CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Six people working for Gaston County are going beyond their job titles to seek justice. Through the communications department they unveiled a new mini-series highlighting unsolved cold cases.

What You Need To Know

  • Gaston Unsolved released the first episode of a mini-series this month

  • The individuals behind the series partnered with local police departments to determine which cases needed extra attention

  • The communications department says they’re hoping to release an episode each month for at least six months

Inside of a small room in the Gaston County Courthouse, you’ll find six people working to solve some of their biggest mysteries.

"Give us everything you’ve got in terms of the cold cases for missing persons and then for homicides," Gaston County Communications Director Adam Gaub said.

Gaub is no detective, but he says by using their platform, it's opening up the doors for more than just public announcements. By sifting through old recordings and newspaper clippings, he’s retracing the facts of each case hoping to find a way to bring it back to life.

"Our hope was to maybe shed a little light on these cases that could be very well forgotten in the public eye. For me, this is about using the resources we have to us to help the police department," Gaub said.

The mini-series is called "Gaston Unsolved," and according to Gaub, the idea was initially brought up two years ago, but the pandemic halted production.

They recently launched the first episode highlighting the case of James Harold Smith. 

Each person working on the series does it in their spare time, as the job requires other duties. For example, Gavin Stewart was hired in April, and this was the last thing he thought he’d be working on, but he says it’s what makes the job more meaningful.

"We have the resources to be able to make this a reality, which is just a blessing ... and not every county can say that, and hopefully we can get to a point where other counties and other communities are able to do similar work," Stewart said.

Most importantly, Gaub says if it sparks answers, that’s all that matters.

"If someone were to watch it and come forward and say, 'I actually do have information that could help with this case,' then all of this would be worth it," Gaub said.

For the Smith case, there's a reward of up to $1,000 leading to an arrest and conviction.

The communications department says they’re hoping to release an episode each month for at least six months.

If you do have any tips involving these cases, call Crime Stoppers at (704) 861-8000.