identify suspects or at least provide families with answers about what happened to their loved ones.

  • The new Indiana law went into effect on April 1, 2026.

The players

Carey Hamilton

A Democratic state representative from Indianapolis who sponsored the new 'cold case' DNA testing law.

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What they’re saying

“We believe it could be dozens, if not hundreds, of families that will receive justice through this law.”

— Carey Hamilton, State Representative

What’s next

Law enforcement agencies across Indiana are now working to identify unsolved cases where DNA evidence may still exist and could potentially be re-analyzed under the new law.

The takeaway

This new Indiana law represents an important step forward in using advanced forensic science to provide closure for victims' families and potentially solve long-dormant cold cases. It reflects a growing national trend of leveraging DNA technology to revisit unsolved crimes.