One family is pushing for state law reform in how cold cases are handled and prosecuted, as nearly 1,000 missing person cases in TN remain unsolved.
fox17.com
December 29, 2025
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“Our fight is not over,” said Jennifer’s sister, Casey Robinson.
Jennifer’s mother, Kathy Nale, and Robinson have spent more than two decades searching for answers- with law enforcement, and sometimes without. Robinson says cold case families can go years without hearing updates on their cases.
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Now, Robinson is petitioning lawmakers to rewrite how Tennessee handles and prosecutes cold cases. She’s partnering with other families, hoping lawmakers will take action.
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Robinson sent a letter to state lawmakers outlining multiple reforms she hopes will be introduced during the legislative session beginning Jan. 14. One proposal would require detectives to review cold cases more frequently. A family could also request that a case be reassigned to a different agency if local departments don’t have sufficient resources.
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Another reform she’s seeking involves changing the statute of limitations for charges tied to missing persons cases, specifically where no remains have been found.
“Missing person cases and investigations should not follow the same law for statute of limitations until someone is found,” Robinson said.
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Other proposed reforms would expand when and where law enforcement can execute search warrants in missing persons cases, strengthen the state’s databases for tracking cases, and provide funding for additional liaisons between detectives and relatives, to keep families better informed.
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