Cumberland police host cold case summit

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CUMBERLAND — Three years ago, Seth Dunn, 28, was found shot to death in his Cumberland apartment complex on June 25, 2015. 

Three years without closure for his family.

Three years without justice for his death. 

Dunn’s death remains the only unsolved murder investigation among the Cumberland Police Department’s case files, officials said. Officers who investigated the scene at the time, as well as detectives and officials from several other county and regional law enforcement agencies, met Monday to conduct a cold case review. 

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Cumberland Police Department officials hoped by reviewing the case with other experts they may be able to find new clues into Dunn’s death, both to provide justice in the case and bring closure to Dunn’s family and friends. 

“We got some of the best investigators to get together and see if there’s something there they can see that we didn’t,” said Cumberland Police Department Commander Suzanne Woodland. “Hopefully, it will lead to a case closure.” 

The experts reviewing the case included detectives who investigated the crime when it happened in 2015, as well as a special agent from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Jamie Proud; Marion County deputy coroner David Grannan, Indianapolis Airport Police assistant chief Gerald Clinger, and Thomas Zentz, the chief investigator for the Hancock County prosecutor’s office. 

Cumberland Police Department Chief Mike Crooke said there was more than 100 years of experience in investigating crimes among the detectives and specialists attending the case review. 

“From time to time, we have done in-house case reviews,” Crooke said. “It’s a good opportunity for us to present what we have and see if there’s another avenue we might take to solve the case. It’s good to have different agencies present to take a look.” 

The investigators reviewed everything related to the case, from the initial call to first-responders from the person who discovered Dunn’s body inside his apartment, up until the most recent updates on the case, Woodland said. She presented a draft of a probable cause affidavit and photos of the crime scene to the investigators as well. 

The 28-year old was found in his Cumberland apartment by a girlfriend, she said. Dunn was killed by a single shot to the head, Woodland said. 

Initially, officers thought Dunn may have killed himself, but when further investigation didn’t turn up the weapon, their focus changed. Dunn’s wallet and mobile phone were missing, and the apartment door was shut behind whoever else was present, Woodland said. 

There is a person of interest in the case, Woodland said; she said she believes it’s possible Dunn was accidentally shot by someone who was playing with a gun. 

She feels grateful the group of investigators volunteered their time to review the case, she said. 

“I’m lucky to have this wealth of knowledge available,” she said. “We couldn’t be any luckier.”

While reviews of unsolved cases are not unusual at the Cumberland Police Department, this particular group of investigators came together through unique circumstances, Crooke said. 

Retired detectives and officers often meet once a month at area restaurants to socialize with each other, and the topic of Dunn’s case came up, he said. Several investigators, who were detectives at the time, offered to take another look at the case, Crooke said. 

Officers hoped to have a course of action set by the end of the case review, Woodland said. 

Anyone with information about the 2015 shooting death of Seth Dunn is asked to call the Cumberland Police Department at 317-894-3525.

It’s frustrating to have that case file sitting on her desk, knowing Dunn’s friends and family are still mourning him, she said. 

“His mom cries every day,” she said. “Seth has a lot of friends out there with no closure. We just want to give justice to Seth.”