👋 Welcome back, Case Crackers.

This week's story is unlike any we've covered before. It begins with a 25-year-old mother named Cynthia Gonzalez, who left her Arlington, Texas home on September 16, 1991, to meet a client for work. She never came home. Five days later, her body—shot multiple times and decomposing—was discovered in a rural field in Johnson County.

For 34 years, her killer walked free. Arlington Police had a suspect early on: Janie Perkins, a friend of Cynthia's who shared a romantic partner with her. Perkins failed two polygraph tests, admitted she was "glad" Cynthia was dead, and even said she'd thought about killing her. But polygraphs aren't admissible in court, and without enough evidence, the case went cold.

Enter a group of criminology students at the University of Texas at Arlington. In fall 2025, they were given unprecedented access to three unsolved murder cases as part of a groundbreaking partnership between their university and Arlington Police. The students pored over 400-500 files, asked questions detectives hadn't considered in years, and zeroed in on Janie Perkins.

On November 6, 2025, just two weeks ago—U.S. Marshals arrested the now-63-year-old woman in Azle, Texas, charging her with capital murder. The students were stunned. So were the detectives. And Cynthia's daughter, who was only 6 when her mother was killed, finally got the answers she'd waited a lifetime to hear.

This is a story about persistence, innovation, and the power of fresh perspectives. Sometimes the key to solving a cold case isn't more technology, it's letting brilliant young minds ask the questions no one else thought to ask. Grab your notes, because every detail matters.

Full Case Story — What We Know So Far

On September 17, 1991, Cynthia Gonzalez, 25, was reported missing by her ex-husband in Arlington, Texas. She had left her home the evening before to meet a client for work. Gonzalez worked as an adult entertainer, according to Arlington Police.

Her vehicle was found abandoned hours later in the 900 block of Cedar Springs Terrace, which prompted officers to begin investigating the possibility that she had been kidnapped.

On September 22, 1991—five days after she was reported missing, Gonzalez’s body was discovered on private property off County Road 313 in rural Johnson County. She had been shot multiple times and her body was already decomposing. Investigators identified her using fingerprints.

The Original Investigation

From the start, investigators had a prime suspect: Janie Perkins, a friend of Gonzalez who had been investigated in the 1990s after detectives learned the women shared a romantic partner who had recently ended his relationship with Perkins—just weeks before the murder—to be with Gonzalez.

The evidence against Perkins was compelling but not conclusive:

• Perkins could not provide the original detectives with an alibi for where she was the night Gonzalez went missing.
• She failed two voluntary polygraph tests when asked if she knew who killed Gonzalez or if she killed her.
• She made statements to investigators indicating she was glad Gonzalez was dead and that she’d even thought about killing her or having someone else kill her.

However, polygraph tests are not admissible in court, and Perkins maintained she was not involved in the murder. Without enough evidence to charge her, the case went cold.

The Breakthrough: A Revolutionary Partnership

Arlington police don’t have a full-time cold case unit. Unsolved murders are assigned to homicide detectives to work on alongside their active cases, leaving little time for deep dives into decades-old evidence.

That’s when University of Texas at Arlington criminal justice professor Patricia Eddings had an idea. She kept hearing Arlington Police Chief Al Jones say, “There’s not enough time to go through the files.” Eddings thought: “I’ve got these brilliant students that have time.”

In the fall semester of 2025, the University of Texas at Arlington’s Department of Criminology & Criminal Justice launched an advanced course in partnership with the Arlington Police Department. Selected students were given real cold case files to investigate, along with all related evidence except physical items.

Gonzalez’s case was one of three cold cases assigned to the students.

The students combed through 400-500 files and photographs from the crime scene. One student, UTA senior Jacey Concannon, said the group spent “at least over 100 hours” reviewing the materials.

After having reviewed the files, the students noticed that Gonzalez and Perkins were friends and that detectives knew in the 1990s that the pair shared a romantic partner.

The students began writing up questions about Perkins to send to the detectives. When they heard back from detectives, it wasn’t with answers to those questions—it was news that Perkins had been arrested based on their work.

“This morning, I got the arrest warrant written and issued and our U.S. Marshals Task Force is currently outside of Janie’s house in Azle, Texas, waiting to take her into custody,” the detective told the students.

New Witness Statements Surface

Current detectives, upon thoroughly reviewing the case files prompted by the students' questions, discovered new witness statements that claimed Perkins had admitted to her involvement in the murder and provided specific, verifiable details about the killing.

Detectives compared the witness statements to the evidence in the case and found they aligned, which made them believe Perkins either participated in or facilitated the kidnapping and death of Gonzalez.

After consulting with the Tarrant County District Attorney's Office, detectives moved forward with filing criminal charges against her.

