Home

Search Archive WMFD.com News

www.wmfd.com - Unsolved Mansfield crimes and the technology that may help solve them. }}" />

   
 
 
Cold Cases Of The Mansfield Police Department

Story By: Brian Skowronski

Used Cars in Mansfield Ohio

 

 

 
 
 
  Email Story to Friend
   
 

When accidents or crimes, typically of a crude or violent nature go unsolved by the Mansfield Police Department, these criminal investigations then become "cold cases" until new evidence develops. There are currently 14 cold cases being handled by the Mansfield Police Department right now, some of which date back to the early 1960's.

Lt. John Wendling has spent nearly 45 years with the Mansfield Police Department and has seen many of these cases come across his desk.

"What's frustrating is to know who did it and proving who did it because it's two different scenarios. There's cases we know who did this but at this point can't prove it right now, but you don't forget it." Wendling said.

Wendling recalled a case from the 1970's where a serial rapist murdered a woman in a wooded area in Mansfield and went missing for nearly 25 years. The man responsible for the crime was later arrested in Louisiana for a similar crime and through hard police work and a couple trips down to the Big Easy, Wendling was able to connect the man to the Mansfield rapes and murder, producing a confession.

A relatively new technology to law enforcement however, has been producing leads and arrests for Wendling and the rest of the police department for a number of years now. Chemist Tony Tambasco is a forensic specialist in Mansfield, who is considered one of the best at his craft in the entire country.

Tambasco is able to take artifacts from crime scenes and analyze them for DNA evidence, which have lead to many arrests.

One such case Tambasco helped crack was a homicide in Richland County just a couple years ago. All that was left at the crime scene was a cigarette butt, a live round and a spent casing and through DNA analysis of the cigarette Tambasco was able to produce the identity of the criminal and the victim.

"DNA's a wondeful tool. It will solve a crime that's dead cold in the water and it will also give you some pieces to the puzzle that will help solve the investigation."Tambasco said.

Tambasco also mentioned that evidence from some local cold cases dating back nearly 30 years are currently being analyzed and perhaps some pieces to those puzzles will begin to come together.  

 

   
  MORE RECENT NEWS
 
Image1 The Memorial holiday weekend period is the unofficial start of summer, and also brings about stepped up patrol efforts by local law enforcement agencies. Full Story
Image1 With Memorial Day weekend here, so too will be potentially dangerous cookouts. Full Story
 
Image1 WMFD Meteorologist Michael Joyce sits with Brigitte Coles to recount his Oklahoma experience. Full Story
Image1 The Mansfield-Ontario-Richland County Health Department requests the public's assistance in finding a dog which has bitten a 22-year-old woman. Full Story
  MORE NEWS
 

Biting Bulldog Sought

Mansfield Boil Advisory

Mansfield Senior High Seniors Have Left The Building

St. Peter's High School Wins Just Bag It Food Drive

Is Local Taypayer Data In Jeopardy?

REN Hosts MindSprouts Creative Writing Showcase

No Mail Delivery, Post Offices Closed On Memorial Day

UFO Photo Fools WMFD Crew

More News