The Utah State University community is grappling with the loss of Rachel Walton, a revered professor and pioneer in the realm of cold case research. Walton passed away on February 1 at the age of 77, leaving behind a legacy of resolve and compassion within the field of criminal justice. A former deputy sheriff and district attorney investigator before her tenure at USU Eastern, Walton had a lasting impact, penning the seminal text "Cold Case Homicides: Practical Investigative Techniques," as Utah State University Today remembered her.

During her distinguished career, Walton unraveled a historic case leading to the first posthumous pardon for a Native American man falsely accused and convicted of heinous crimes in the 1920s. Joseph P. Ward, the Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, recounted her academic excellence and dedication, asserting, "Her legacy will live on at USU through the success of the Criminal Justice program, to which she contributed greatly," as per Utah State University Today.

Rachel Walton achieved her Doctor of Education from San Francisco State University, topping her class in 2005. Having joined the USU faculty, she launched a comprehensive examination of unresolved homicides in Utah, spanning from 1965 to 2005. Her prowess was not confined to Utah but was requested by elite law enforcement and research institutions like the FBI, and the National Institute of Justice, and even reached the Royal Canadian Mounted Police across the northern border.

In the wake of Walton's death, Judson Finley, the department head for Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminal Justice at USU, lamented the loss of a mentor cherished by junior faculty and students alike. "Rachel was the kind of mentor we should all aspire to be like," Finley expressed, revealing a dedication that went beyond academics, deeply rooted in the wellbeing of her students. Faculty plans are underway to honor Walton with a scholarship, as a tribute to her influential career and as a resource for future criminal justice students. Interested individuals may support this cause in remembrance of Walton's profound work by giving scholarships for criminal justice students in her name.