🔔 Breaking News — Latest Developments

The Arrest

On November 6, 2025, the U.S. Marshals North Texas Fugitive Task Force located 63-year-old Janie Perkins in Azle, Texas, and took her into custody. Homicide detectives had obtained a warrant for Perkins on one count of capital murder in the 1991 slaying of Cynthia Gonzalez.

Perkins was booked into the Tarrant County Jail on a charge of capital murder – terroristic threat. She was later released after posting a $150,000 bond.

Police Chief’s Response

“When we launched our cold case partnership with UTA, we always hoped we’d get an outcome like this one day,” said Chief of Police Al Jones. “I don’t think any of us expected that lightning would strike the first time. I want to sincerely thank the students for their work and dedication to this case. I also want to thank UTA faculty for embracing this program. We hope this is just the first of more to come.”

Detectives recently met with the students to let them know their questions helped secure an arrest warrant in the case.

The Family’s Reaction

The development shocked Gonzalez’s daughter Jessica Roberts, who was just 6 years old when her mother was murdered.

“I am so grateful for this program and so proud of these students at UTA and so thankful for the time they have spent and the effort they have put in to this case,” Roberts said at a news conference Monday. “I was beside myself and I only found out last Thursday, so it has been a process and I’m still processing this.”

Roberts noted that pictures captured decades ago are now the only way she can see her mother.

“This has been a working case for 34 years and so many people have been involved in this case, not just these students but friends and family members,” Roberts added.

The Students’ Emotional Response

“We had to comb through four to five hundred files, photographs from the crime scene,” said UTA senior Jacey Concannon. “We are so honored that we’re able to give the family some peace of mind.”

“It was emotional,” Concannon said. “I would say we spent at least over 100 hours.”

What’s Next

This is the first semester students at UT Arlington have partnered with police to investigate three cold cases, and the first of those cases in which the students’ work has helped lead to an arrest. The same class of students is currently reviewing two other cold cases.

Tip of the Week - The Power of Fresh Perspectives in Cold Cases

The Cynthia Gonzalez case teaches us a powerful lesson: sometimes solving a crime isn’t about having more resources or better technology. It’s about looking at old evidence with fresh eyes.

If you have information about an unsolved case:

1. Don’t assume police already know what you know. In this case, witnesses had come forward to claim Perkins admitted involvement, but those statements needed to be properly documented and compared to the evidence. If you have information, share it, even if you think it might seem minor.

2. Details matter, even decades later. The students spent over 100 hours reviewing 400-500 files. Sometimes the key isn’t finding new evidence; it’s connecting dots that were always there.

3. Question everything, even “solved” aspects. The students asked questions about a suspect who had been investigated and cleared decades ago. Their willingness to revisit old assumptions led to the breakthrough.

4. Patterns reveal truth. The students noticed the connection between Gonzalez and Perkins through their shared romantic partner—a love triangle that created motive. Look for patterns in behavior, relationships, and timelines.

5. Cold cases can be solved. If you’re a family member of a victim in an unsolved case, don’t give up hope. Jessica Roberts waited 34 years for answers, and her gratitude for the students’ work shows that justice delayed is not always justice denied.

For Students Interested in Criminal Justice:

This case proves that you don’t need to be a seasoned detective to make a real difference. Your education, fresh perspective, and willingness to ask hard questions can help bring closure to families who’ve waited decades for answers. Programs like the UTA-Arlington Police partnership show that the next generation of investigators is already making an impact.

🧩 Case Crackers — The Student Detective Cipher

How closely were you paying attention to the details of this week’s case? Solve this cipher to reveal a hidden word connected to this investigation.

How to Play: 

Convert each number into a letter (1 = A, 2 = B, 3 = C … 26 = Z).
Arrange them in order to unlock the secret word.

Convert each of these numbers:

• 21 → ?
• 20 → ?
• 1 → ?

What three-letter abbreviation might this represent that ties back to who helped crack this case? (Hint: Think about which university’s students made the breakthrough.)

📊 Crime Statistics of the Week — Trends & Truths

Cold Case Clearance Rates & Academic Partnerships

• Cold case units are underfunded across America. Many police departments, like Arlington PD, don’t have full-time cold case units, forcing homicide detectives to work on unsolved murders alongside active investigations. This lack of dedicated resources means thousands of cases sit in file cabinets, waiting for someone to have time to review them.

• Nearly 340,000 homicides remain unsolved. According to the Murder Accountability Project’s analysis of FBI data, approximately 340,000 cases of homicide and non-negligent manslaughter went unsolved from 1965 to 2021. That’s decades of families waiting for answers.

• Clearance rates have been declining. In 2024, law enforcement agencies cleared only 61.4% of murders, meaning nearly 40% of killers walk free. This is up slightly from a historic low of 49.4% in 2021, but still far below pre-pandemic levels.

