A number of unsolved mysteries may again see the light of day, as the Cass County Prosecutor’s Office is looking to hire a specialist to help reopen a few longstanding cold cases.

The Board of Commissioners will vote on the potential hiring during their meeting on Thursday evening as part of their consent agenda. If passed, the prosecutor’s office will bring in an attorney to investigate 10 unsolved cases in the county for the next 20 months, said Prosecutor Victor Fitz.

The attorney Fitz is looking to contract for this work is Brett Gardner, a retired prosecutor who currently works as an adjunct professor at Cooley Law School.

“This individual has worked extensively on cold cases throughout his 31-year career,” Fitz said. “He has great expertise with cold cases and prosecution in general.”

The prosecutor’s office estimates that this attorney will cost the county around $19,000 for the duration of his contract.

“In a larger jurisdiction, you will have a cold case team that is constant. It’s never ending,” Fitz said. “In a small community like Cass County, over decades there are certain cases that just don’t get solved.”

The 10 cases the county will look into all involve charges that carry the potential for life in prison, ranging from armed robbery to homicide, Fitz said.

“At least some of these cases, mostly all of them, present a continuing danger to the community,” Fitz said.

In the past, the county would have to convene a grand jury to call in witnesses from old crimes. However, under the new process, the office will instead issue investigate subpoena to people of interest for the old crimes.

“He’s solved through this process and the grand jury process at least six murders,” Fitz said.

Three other proposals relating to the prosecutor’s office will also be presented to the board for approval on Thursday:

• A proposal to create a new position, Chief Trial Attorney, within the office. This position, if approved, will be filled by current Assistant Prosecutor Tiffiny Vohwinkle.

• A proposal to enter into a contract with the Department of Human Services to provide them with attorney services, generating an estimated $54,000 over a three-year period.

• A proposal to enter into a contract with the City of Dowagiac to take over prosecution of portions of the city’s ordinance work, generating an estimated $23,542 a year.

The Board of Commissioners will meet on Thursday at 7 p.m., inside the county annex building in Cassopolis.