Privacy policy

Cold Case Coalition ("CCC," "we," "us") collects only the information we need to investigate cold cases, support families and law enforcement, and run our organization. We do not sell personal information.

This policy covers coldcasehelp.com and the forms, pages and services on it. It does not cover other websites we link to, including our book publisher, online store, payment processor, GEDmatch or DNA Justice. Those sites have their own privacy policies.

Effective date: November 1, 2026

Information we collect

We collect information you choose to give us and limited information collected automatically when you visit:

From the contact form and newsletter sign-up, we may collect your name, email address, phone number, your message, and your newsletter preference.
From the tip line, we may collect whatever you choose to share, which may include names, places, dates and details about a case. Your name and contact details are optional.
From requests for assistance (cold case or FIGG), we may collect your contact details, your relationship to the case, case details, and documents you send us.
From grant requests, we may collect agency or organization name, contact person, case details and testing needs.
From our volunteer applications, we may collect contact details, background, experience, expertise and references.
From GEDCOM donations, we may collect your contact details and the family tree file you upload, which contains names, dates, places and relationships of you and your relatives
From our 1921 Tulsa Identification Project form, we may collect contact details, family history, family stories, DNA testing status and family tree information.
From media inquiries, we may collect the name, outlet, contact details and your request
For donations and purchases, we may collect name, email, mailing address and gift amount. Card and bank details are handled by our payment processor; we do not see or store full card numbers.
From website visits, we may collect IP address, browser and device type, pages viewed, time on site and the site that referred you.

How we use information

We use the information we collect to:

Investigate cold cases and develop leads for law enforcement
Perform forensic investigative genetic genealogy (FIGG) to identify unidentified human remains and the sources of crime scene DNA
Review and fund grant requests
Respond to your questions, tips and media inquiries
Review volunteer applications and coordinate volunteer work
Process donations and purchases and send receipts
Send our newsletter and updates, if you sign up
Understand how people use our website so we can improve it
Keep our website and records secure

How we share information

We do not sell, rent or trade personal information. We share it only as follows:

Law enforcement and medical examiners. We share case information, tips and investigative findings with the agencies responsible for a case when needed to develop or resolve it.
Forensic and genealogy partners. We share DNA-related case information and genealogy research with accredited laboratories and FIGG partners when needed to complete testing or an identification.
Project partners. Information submitted for the 1921 Tulsa Identification Project may be shared with the City of Tulsa and the project's laboratory and genealogy partners.
CCC volunteers. Volunteers assigned to a case or project may see the information needed for that work.
Service providers. Companies that host our website, process payments, send email and run our forms handle information for us. They may use it only to provide those services.
Legal requirements. We may disclose information when required by law, subpoena or court order, or to protect someone's safety.

Tips, case information, and family trees

Tips. You may submit a tip without giving your name. If you email us, your email address will be visible to us; use the tip line or leave out identifying details if you want to stay anonymous. A tip may be passed to law enforcement if it could help a case.

Information about other people. Tips and case requests often include information about victims, families, witnesses and others. We use it only for the case it relates to and share it only as described in this policy.

GEDCOM files. A donated family tree is used only to help identify unidentified human remains and the sources of crime scene DNA. Your tree may include living relatives, so please donate only a tree you have the right to share. We may share relevant parts of a tree with law enforcement or FIGG partners when needed for an identification. To withdraw a donated tree from future use, contact us.

DNA databases. CCC does not collect DNA through this website. If you upload your DNA to GEDmatch or DNA Justice, those services' own policies apply.

Cookies and analytics

Our website uses cookies and Google Analytics to measure visits and see which pages are useful. Google Analytics collects information such as your browser, device, approximate location and the pages you view. We use this information in summary form and do not use it to identify you.

You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings. You can also opt out of Google Analytics with the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on. Google explains how it uses this data at How Google uses information from sites that use its services.

Security

We limit access to personal and case information to staff and volunteers who need it, and we use reasonable technical and administrative safeguards. No website or storage system is completely secure, so please avoid sending more sensitive information than a request requires.

How long we keep information

Cold cases can stay open for decades, so we may keep case information, tips and research for as long as a case is unresolved and as long as needed afterward for our records. We keep donation records as long as tax and accounting rules require. We keep other information only as long as we need it.