WA could expand resources for solving cold cases with Indigenous victims
Washington state lawmakers are considering a proposal that would create a cold case unit for missing and murdered Indigenous women and people.
The Washington State Patrol’s list of missing Native American people includes 136 names of men, women, and teenagers.
RELATED: Washington's Missing Indigenous People Alert system goes live
Last year, the state Attorney General’s Office established a task force to look at how these cases are being handle and recommend changes. The task force produced a series of recommendations for state leaders.
House Bill 1177 follows up on one of those recommendations, and proposes a cold case assistance unit dedicated to the issue.
The unit would work on cases with local and tribal police, and prioritize jurisdictions with limited resources for these investigations. The unit would also include a liaison who could work with impacted families and keep them updated. Before that could happen, investigators would have to make requests to reopen cases in each jurisdiction.
A House committee voted to pass the measure forward Thursday.
In 2018, a report found that Seattle had the most missing and murdered indigenous women of any U.S. city, and Washington had the second-highest number of any state.
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Gustavo Sagrero Álvarez
Race & Identity Reporter
Gustavo covers the intersection of race and identity for KUOW, writing stories that center voices often not catered to in typical news. He's most interested in covering how communities effect the levers of power they hold, to effect change.
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