After 20 years of breaking network news and developing true-story movies, THOMAS & DAWNA COLBERT decided to focus on helping crime-victim families find their missing loved ones.
FBI records reveal there are more than a quarter-million unsolved murders across America, and it’s growing by 6000 a year — all because of rising breaking crime. The fallout: only 5% of law enforcement agencies now have “cold case” staffs to solve them. This immense backlog is hurting department morale and cutting fragile life-lines to generations of grieving families.
Dawna knows their pain and frustration; decades ago, she and her siblings tracked down and testified against their mother’s killer.
In 2013, the Colberts took on this backlog. They recruited 40 retired and part-time CSI investigators, federal agents, forensic specialists, military-intel officers and criminal-justice experts to join the volunteer effort. With encouragement and support from generous citizens, corporations and government agencies, their “Case Breakers” — a nickname that’s now a non-profit — have three goals: closing old homicide files, enlisting more retired professionals, and promoting public-service careers. The couple says, “This is about answering the call of crime victims who’ve given up on hope and justice.”
To prove themselves, the Case Breakers first took on the country’s four biggest mysteries: the hijacker D.B. Cooper, the Zodiac Killer, the burial location of Jimmy Hoffa, and what had become of the last young boy in the Atlanta Child Murders. Tom and Dawna believe their unique task force has cracked them all: Cooper’s identity was revealed in two documentaries (2016 & 2022) and in a multi-award-winning book; a producer-partner is in discussions to take on the Zodiac investigation in the High Sierra; the suspected burial site of Jimmy Hoffa was provided to the FBI; and there is a stunning twist in the Georgia ACM case that will shake the nation.
The sleuths are now focused on a variety of unsolved cases. And since their 2013 launch, they’ve never been sued and never been wrong.
Here’s how to help expand these critical crews around the USA: Do you know a congenial cop, a legal mind, a government official, a community insider, a forensic specialist, a cyber maverick or a health professional willing to share their expertise (by phone or in the field)? How about providing safety equipment, communication gear or a new technology that might aid the members? Or simply consider making a tax-deductible donation to help Fuel The Footwork of these incredible volunteers. We can’t turn the country around without you!
On behalf of 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 three 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).
