What is The Vidocq Society?

[Kimster]

An unusual, exclusive crime-solving organization meets monthly on the top floor of the historic Public Ledger Building in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In a famed walnut-paneled meeting room, members of The Vidocq Society honor Eugène François Vidocq, the brilliant 18th century French detective who served the Sûreté, by applying their collective forensic skills and experience to "cold case" homicides and unsolved deaths. At Vidocq meetings Vidocq Society Members (V.S.M.'s) evaluate, investigate, refocus, revivify and solve the unsolved deaths officially brought to them. <snipped>

http://www.vidocq.org/

I first heard of them in Leah Freeman's case. What else do we know about them?

[Kimster]

"Known as the heirs of Sherlock Holmes, the Philadelphia-based Vidocq Society gathers ace detectives from around the world to solve the world's most perplexing cold cases. The group -- formed by freewheeling forensic sculptor Frank Bender, FBI and U.S. Customs agent William Fleisher and preeminent forensic psychologist and profiler Richard Walter -- has pledged itself to a grand quest for justice.

"People think of them as wizards who sort of peep and mutter and go into a back room and come out and say, 'He did it,'" said Philadelphia crime writer Michael Capuzzo, who profiles the group in his book, "The Murder Room." <snipped>

http://abcnews.go.com/2020/leah-freeman-oregon-teen-murder-vidocq-society/story?id=11374958

[tlcya]

wow, how cool. I often wondered what would happen if some organization gathered the "best of the best" to look at old cold cases like that. Many LE depts have cold case squads, but I had no idea there was such an organization as this. This sounds sort of like the league of extrodinary detectives or something.

[Kimster]

BTW, on their website they state they will only work with cases where they have full cooperation with LE.

[tlcya]

With that insight, Bender sculpted a bust of List.

snipped from http://abcnews.go.com/2020/leah-freeman-oregon-teen-murder-vidocq-society/story?id=11374958&page=2


This is the guy who did the John List bust that was so deadon.

also snipped, same link

[the Society was] formed by freewheeling forensic sculptor Frank Bender

[redsky]

There was a short lived TV show with Christian Slater that seemed to be based on this idea of a secret meeting between people who could help solve cold cases. In one of the first cases, they hired a sculpture who would create the busts to help the group. I liked the show.. so of course it was cancelled. I believe it was called The Forgotten.