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The Criminal Investigation Resource Center (CIRC) at Russell Sage College has once again been acknowledged for its role in helping resolve a cold case.
Today, February 10, Criminal Investigation Resource Center Director Christina Lane, a criminologist and associate professor of criminal justice at Russell Sage, attended a news conference with the Elmira Police Department in Elmira, New York, where police announced the resolution of the 1964 homicide case of 12-year-old Mary Theresa Simpson. Alfred Murray, who died in 2004, was identified as the person responsible for her death through the Criminal Investigation Resource Center’s case organization efforts, as well as DNA testing, genetic genealogy, and collaborative efforts between the Elmira Police Department and FBI.
“This case stands as a powerful reminder that time does not erase responsibility,” Elmira police said in a statement. “The Elmira Police Department never forgets its victims and will continue to work tirelessly, no matter how long it takes, to solve serious crimes and seek justice for those affected.”
In 2023, the Elmira Police Department Detective Bureau partnered with the Criminal Investigation Resource Center. The center, which is among fewer than a dozen such centers in the nation, and gives students hands-on opportunities to work on real unsolved case files, provided case organization and digitizing of documents, site surveys, and in-depth review of documents, suspects, and forensics to help investigators advance the case. An exhumation of Murray’s body confirmed the connection to DNA evidence.
“The Elmira Police Department embodies the same spirit our students are taught to apply to every case – no victim is forgotten,” Lane said. “Our students are future police officers, attorneys, forensic psychologists, counselors, and other vital roles in the criminal justice system. It is important they do their work with professionalism, using the tools Dr. Chris Kunkle, a forensic psychologist and my partner in the center, have taught them. But we also teach them to do their work with heart. We are grateful to the Elmira Police Department for this opportunity and are proud to have played a part in bringing closure to Mary Theresa’s family.”
CIRC partners with about a dozen law enforcement agencies, both local and out-of-state, to utilize students as a resource in keeping unresolved cases alive. Students, who are often criminal justice or forensic psychology majors, are held to a high standard of professionalism and confidentiality and are eligible to receive academic credit and pay for their work.
This isn’t the first time CIRC has been credited as a valuable resource in resolving cases. Last October, Lane attended a news conference with the Albany Police Department, where CIRC was acknowledged for its role in resolving the 61-year-old homicide case involving Catherine Blackburn. Prior to that, Albany Police thanked CIRC for its efforts in the 1997 “Baby Moses” case, where a baby was murdered and his body abandoned in Washington Park. The baby’s mother was arrested in September 2024 and sentenced in 2025.
Media Coverage:
Elmira Police reveal suspect in Mary Theresa Simpson murder case (Yahoo News, News Nation)
Elmira Police: Breakthrough in 1964 Mary Theresa Simpson Cold Case (WENY, ABC and CBS affiliate in Elmira, New York)
Deceased Elmira man sole suspect in nearly 62-year-old cold case (WSKG Public Radio)
Elmira Police Close 61-Year-Old Cold Homicide Case (Finger Lakes Daily News)
Elmira Police names suspect in 1964 murder (My Hometown Today – Radigan Media)