Tallahassee, Florida – Samuel Little, a serial killer who confessed to over 90 killings, has reopened long-standing mysteries through his confessions while in a Texas prison. Investigators from various states, including Florida, visited Little in hopes of solving cold cases. As a result of his confessions, multiple cases were resolved, shedding light on years-long unsolved crimes. Now, two Florida lawmakers, Rep. Tom Fabricio, R-Miami Lakes, and Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, R-Spring Hill, have filed bills that could revolutionize how unsolved crimes are resolved.
The bills (HB 533, SB 524) proposed by Fabricio and Ingoglia aim to require all Florida inmates in the state prison system to submit DNA samples by September 30, 2024 if they do not already have one on file. This proactive approach aims to make use of modern technology to potentially link inmates to unsolved cases. Currently, the process of obtaining DNA samples from inmates is not comprehensive enough, as many inmates were incarcerated before the implementation of DNA testing and storing technology.
According to a staff analysis of the bill, incorporating more offenders into the DNA database wouldn’t incur costs for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement but could result in an undetermined expense for the Florida Department of Corrections. This proactive step has drawn the support of State Attorney Jack Campbell, who emphasized the importance of DNA in solving crimes and its potential to provide investigative leads in solving multiple cases across different states.
Not only would the proposed law benefit Florida, but it could also help other states to close cases and possibly even exonerate wrongfully imprisoned individuals. The bills aim to address the significant gaps in data collection and potentially revolutionize cold case investigations. The potential for closure and providing answers to victims’ families underscores the significance of the proposed legislation. If enacted, the bills could streamline the process of solving cold cases and provide much-needed closure to the families of the victims.