Thirteen years ago, what began as a robbery in Chester County, Pennsylvania, ended in 43-year-old Thomas Ferguson’s murder — and his killer is still on the loose. It’s just one of the nation’s many unsolved cases.  

Think you can help crack one of them? Check out Wilmington University’s new Cold Case Investigations (CRJ 323) course, an elective offered by the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. It started in January 2024 and includes seven in-person sessions at WilmU’s Brandywine location and seven additional online sessions. 

“This is like watching Dateline and being there when they’re talking about a cold case,” says instructor Dr. Raymond Carr, a retired FBI agent and co-director of WilmU’s Criminal Justice Institute. “The course is open to everybody. You don’t have to be a Criminal Justice major.” 

Dr. Carr and other experts will discuss biological evidence, victimology, eyewitness testimony, police lineups, false confessions, databases, and other subjects. This course will prepare students for an internship, offering more in-depth research and hands-on experience.  

“This is a prelude to a Cold Case program we hope to start in September,” says Dr. Carr. “It’s going to be an internship that will allow students to sift through actual police notes, interviews and evidence that they will organize, digitize, and analyze. We’ll be working collaboratively with police departments. And police will solve cases thanks in part to the hard work and fresh perspectives of WilmU students.” 

“I just thought it sounded really fascinating,” says Stacie Shriver, a Delaware Anti-Trafficking Action Council employee who plans to take the course as a Continuing Education option. “(A cold case) could possibly be solved with fresh eyes and new technology.” 

Wilmington University’s Criminal Justice degree and certificate programs provide theoretical, practical and professional knowledge that can lead to success in law enforcement, corrections, courts, probation, parole, private security, and more.