STR-HC-101 · 2-Day Intensive
HOMICIDE - COLD CASE
Give families answers the system stopped looking for.
Learn what a private investigator can and cannot lawfully do on a cold case, how to work productively alongside law enforcement, and how to interview witnesses and family members years after the fact.
Instructional hours
16
Live cold-case exercise
1
Of completion, StriderPI Academy
Cert.
HOMICIDE - COLD CASE
This hands-on course trains new Texas PIs to lawfully and effectively work cold-case homicides on behalf of surviving families. You'll learn the critical differences between active and cold cases, the legal boundaries that govern private investigators in Texas, proper evidence-handling limits, how to interact productively with law enforcement, and how to plan and execute a cold-case investigation. Day Two centers on interviewing skills and a live cold-case exercise, so you leave ready to take on real family clients.
THE COURSE
DAY BY DAY
DAY ONE
Legal Boundaries & Case Planning
-
Crime scenes — what a PI can and cannot do at or near one
-
Evidence handling — chain-of-custody realities and Texas PI limitations
-
Cold case vs. live case — legal and practical differences
-
Interacting with the police — building relationships without overstepping
-
Access to information — records, crime-scene data, witnesses, and other sources
-
Case planning — assessing viability and building a plan for a family client
DAY TWO
Interviewing & Live Exercise
-
Interviewing — locating and interviewing witnesses and family years later
-
Cold case exercise (live) — supervised practical exercise on a realistic scenario
-
Your homicide tool kit — resources, checklists, and methods for ongoing work
-
Wrap-up — key takeaways and next steps
Who THIS IS For
For investigators ready for sensitive family work
Designed for newly licensed Texas PIs (or those within 12 months of licensure) who want to serve families of homicide victims on cold cases and build a specialized, high-value practice area.
-
Newly licensed Texas Private Investigators
-
Those within 12 months of receiving their license
-
Investigators building a specialized cold-case practice
PREREQUISITES
Before You EnrolL
-
Completion of the StriderPI BASIC Course (S.P.I.T.)
-
Basic computer literacy
-
Willingness to engage in practical case exercises
YOUR INSTRUCTOR
an experienced cold-case investigator
The lead instructor is a Texas-licensed private investigator with documented experience in homicide and/or cold-case investigations, as well as prior instructional experience. The course also features guest speakers with professional backgrounds in law enforcement, homicide investigations, and cold-case investigations, providing students with valuable real-world insights and perspectives.
OUTCOMES
WHAT YOU LEAVE WITH
A StriderPI Academy Certificate of Completion for 16 hours of specialized training in Homicide — Cold Case Investigations, for presenting to families, attorneys, and other clients as evidence of specialized competence.
StriderPI Training (S.P.I.T.) is preparatory skill-building only. It is not DPS-approved training and does not satisfy Texas licensing or experience requirements. All hands-on exercises are educational simulations. Strider Private Investigations is a separately licensed Class A investigations company. Training participants are not employees or agents of the licensed company.
StriderPI
202 Walton Way
Suite 192-155
Cedar Park, TX 78613
Get IN TOUCH
Primary Courses
01
Surveillance “SURF"
This course introduces students to the fundamentals of surveillance via lectures, 1:1 discussions and live exercises.
02
Open Source Investigation “OSINT"
This course introduces students to the fundamentals of computer investigations, including: background checks, social media, undercover ops and more.
03
Criminal Investigation “Crime OPS"
Qualified students will learn about crime scenes, robbery fraud, sex crimes and homicide.
This course is available to students that have completed both “SURF” and “OSINT” school.
04
Undercover OPS
Qualified students will learn about covers (develop + maintain), subject assessment, team UC OPS and more.
This course is available to students that have completed “SURF”, “OSINT” and “Crime OPS”.
05
Advanced Surveillance
Master the techniques of covert observation and digital tracking in our Advanced Surveillance course, designed for seasoned professionals seeking to enhance their investigative skills.
06
Advanced OSINT
Dive deeper into sophisticated techniques for digital forensics, social media analytics, and undercover online operations.
07
360 Course
One month of PI Training | Coming Soon