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Creation of cold case task force takes step forward in Florida Senate

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A 19-member task force could soon be formed to solely investigate Florida cold cases and the driving force behind the plan is a Jacksonville man.

Ryan Backmann formed Project Cold Case after his own father was murdered and the killer is still free.

He's launched a website that in less than a month has gotten more than 20 submissions from families wanting their loved one's cases featured.

The bill to create the Cold Case Task Force passed the Florida Senate Criminal Justice Committee unanimously Tuesday.

Backmann said unsolved homicides are a global problem.

"With all the technology we have and all the resources at our disposal, how you could just stop looking for a bad guy and set aside that's it's personal for me these killers are in our neighborhoods," Backmann said.

The bill now moves on to another subcommittee on the Senate side but it's still unclear if it will make it on to committee agendas in the House.