About the Team Leaders

DAWNA helped put her father in prison for killing her mom. And like her husband THOMAS J. COLBERT, she has dedicated her life to help other crime victims locate their missing loved ones. Dawna also inspired the creation of their national task force of 40 retired CSI investigators, federal agents, forensic specialists and criminal-justice experts.  

There are now a quarter-million unsolved murders across the USA, and that FBI statistic grows by more than 6000 a year. The reason: Because of growing breaking crime, only 5% of law enforcement agencies can afford to staff “cold-case” squads to solve them. The resulting backlog is destroying agency morale and cutting fragile life-lines to generations of grieving family members. 

With support from generous citizens, corporate partners and government agencies, the Colberts have tasked their team of volunteers to tackle this societal scourge. “The Case Breakers,” a nickname that’s now a non-profit, has 3 goals: closing old files, recruiting  more professionals and promoting public-service careers. The couple believes “these role models are answering the call of crime victims who’ve given up on hope and justice.”

To prove the concept, Tom and Dawna first took on the country’s 4 biggest mysteries: the hijacker D.B. Cooper, the Zodiac Killer, the burial location of Jimmy Hoffa, and what became of the last 10-year-old boy in the Atlanta Child Murders. The couple believes the Case Breakers have cracked them all: Cooper’s identity was revealed in 2 documentaries (2016 & 2022) and in a multi-award-winning book; a UK producer-partner has just signed on to produce the team’s Zodiac investigation; the FBI was given the suspected burial site of Jimmy Hoffa; and there is a stunning twist in the ACM case that will shake the nation.

Here’s how to help our volunteers expand around the USA: Do you know a congenial cop, legal mind, forensic specialist, cyber maverick or health professional who could augment the team? How about safety equipment, communication gear or a technology that might help members in the field? Or simply consider making a tax-deductible donation to help us Fuel The Footwork of these incredible heroes. We can’t turn this around without you!

On behalf of Tom, Dawna, the Case Breakers and civil servants everywhere, thank you and God bless.

More on the Founders

Tom and Dawna Colbert crossed paths in 1990 while each was trying to solve a crime that personally affected them. Both cases led to arrests, convictions and national media coverage; they were later separately portrayed in TV movies for those efforts.

Before and after their 1993 marriage, they have supported a variety of humanitarian missions and public safety causes. A few samples:

2004-2011: Shannen Rossmiller (left-center, at an FBI seminar) was a savant, a municipal judge and a mother of 3 when the 9/11 attack hit. Furious, she taught herself a 4th dialect, Arabic, so she could sting terrorists online. She was credited with more than 200 cases of actionable intelligence and takedowns around the globe. But when the FBI wouldn’t fund this hero’s work, the Colberts did – for eight years. 

2009: Outraged by four separate anti-Semitic graffiti attacks on a Jewish preschool, the Colberts recruited a diverse group of citizens – Christens, Muslims and atheists – to fund and mount a security camera system (Rabbi at far-left, with camera company owner). As one contributor put it, “3-to-5-year-old kids shouldn’t have to face swastikas at drop-off.”

2010-11: With a dozen police and fire agencies facing budget and jurisdictional-response time concerns in their rural county, the Colberts invited all of the chiefs and their mates to a pair of backyard BBQs for casual introductions and initial discussions – media and politicians not invited. The events also honored their department officers and firefighters of the year.

2012: The Colberts spent many Saturdays with their pre-teen kids in the kitchen of their county rescue mission. Despite the community’s weekly generosity of materials and food, the couple learned of the shelter’s financial shortcomings. Months into assembling their national cold case team, they found time to organize a St. Patrick’s Day fundraiser for the mission (Tom with shelter director).