Karen L. Ross is an investigative and legal strategist with nearly 30 years of experience leading high-profile homicide and cold case investigations in New York City. As the founding Chief of the Queens District Attorney’s Office Cold Case Unit and Deputy Chief of the Homicide Bureau, she developed a strategic model for solving decades-old homicides and unidentified remains cases.
A national leader in forensic innovation, Karen led the successful prosecution of New York City’s first case utilizing investigative genetic genealogy (IGG) to resolve a 45-year-old murder. She is a three-time FBI-certified IGG professional and has secured over $1.5 million in federal funding to enhance cold case investigations and support forensic backlogs.
Karen has also undertaken a comprehensive initiative to identify previously unidentified human remains recovered in Queens County. The initiative enabled a complete review of every unidentified human remains case in Queens County using current forensic standards, including advanced DNA analysis and forensic genealogy where appropriate. To date, these efforts have resulted in six confirmed identifications, restoring names to individuals who had remained unidentified for years or decades and providing long-awaited answers to surviving family members.
Beyond the courtroom, Karen serves as a national advisor on homicide investigations, cold cases, DNA, and IGG. She collaborates with the Department of Justice, FBI, International Homicide Investigators Association, the Cold Case Foundation, and law enforcement agencies across the country, providing strategic guidance on complex and long-unsolved investigations.
Karen is a former adjunct professor at Pace University School of Law and now trains the next generation of prosecutors as an instructor of trial advocacy within the Queens District Attorney’s Office. Her work remains dedicated to restoring names to the unidentified and delivering justice to families who have waited decades for answers.
