This chapter is concerned with the place of forensic science in cold case reviews and the differences in its positioning when comparing cold case murders and cold case stranger rape reviews. It will be suggested in this chapter that there is a reliance on science in cold case reviews but this reliance is not without issue. However, it is a good place to start an investigation, especially in sexually motivated offences, when it can identify a previously unknown offender, link crimes, or open new investigative lines of enquiry to implicate or eliminate offenders. The issues inherent with relying on forensic science in cold case reviews will also be made clear.
