The Cold Case Unit was formed in 2024 to reopen homicide, missing person, and sexual assault cases that have remained unsolved for at least three years. Modern forensic technology and investigative methods allows new evidence to be uncovered that was not possible in the past.
On this page you can meet the detectives assigned to the Cold Case Unit, learn how to submit tips about any cold case, and view the interactive dashboard that provides details about these cases.
Detective Andrew Houghton has been a police officer since 2007. He has been a detective since 2014 and is currently assigned to the Cold Case Unit. He previously served in the Patrol Division, as an Evidence Technician, and as an Affiliate Investigator with both the Illinois Attorney General’s Office and the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Task Forces.
Detective Chris Hall has been a police officer since 2016 and is currently assigned to the Cold Case Unit. He previously served in the Patrol Division and as a tactical officer on the department’s Emergency Services Detail and SWAT Team.
Detective Beth Sterricker has been a police officer since 2006 and is currently assigned to the Cold Case Unit. She is also a member of the Crisis Negotiations Team and previously served in the Patrol Division, the Narcotics Enforcement Unit, as an Evidence Technician, and as a School Resource Officer at Elgin High School.