Commission works to close cold cases throughout the state

SARASOTA, Fla. - Osprey, Florida, 1959, a family of four living in the rural area was found murdered. 

A husband, wife and their two young children. 

The Walker family murder has gone unsolved for more than 50 years. 

"We are trying to go back and reconstruct based on where we found the bodies inside the house what occurred. Did somebody come to the door, was there a burglar in the house when they came home," said Sarasota County Sheriff Kurt Hoffman. 

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Decades later, those are answers the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office continues to search for. 

"You kind of get tunnel vision at some point, you feel like you’ve done everything you can do on those cases," said Hoffman. 

Over the last few days, the case has been discussed in front of a new set of eyes and experience from cross the state. 

"When you have kind of a brain trust, if you will, of individuals from a bunch of different disciplines, you have the opportunity to pick each other’s brains," said Hoffman. 

That’s being done for cold cases and unidentified remains across the state by the Florida Sheriff’s Association Cold Case Advisory Commission. 

"Florida sheriff’s offices all across the state  work together in a collaborative environment to solve some of these cases and bring a sense of knowing of what happened to these loved ones," said Citrus County Sheriff Mike Prendergast. 

Prendergast serves as the chairman of the commission. 

"Right now we are actively pursuing leads for 80 individual cases throughout the state of Florida," he said. 

With 3,200 unsolved cases around the state, agencies hope their brainstorming and a spotlight on cases like the Walker murders will jog memories and tips to close each out….no matter how long it takes. 

"We are dedicated to finding answers for those family members who remain behind after a murder is committed or an unidentified set of remains is identified in Florida," said Prendergast. 

For a list of Sarasota County cold cases, click here.

If you have information on any unsolved case, contact 941-366-TIPS.

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