More than 1,300 local cold cases now searchable thanks to database

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — There are thousands, if not more, unsolved homicides in Florida but there’s no way of knowing the exact number because that information is not tracked at the state level.

Action News Jax showed you in February how in Jacksonville alone there's a backlog of 752 cold cases dating back to 1990. There are even more cases if you search further back.

Ryan Backmann, founder of Project Cold Case, said he's been working for years on creating a public database.

After Gov. Rick Scott vetoed $50,000 meant to create a statewide cold case task force, Backmann took matters into his own hands.

“We have [more than] 1,300 victims in our database already,” Backmann said.

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All those cases are now easily accessible on ProjectColdCase.org where you can see details of the case, a picture of the victim and what number to call if you have information.

Backmann said even the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office has reached out to him to see how it can collaborate to get killers off the streets.

“The person we want to find this database is someone that has information on a crime,” Backmann said.

Currently, only cases in Duval and St. Johns counties, along with cases submitted by families, are in the database but Backmann said he’s already reached out to Nassau and Clay counties.

“Hopefully as time and funding permit, we will have the entire state,” Backmann said Backmann.

Backmann said he’s also working on getting a list of unsolved hit and runs-and-runs in the area.

Cox Media Group