Geneva: “Keep the faith” to investigate cold cases

A mysterious file is once again making headlines in Geneva. Via a call for witnesses, on November 5, the police relaunched the search for an unidentified body, discovered ten years ago, in the Arve. Like the cantons of Vaud or Valais, the Geneva law enforcement agencies do not have a section dedicated to cold cases. These unsolved cases are the prerogative of the criminal brigade inspectors.

Its head, Marc Zingg, indicates that “monitoring is generally carried out by the same referent, who works at his own pace, because each investigation is particular”. The file is sometimes transferred to new people who join the brigade: “They are often applicants, to gain experience; what’s more, they can bring a fresh perspective to the matter.

The discovery of an unidentified body, or the absence of probative elements after a crime, requires self-sacrifice and imagination. “Once, an inspector noticed a very particular correction of the glasses worn by the victim,” rewinds David Lambert, deputy in the criminal brigade. He went back to the optician to find out the identity of the owner of the glasses.”

You also need to know how to be patient, especially if trails lead across borders. “Response to an overseas inquiry can take months. We are dependent on the interest, desire and resources of the local police.” This is why, as far as possible, “we use our personal network of colleagues from other countries,” specifies Marc Zingg. Which cites in particular the FBI and its incomparable means.

If the passage of time is often the enemy of the investigator – the statute of limitations is 20 years for a murder, and 30 years for an assassination (editor’s note: a particularly heinous, cruel and premeditated murder) – he can also be an ally, notes the inspector. “Over the years, scientific means improve, such as the refinement of DNA or toxicological analyses, and the databases are more complete.” The expansion of social networks is also an advantage: searches can, for example, be launched via discussion forums, which make it possible to collect information from Internet users.

The help of profilers also remains relevant, “but we are getting back to it a bit,” admit the police. Their analyzes constitute hypotheses; the risk is to focus too much on it, and to carry out the investigation with blinders on.”

Working on these big cases also requires a strong mind. “We must keep the faith, resist pressure from the authorities, families, the media and public opinion,” says David Lambert. And also manage the frustration of an investigation that gets bogged down. “We sometimes have drops in morale and there is a risk that this will turn into an obsession.” In these cases, it is better to press pause, and then continue: “This remains “our” business, we are committed to it.”

Fortunately, there are not many cold cases at the end of the lake. The police have identified less than a dozen cases over 20 years old, and only one unsolved case in the last two decades. One case still stands out within the criminal squad: the murder of Silvia, 16 years old, whose body was found at the foot of the cliffs of Saint-Jean, on December 5, 1988. The teenager’s attacker, beaten to death and probably raped, has never been identified.

Bodies in the Arve: a difficult case