BIG RAPIDS, Mich. (Nov. 3, 2025) — Ferris State University is rolling out CRIM 390: Cold Case Investigations, a new winter-term class that puts select students to work on real, unsolved homicides alongside Michigan detectives—giving agencies fresh analytical horsepower and families a renewed chance at answers.
Led by former St. Clair County Sheriff’s detective and Ferris professor Steven Amey, the course teaches evidence review, lead development, and the use of modern forensic tools. Similar campus-law-enforcement partnerships across Michigan have already helped revive dormant investigations.
How the class works
Enrollment is selective: applicants must have at least a 3.0 GPA, clear a criminal background check and fingerprinting, and sign a non-disclosure agreement due to the sensitivity of case materials. Class size is expected to be capped at 14 and meets on Ferris’ main campus.
Why agencies welcome the help
Police departments often lack the bandwidth to re-open old files as new cases keep coming in. Ferris students will partner with Michigan State Police and other agencies to reanalyze stalled cases using current technology—an approach that has proven effective at other Michigan universities.
A pipeline to careers in justice
With demand for forensic and analytical talent rising, Ferris says the class offers real-world training that can lead to recruitment by local, state, or federal agencies as analysts or investigators.
