http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montr...to-crack-unsolved-suspicious-deaths-1.4488399
Sûreté du Québec beefs up cold-case squad to try to crack unsolved suspicious deaths
Provincial police force sextuples unit to tackle backlog of suspected homicides dating back more than 50 years
The Canadian Press Posted: Jan 15, 2018
Quebec provincial police will significantly hike the number of officers assigned to its cold-case squad in the coming months as it aims to tackle a backlog of unsolved suspicious deaths dating back more than 50 years.
The unit's membership will increase from five to nearly 30 and will have a presence in the Montreal area and Quebec City, a spokesperson for the Sûreté du Québec said Monday.
Lt. Martine Asselin explained that regular investigators often have to respond to breaking crimes or urgent cases, meaning unresolved killings are relegated to the back burner.
"Now they will work full-time on these cases,'' Asselin said.
The unit will have plenty of work, as there are currently about 750 unsolved cases in its jurisdiction, dating back to the 1960s.
Nearly two-thirds are organized crime cases, however, the unit will focus on those suspicious deaths involving women, children and the elderly, Asselin said.