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LISBON -- With an emphasis on solving the unsolved murders in the county, Columbiana County Prosecutor Vito J. Abruzzino has announced Friday the formation of the Columbiana County Cold Case Task Force.
The task force will be coordinating with the Columbiana County Major Crimes Task Force and offer additional resources toward resolving a list of murders going back 40 years.
Chief Investigator Troy Walker of the Prosecutor's Office and Detective David Talbert of the Salem Police Department will be working together to lead the efforts, which will include detectives from the county sheriff's office with assistance of officers from other departments.
"We're still a small county with finite resources," Abruzzino said. "But my office will be taking what surplus we have and dedicate it toward this effort."
Part of that dedication is hiring Talbert to work part-time with the prosecutor's office, dedicating some time each week toward looking at theses cases. Talbert will continue to work full time for the Salem Police Department and Abruzzino said an agreement has been reached with Salem to allow him to work additional hours through the county.
Abruzzino said Walker has been leading the technical efforts of scanning and digitizing boxes of files being stored in various places in the county that contain what evidence the county has from these cold cases. Items that cannot be digitized are being photographed so those can be kept with the digitized files.
The task force has about a half dozen cases gathered at this point, cases that have the most evidence and a good possibility for solving are now the highest priority. Starting the beginning of April, Abruzzino said there will be a fresh set of eyes going over things again and restarting the investigations.
"I've met with every chief in the county two or three times," Abruzzino said of his past 14 months in office. "Every department is hurting for manpower… I understand the drug task force is a first priority for many of them."
He notes the vast majority of crimes including murders in the county seem to have some component of drug use connected to them and resolving drug problems in the local communities solves immediate crimes. However, in order to solve cold cases or even a recent murder it becomes important to focus on working that case, something hard to do without enough staff. That's a service he wants to see the Cold Case Task Force providing.
Last year, the prosecutor's office was able to successfully put Kevin Kirby in prison with a 20 years to life sentence for the 2012 murder of Melinda Todd in her Salem Township home. Abruzzino hopes that will be just the first.
"If we can get one or two of these indicted in the next couple years, I would be happy," Abruzzino said. "We should be able to do that with some luck and some prayer."
He also asks for those who know anything to continue reaching out to the tip line set up for the investigation of cold cases. While they would prefer to be able to follow up with people in person, Abruzzino said there is also a way to remain anonymous if someone if afraid. Those having any information regarding a past homicide in Columbiana County are asked to call the Prosecutor's Office Tip Line at 330-420-1050.
"The Columbiana County Commissioners have resoundingly supported my vision for the office and the importance I place in solving cold cases," Abruzzino said in a press release announcing the formation of the Cold Case Task Force. "Without their unwavering support, such efforts would be impossible due to the high costs associated with investigating these types of cases. Special thanks are also in line for Salem Police Chief J.T. Panezott and Columbiana County Sheriff Brian McLaughlin who have agreed to support the efforts via their involvement with the Major Crimes Task Force."