DES MOINES, Iowa — Des Moines police say it's still working to close the cold case of 22-year-old Jamedia Hines.
It's been 37 years, to this day, the single mother of three was found dead behind an apartment building in the Des Moines Riverbend neighborhood back in 1987. According to police, autopsy results show she was strangled and beaten.
Decades have passed, and the case has gone cold.
Now DMPD spokesperson Sgt. Paul Parizek shared the department is taking another look at her death.
"In the case of Jamedia Hines the answer to this being solved is somewhere out here in the community..." Parizek told Local 5. "The process for gathering evidence in 1987 was a lot different that it is in 2024, so you hold on to everything you have and you hope that maybe technology keeps advancing to where there's going to be a break in there somewhere."
Back in 2021, DMPD said it may have found a new lead it was pursuing in the case, though its efforts have yet to uncover who is behind Hines' murder.
"I mean, we've got some pieces of evidence that may prove to be the answer down the road, but that doesn't give the family any, comfort right now," Parizek said.
It's not just updates to the investigative tools the department uses that help the process; it's also a fresh set of eyes on the case that can lead to new avenues.
"You just never know if someone is going to say 'Hey, what about this? Have we followed it in this direction?' And you get an answer," Parizek said.
The steps towards new developments haven't brought on new leads for the department, as of yet.
"A lot of people have some recollections of that time, and that's good to hear that from people who were actually there, and that's good to hear because none of us were. But, we haven't had that one piece of information that will put us through the finish line," Parizek shared.
Even though the department hasn't crossed that end line it remains committed to stay in this race for answers for Jamedia and her family.
"These families are never going to let go there not going to let it go and we want to help them get to that point where they got some more closure," Parizek said.
DMPD understands that time is of the essence.
They urge anyone with information on this case to come forward, even if it's about leads they already have. Your tip, no matter how small, could be the missing piece that solves this case.