Rossmo takes final case to commission

AUSTIN (KXAN) - The Public Safety Commission has approved a resolution that would fund investigations for outside agencies into the city's cold cases, including the 1991 Yogurt shop murders.

• Related: Yogurt shop murders

On Sunday night, PSC vice-chair Kim Rossmo drafted a resolution to present to his colleagues on the Public Safety Commission on Monday, outlining his best case for another look at cold cases. The resolution called for a policy, to be approved by Council, that would provide external reviews for unsolved major crime cases.

The quadruple homicide known as the Yogurt shop murders happened in 1991 but will be at the top of his list.

Rossmo said it was a KXAN story in December that raised doubts in his mind, doubts that have only grown with the statements of retired Det. Paul Johnson, who has accused Rossmo of lying about his evidence.

Rossmo, as vice chair of the Public Safety Commission, is not just an interested citizen. He's also considered a rising star in criminology circles with his methods of solving serial cases. In the case of the 20-year-old Yogurt shop case, Rossmo has questions about why police did not pursue resolving the case with new DNA evidence, rather than simply allowing the evidence to drop cases against existing suspects.

During his 15 minutes, Rossmo presented logic compelling enough to sway the commission, including his opinion on weaknesses and underlying problems in the current case, questions about Johnson's comments in recent months and questions raised in the media and elsewhere about how the case was handled that led to the arrest of four men who would eventually walk free.