SEATTLE, Wash. — Attorney General Bob Ferguson has announced that Brian George, a 27-year law enforcement veteran and member of the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe, has been hired as the chief investigator for the “Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People Cold Case Unit.”
Brian George has served more than 25 years with the Washington State Patrol, recently as the director of the Washington State Fusion Center. This helps support federal, state and tribal agencies by providing intelligence and information statewide.
In the nation, this is the first unit of its kind. The cold case unit will primarily assist local and tribal law agencies solve these cases involving missing and murdered Indigenous women and people.
“Hiring a leader for my office’s new cold case unit is an important step as we pursue justice and accountability in these cases,” Ferguson said. “Our first-of-its kind unit represents the commitment of our state to do all we can to support law enforcement and Indigenous families affected by this crisis.”
Not only will this unit investigate to solve these cold cases, there will be individuals who will keep constant communication with families of missing and murdered Indigenous women and people.
“It’s taken a lot of work to get to this point, and there’s more to do,” George said. “This is meaningful, important work supporting law enforcement in bringing closure to families who have been waiting too long. I’m eager to get started.”
Compared to other populations, American Indians and Alaskan Native women have experienced higher rates of violence. The National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that homicide is the sixth-leading cause if death for Indigenous woman and girls. While for Indigenous men it is the third-leading cause of death.
Also, according to data from the Homicide Investigation Tracking System in the Attorney General’s Office, Indigenous victims are at least 5% of the unsolved cases throughout the state.
The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People Task Force are currently hiring investigators to begin looking into and opening cold cases involving Indigenous women and people.
For more information about the MMIWP Task Force, visit the Task Force’s website.