• Academic partnerships are proving effective. The UTA-Arlington Police partnership represents a growing trend of universities collaborating with law enforcement to review cold cases. This was the first semester of the program, and it already resulted in an arrest—exceeding everyone’s expectations.

• Love triangle murders are disturbingly common. While exact statistics vary, romantic jealousy and relationship conflicts are among the top motives for homicide. In this case, the shared romantic partner between Gonzalez and Perkins, and the partner’s decision to end things with Perkins to be with Gonzalez—created a clear motive that investigators recognized immediately in 1991.

• Female killers are less common but often motivated by jealousy. According to FBI data, women account for approximately 10-15% of homicide offenders. When women do commit murder, domestic disputes and romantic jealousy are among the most common motives.

🔍 How These Stats Reflect the Cynthia Gonzalez Case

Cynthia’s case sat unsolved for 34 years not because detectives didn’t care or didn’t have a suspect—they did. Perkins was investigated extensively in the 1990s, failed polygraph tests, and admitted disturbing statements about being glad Cynthia was dead. But without admissible evidence, prosecutors couldn’t move forward.

This case perfectly illustrates the cold case crisis in America: thousands of cases where police know who likely did it, but can’t prove it beyond a reasonable doubt. Without a dedicated cold case unit, Arlington detectives simply didn’t have time to revisit old files and search for overlooked witness statements or new angles.

The UTA partnership changed that equation. By giving students access to case files and time to review them thoroughly, the program created capacity that the police department simply didn’t have. The students spent over 100 hours combing through 400-500 files —time that working detectives juggling active cases simply don’t have.

This case also shows why cold cases shouldn’t stay cold. Witnesses who were afraid to come forward in 1991 or whose statements weren’t properly documented eventually provided information that, when compared to the evidence, demonstrated Perkins’ involvement. Sometimes justice just needs more time, and fresh eyes willing to look.

💬 We Want to Hear From You!

We love hearing from our Case Crackers community, and your feedback helps us make each edition better than the last! This week, we want to ask you:

What content would you like to see more of in the newsletter?

• Are you interested in cases involving wrongful convictions and eventual exonerations?
• Would you like to learn more about how everyday people (students, citizen detectives, etc.) are helping solve cold cases?
• Should we feature more cases involving love triangles, domestic disputes, and relationship violence?
• Do you want deeper dives into why some cases go cold and what it takes to revive them?

Your input is invaluable, so don’t hesitate to share your thoughts! Drop us a reply or fill out this quick feedback form HERE. Together, we can make Solved Files your ultimate true crime resource.

🔦 Watch Real Interrogations on Solved Files

Want to see what happens inside the interrogation room when suspects face detectives? Our Solved Files - Interrogations channel gives you unfiltered access to real police interrogations and the psychological tactics that lead to truth.

🎥 LATEST VIDEO: “Mentally Disturbed Army Veteran Realises His Life Is Over”.

Inside the full interrogation:

• The tragic discovery when a neighbor finds 58-year-old Christina DiOro unresponsive with severe head trauma in her Port St. Lucie, Florida home on December 31, 2022.
• Her son, 34-year-old Army veteran Darren Keith Pouncy, emerging from a bedroom with bloody hands.
• The chilling handwritten note found at the scene: “i gave in to the devil tonight i love you but I belong to hell.”
• How detectives recognized Darren’s PTSD and dissociative amnesia—and took a remarkably gentle approach despite the gravity of the crime.
• Darren’s heartbreaking revelations about military trauma: 10% of his unit had committed suicide, and he felt he would “end up there.”
• The dissociative amnesia that left Darren with no memory of the attack—his last memory was walking his dog around 7-8 PM.
• Why detectives didn’t need a confession—the physical evidence spoke for itself.
• The moment Darren was charged with second-degree murder and placed on suicide watch. This case shows the devastating intersection of untreated PTSD, mental health crisis, and family tragedy—and how detectives must adapt their interrogation techniques when facing suspects in severe psychological distress.

👉 Watch now on Solved Files - Interrogations and witness how investigators navigate one of the most complex interrogations in recent memory. Subscribe to Solved Files - Interrogations for:
• Unfiltered interrogation room footage
• Expert analysis of detective techniques
• Psychological breakdowns of suspect behavior
• The moment truth finally emerges

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💡 Thanks for following along this week.  
Cynthia Gonzalez waited 34 years for justice, and her 6-year-old daughter grew up without answers, until a group of college students asked the right questions. This case proves that fresh perspectives, dedication, and the willingness to dig through hundreds of files can finally unlock the truth. Sometimes the key to solving a cold case isn’t waiting for new technology; it’s giving brilliant young minds the chance to see what everyone else missed. Each investigation is another puzzle piece, and together we’re piecing the story into focus. Keep your eyes sharp, your curiosity alive, and don’t forget, the next lead is always around the corner.

Until next week, Case Crackers. 🔍