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| (from truecrimelover.com) |
Great news for fans of the true crime series "Cold Justice". I was very happy to see that Cold Justice will return for a forth season, with a few notable changes. TNT dropped the show, however Oxygen wisely snatched it up to bolster it's new "Crime Time" format. I am a big fan of this show, so I was saddened that Yolanda McClary will not be returning this season - she is said to be "exploring other projects". I thought McClary and former prosecutor Kelly Siegler had great working chemistry so I will miss watching them dissect these cold cases together. The show has netted some impressive real world results. In just 3 seasons, their work has resulted in 16 convictions and 30 arrests. Not bad considering some of the cases they tackled were 20-25 years old, making locating and re interviewing (aging or now deceased) witnesses difficult.
Sure this is a television show with lights and cameras and production crews following the team around - and television is all about ratings. However, "Cold Justice" seems to be about more than ratings. It's about getting justice for the friends and families of murder victims who have never received their day in court for their loved one. You can tell that former Harris County prosecutor Kelly Siegler cares deeply about what she does. Like her or not, she gets results. As a tough Texas prosecutor she didn't lose murder trials. She found a new calling with "Cold Justice".
There are a variety of programs that touch on cold or unsolved murder cases, but in my opinion this is the crème of the crop. Look for the premiere later this month on Oxygen. The 2017 cast consists of:
Kelly Siegler - Siegler worked as a prosecutor for Harris County for 21 years before retiring from the DA's office in 2008. She is well known in the law and order state of Texas as being tough and a formidable opponent in the courtroom. Siegler tried and won convictions on more than 65 murder cases during her tenure at the DA's office. She is a sought after speaker known throughout the country and is a passionate advocate for victims rights.
Johnny Bonds - former homicide from Texas, began in law enforcement in 1967 and has been with the "Cold Justice" team from the inception of the show. Bonds is an old school fan favorite and just has that Texas lawman style that makes him fun to watch. Bonds has more than 41 years of law enforcement experience and met Siegler after accepting a position as an investigator with the Harris County District Attorney's office.
Steve Spingole - has been assisting the team the past few seasons and was involved in the case of infamous serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. A retired Lieutenant Detective with the Milwaukee PD, Spingole is also the author of several books including "The Best of the Spingole Files, Vol 1", "Predators of the Parkway", and "A Former Homicide Detective Explores the Colonial Parkway Murders.
Aaron Sams - new to the "Cold Justice" team, Sams is not new to law enforcement. He served as a homicide detective with the West Palm Beach Police Department for 18 years and worked over 250 violent crimes and homicides. He received many awards and accolades during his career including the 2012 ASIS Criminal Investigation Team of the Year award.
Tonya Rider - also new to the "Cold Justice" team, but this is no rookie investigator. Rider has 26 years experience with the Toledo Police Department in the Crimes Against Persons/Homicide Department. She received a Meritorious Service Medal for her work on a high profile cold case involving the murder of a Catholic Nun by Father Gerald Robinson who was arrested in 2006. Rider is now retired from the police force and is a full time instructor at the Bowling Green State University Forensic Investigation Program. Another great addition to the team.
Look for the shows premiere on July 22 on it's new home with Oxygen (Good move Oxygen!). Can't wait to discuss the new cases and results. Have a great weekend.
