In a move to close the chapter on thousands of open wounds in Texas, Attorney General Ken Paxton and Texas State University are teaming up to take on cold cases. As reported on April 2nd by the Texas Attorney General's Office, this partnership is forging a path for criminal justice students to be directly involved with real investigation cases, aiming to solve some of the 20,000-plus unsolved homicides in the Lone Star State.

This educational merger births a one-year internship for Texas State University's keenest criminal minds, known as the Cold Case Team. They'll be getting their hands dirty under the supervision of seasoned investigators, trying to possibly bring new evidence to the light. Attorney General Paxton said, "This partnership will connect Texas State students with amazing opportunities to work alongside my office's Cold Case and Missing Persons Unit." And with resources amped up since 2021, the hope is that justice might finally be served for countless grieving families.

The internship is no run-of-the-mill university gig, it's the real deal. The Cold Case Team is set to consist of four students who'll scrutinize unsolved murder and missing person files, combing through police reports, digital data, and all the gritty details that could lead to a breakthrough. It's a full immersion into the cold case abyss, and for students dreaming of detective badges or forensic labs, it's a golden ticket.

But not just any student can waltz into this program. The Texas Attorney General's Office is making sure all interns are vetted thoroughly, with intensive criminal background checks. They must also be able to legally handle sensitive and confidential criminal history information. The stakes are high — and so are the standards.

For those interested in learning more about this unique combination of education and real-world crime-fighting, further details can be fished out through the Attorney General's website. As Texas takes a hard swing at its backlog of cold cases, this fresh coalition between the state's top law enforcement and academia could just very well be the key to unlocking long-silent secrets and handing out long-overdue justice.