HARRISBURG, Pa. — Inside the Dauphin County District Attorney's Office, two friends have reunited with a common goal in mind.
Some families of cold case victims have been left without answers for decades.
"We developed a cold case squad a couple years ago, but this is something people were doing as a side [project]," said Fran Chardo, the Dauphin County District Attorney. "As in all things, if [it's] the only thing you're doing, you're going to get better results."
Detective Rodney George and Chardo met and worked side-by-side in 2002 on the 1969 unsolved murder of Lillie Belle Allen. Allen was one of two people killed during the race riots in York that left 60 people wounded and led to more than 100 arrests.
More than twenty years later, the pair has reunited with Det. George assuming the role of Dauphin County's first-ever cold case detective.
"Having a good working relationship between the prosecutor and the detective is really important," said Chardo. "We worked really well together in that case and we knew we'd work [well] together in future cases."
"[Fran and I] have had a great relationship, stemming back to 2000 on the York Riot cases," Det. George recalled. "It was an opportunity to continue doing cases that- it feels weird saying you enjoy doing a case [where] somebody was murdered and their family hasn't had any [answers] for years- but I enjoy working those cases and I've had some success."
With cold cases, the element of time is always a challenge.
"It's an arbitrary point, but over five years is where we draw the line," Chardo said, describing when a case officially turns "cold."
"People's memories fade, it's hard to get a good timeline, witnesses pass away," Det. George listed. "But the increase in technology is a big thing [and] people's loyalties change. Fifteen years ago they could be best friends with somebody and fifteen years from now they're not anymore."
Technology breaking open cold cases is something Chardo had a personal experience with.
"There was a [popular] DJ and once he got arrested for a cold case, one detective from our office said, 'You know, he was the DJ at my wedding. Had no idea,'" Chardo recalled. "It's an example of someone who committed a crime long ago, that was lurking among us for a long time."
The team began their work in the fall of 2023, gathering their bearings and sifting through cold cases that may have immediate leads.
Detective George will revisit evidence and interviews as he works to find new leads that could break open a Dauphin County cold case. He'll focus on one case at a time, focusing his attention on finding new leads to bring justice to grieving families.
"It's great to totally focus on a case and go where that takes you," Det. George explained. "Rather than going where that case takes you, but taking a detour because another case is coming in that you have to take care of. It's definitely the way to go about doing these cases."
Ultimately, Chardo and Geroge want to give a voice to the voiceless.
"I've seen how [cold cases] can affect families," said Chardo. "The weight, not knowing if justice will ever be brought... I can't imagine. If we can remedy that, we want to do it."
"They'll never experience anything again, their family will never experience anything with them again," Det. George added. "And here's this person, living their life like nothing ever happened. That's what motivates me."
"The person that committed these crimes is out there, if they've committed one murder there's a likelihood [they'll] commit another," he continued. "You [solve the crime] for the victim because that's who you need to stand up for."