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Senate passes bill to create statewide cold‑case database, sponsor says it will help families
Summary
Senate Bill 160 would establish Utah’s first active cold‑case database housed at the Department of Public Safety, requiring law enforcement agencies to submit unsolved case files to a controlled searchable system; sponsors said it will aid investigations and support families seeking closure.
The Utah Senate voted to pass Senate Bill 160, which sponsors say will create the state's first active cold‑case database. Sen. Wyler, the bill sponsor, said the database would be housed with the Department of Public Safety and require law-enforcement agencies to provide their cold‑case files for inclusion in a controlled, searchable system.
"We have literally hundreds of cold cases in Utah," Wyler said on the floor, noting that a searchable central database will help investigators and families. Several senators described personal connections to long-unsolved cases and urged support during floor debate.
Sen. Dayton said the bill addresses a longstanding need for families who have waited decades for answers. "People are always hoping that maybe something would happen and that he would show up," Dayton said describing the emotional toll on relatives of missing persons.
The Senate recorded the roll call and the bill passed on third reading with 28 aye votes and one absence, and will be transmitted to the House.
Why it matters: Advocates and sponsors argue a central database will improve cross-jurisdictional searching and may lead to new investigative leads on unsolved murders, disappearances and other serious crimes.
What comes next: If the House concurs, the Department of Public Safety will implement the database under the terms in the bill, including the security and access provisions discussed on the floor.
