When a case drags out for a long period of time, many feelings come up for those survivors who lost a loved one. Survivors are caught in a limbo state and communication with law enforcement can become increasingly infrequent causing resentment in a myriad of directions. One may be angry that law enforcement isn’t communicating effectively or at all with them on the case management. They may be angry that the person(s) responsible for killing their loved one gets to remain free and has not been brought to justice while the survivor has a life shattered by murder and feels trapped in an emotional prison. Anger towards the media may also be present because their loved one’s case has gone out of the spotlight in the top news headlines. This guide is designed to also address those issues that help perpetuate the frustrations of a cold case.
   When one endures the pain associated with an unresolved case, it can wear the survivors to their core being. The brain physically changes over time and you are never the same person inside. Unresolved case survivors struggle to find normalcy in their lives, and simply living their daily lives is often a great struggle. Survivors of cold cases also tend to also have very unsettling thoughts and feelings, especially if the remains of the loved one weren’t discovered for a long period of time or the exact cause of death was not able to be determined. Is my loved ones killer going to come after me next? Did my loved one suffer? Were they sexually assaulted before or after they were murdered? Was their death quick, or was it prolonged and involved torture? As deeply disturbing as these thoughts are, they are often standard questions to someone who has had to endure many unknowns. It is the brain simply trying to conceptualize and rationalize the brutal act of homicide. We hope that the following information will help you with the unsolved murder of your loved one and that you are able to find a modicum of peace even though you have an open wound.