Halifax police reopen 20 unsolved cases

The Halifax Regional Police are opening up 20 unsolved murder and missing person cases dating back to 1974.

The new Cold Case Squad, run out of the Major Crime Unit, will be working on the unsolved crimes.

"There are some officers that have ended up retiring from our department, still with these cases heavy on their minds," says spokesperson Judy Pal. "Not only that, there are people walking around who've committed murder and we don't want to let them think that they're going to get away with it."

Pal says in a number of cases, police had suspects and were looking for one piece of key evidence to make the arrest.

She says crime technology has improved since some of the cases were last open. Pal also says police are hoping some witnesses will be more inclined to come forward with information now that so much time has passed since the crimes.

Police will re-release information on the anniversary of each of the crimes.

Twenty-four years ago Monday, 17 year-old Florence Anne Keeble was found strangled in the woods off old Sambro Road.

On October 30, 1988, 33-year-old Donald Charles Downey was shot to death in the doorway of his home on Creighton Street.