CHAPTER 1
Wyoming Cold Case Database
Section 1. Authority. These rules are promulgated by the authority of Wyoming Statute ยง 9‑1‑624(a)(vii)(B), which requires that the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation adopt rules specifying the information law enforcement agencies must submit to the Division of Criminal Investigation for inclusion in the Wyoming Cold Case Database.
Section 2. Purpose. These rules are intended to create the procedure for submission of cold cases and cold case information into the Wyoming Cold Case Database. They also define the duties and obligations of each agency and office which may become involved in the process.
Section 3. Statutory Changes. Whenever these rules refer to Wyoming statutes, and those statutes are renumbered or amended, these rules shall be interpreted to reflect such changes.
Section 4. Definitions
(a) "Cold case" means a homicide or felony sexual offense that occurred after January 1, 1972 and remains unsolved for two (2) years or more after being reported to a law enforcement agency.
(b) "Division" means the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
(c) "Law enforcement agency" means a government entity employing peace officers responsible for the prevention and detection of crime and the enforcement of penal, traffic, regulatory or criminal laws.
(d) "Database" means the Wyoming Cold Case Database.
Section 5. Case and Information Submission Procedure.
(a) The Division will utilize an electronic form submission to receive cold case data from law enforcement agencies that will in-turn populate the database.
(b) Each law enforcement agency shall populate the database by submitting the following information using the division-provided electronic form:
(i) Original agency that investigated the case;
(ii) Original investigators who investigated the case;
(iii) Current agency investigating the case;
(iv) Current investigators who are investigating the case;
(v) Original agency case number;
(vi) Current agency case number;
(vii) Investigation status;
(viii) Crime being investigated;
(ix) Synopsis of the case;
(x) Date offense was reported;
(xi) Victim's name;
(xii) Victim's age on offense date;
(xiii) Victim's sex;
(xiv) Victim's race;
(xv) Type of scene;
(xvi) Address of crime scene, including city, county, and state;
(xvii) Weapon(s) involved; and
(xviii) Weapon(s) recovered.
(c) Law enforcement agencies may submit additional information pertaining to the criminal offense into the database.
(d) Law enforcement agencies shall update the database each time a case is solved, the investigation is transferred to another investigating agency, or a viable suspect is developed.
(e) The Division shall grant law enforcement agencies access to the database for investigative purposes.