HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 2020-4663

HR 4663

ByRepresentatives Lovick, Sells, Mead, Chapman, Irwin, Gregerson, and Ortiz-Self

WHEREAS, James H. Scharf served twenty years investigating homicides, with fourteen years as the primary detective of the Snohomish County Cold Case Team since its inception in 2005; and

WHEREAS, Scharf and his team solved nine homicides considered unsolvable during that time; and

WHEREAS, One of those nine cases received national and international media coverage due to the fact it was the first case in history where an offender was identified and convicted using DNA forensic genealogy techniques; and

WHEREAS, Scharf and his team located one missing person who had been presumed to be murdered, solved a cold rape case, and were instrumental in assisting Arizona law enforcement in solving one of their cold homicide cases; and

WHEREAS, The cold case team cleared the names of scores of people previously considered "persons of interest" for the sixty-five cold cases handled by the office;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize and salute James H. Scharf, not only for his time leading the Snohomish Cold Case Team, but for his career in law enforcement and public service; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be immediately transmitted by the Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives to James H. Scharf.