Cold Case Research Consulting

The case went cold.
The record did not.

Rita Williams is an Investigative Analyst working inside a Major Case Unit for a security industry leader. The consulting practice applies that same primary-source methodology to cold cases, and to investigative documentary and podcast projects that need the documented record read and the gaps mapped.

This practice works with organizations and producers who already know what case they are working and need someone who can read the record, find the gaps, and document what the original investigation missed.

Background

The methodology comes from strong investigative work

Not from a course or a consulting framework built in the abstract. Twelve years of federal program analysis at the Defense Logistics Agency at GS-13/14 levels built the institutional pattern recognition. The Clutch Justice investigative platform built the primary-source discipline across published cold case investigations.

Current Role
Investigative Analyst, Major Case Unit
Federal Background
Defense Logistics Agency, GS-13/14 equivalent, 12 years
Published Cold Case Work
OCCK, JoAnn Matouk Romain, Salish Sea Feet, Somerton Man, Walter Collins, Black Dahlia, Kinross Incident, Louis Conradt
Academic
MS Criminal Justice, Purdue Global; CMU Heinz PIT Certificate; Doctoral Candidate, Capella
Fit

Who this practice serves

Engagements are scoped for organizations, producers, and researchers with an active case or project and a defined need. The right client already has the case. They need the record read.

Cold case nonprofits and advocacy organizations that need archive analysis, digitization, or investigative documentation on a specific matter

Documentary and podcast producers with active true crime or investigative projects that need primary-source verification before the project goes to air or print

Investigative journalists and academic researchers building a case from public records who need analytical support, archive review, or document forensics on a specific project

Attorneys and law firms who need a pre-grievance conduct audit or a due diligence review of a practitioner’s documented record

This practice does not take general public inquiries, personal legal advice requests, litigation support, medical or billing analysis, FOIA coaching, or retainer arrangements. It also no longer accepts individual case analysis or wrongful conviction review engagements — see the notice below. Engagements are scoped per project, one at a time. If your situation does not fit, the intake response will say so directly.

Engagements

What the work looks like

Every engagement produces a written findings memo built to the same evidentiary standard as published Clutch Justice investigations. Scope and cost are confirmed in writing before any work begins.

Documentary and Podcast Research Review
$1,500 – $3,500Per project or episode
Pre-publication primary source review for documentary teams, podcast producers, and investigative authors. Identifies where the narrative departs from the documented record before the project goes to air or print. Single episode or full series. The correction that prevents a retraction is cheaper than the retraction.
Archive Digitization and Forensic Review
$1,500 – $6,000Scoped at intake
Physical or digital document capture, OCR, organized searchable archive, and a forensic findings memo on what the archive actually contains. Built on the same model as the OCCK North Fox Island Reference Library at clutchjustice.com. Gaps, inconsistencies, and pattern anomalies documented throughout the process, not after it.
Custom Investigative Reference Tool
$2,500 – $6,000Per project
A custom-built digital reference library for a specific case or document archive. Searchable, organized, publicly or internally accessible. Built to the same standard as the OCCK North Fox Island Reference Library. Makes the record navigable, not just stored. Can be scoped as a standalone or added to any archive engagement.
Attorney Conduct Review
$1,200 – $1,800Scope confirmed before payment
For individuals and families considering an AGC complaint. Full review of attorney correspondence, filings, and billing records. Conduct mapped against MRPC obligations. Written findings delivered as a structured memo ready for the AGC or for your next decision. The record either supports the grievance or it does not.

Every engagement delivers

  • A written findings memo built to evidentiary standard
  • Timeline reconstructed from primary sources only, not from secondary accounts or prior narratives
  • Every contradiction identified and source-cited
  • Investigative gap documentation structured for downstream use by advocates, producers, or researchers
  • Scope and cost confirmed in writing before work begins
Program Update

Why Clutch Justice No Longer Offers Individual Case or Wrongful Conviction Reviews

To maintain clear professional boundaries and focus on investigative journalism and educational resources, Clutch Justice no longer accepts individual case analysis engagements. Instead, we’ve invested in comprehensive courses, toolkits, templates, and guides that teach you the same investigative methods we’ve developed. See the Field Kit page for more.

Process

How engagements begin

  1. 1

    Submit an intake

    Describe the case and what you need. The intake asks for the basic facts of the matter and the specific analytical need. It takes less than ten minutes. You do not need to have everything figured out before you submit.

  2. 2

    Direct response

    Every intake is reviewed personally. If the situation fits the practice, you receive a response within one to two business days with proposed next steps. If it does not fit, you hear that directly and without delay.

  3. 3

    Scope confirmed in writing

    Scope, deliverables, cost, and timeline are confirmed in writing before any work begins. No open-ended commitments. No surprise invoices. What is produced, what it costs, and when it is delivered are defined before payment is made.

  4. 4

    Work begins

    Availability is limited and confirmed at intake. Engagements typically begin within five to seven business days of agreement. Turnaround is defined at scoping and held to.

Learn the Methods Yourself

Individual case and wrongful conviction reviews are no longer offered. The Field Kit has the courses, toolkits, templates, and guides built from the same investigative methodology.

Visit the Field Kit Start an intake for the services above