The Anoka County Sheriff’s Office received a federal grant of $1.15 million to start a special cold case unit to investigate unsolved murder cases.

There are 38 cold cases that have been identified for review in the county, including the oldest case that dates to the mid-1960s.

“To put a fresh set of eyes, and knowledge now in the field, is going to be a big help,” said Brent Erickson, Commander of Criminal Investigation Division at the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office. “The end goal is to bring closure for some of the families that are still wondering.”

Currently, detectives handle 80-100 active cases a year, and if there’s time investigate, a couple of cold cases, according to the department.

Now, one detective, along with a forensic expert in the department, will investigate the old cases.

The Sheriff’s Office has a DNA lab, which is where evidence will be reviewed in some of the cold cases.

“The passage of time is actually can be a positive thing for cold cases,” said Detective Ryan Franklin, now assigned only to cold cases.

Franklin said time can lead to people stepping forward with information they might have kept quiet.

“People who were maybe not cooperative, relationships change, marriages change, friendships change, that can work to our advantage, and now going back and talking to people,” Franklin said.

The brutal murder of 17-year-old Barbara Frost remains unsolved from late August 1985.

Frost was found fatally stabbed in a farmer’s field in East Bethel.

In the years since, her family has passed out flyers looking for clues.

In the late 1990s, a billboard was put up asking for tips along Highway 65.

But the case has gone cold over the years.

“I’d like to see some progress on that one,” Erickson said.

Soon, the Sheriff’s Office will create a webpage with information about specific cold cases they are looking for community’s help on.