In August 1985, Kristin O’Connell, just 20 years old - was brutally murdered while visiting a friend she met on Spring break in Ovid, New York. Nearly 40 years later, her case remains unsolved. Her mother, Phyllis O’Connell, has spent every day since then fighting for answers. Despite her relentless efforts, she has faced decades of frustration, official inaction, and refusal from state agencies to re-test crucial forensic evidence.

Phyllis's O'Connell's story is the story of so many families across New York: loved ones taken too soon, justice delayed, and a system that too often turns its back on victims. It’s time for that to change.

Despite multiple private investigators, national media attention, and a certified DNA lab offering to re-test the evidence free of charge, New York authorities continued to deny requests for outside forensic testing. In 2009, even with bipartisan support from U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer and Amy Klobuchar, a request to utilize advanced Dutch touch DNA technology was rejected by the New York State Department of Health.

Families like Phyllis's deserve more. They deserve access, answers, and a fair path to justice.

We’re urging New York lawmakers to adopt practical, proven reforms that will help solve cold cases and support victims’ families:

What We’re Asking For in "Kristin's Law": The New York State Cold Case Justice Act

IMPACT: WHY KRISTIN’S LAW MATTERS

• Increases homicide clearance rates and public safety
• Provides overdue support, information, and transparency to families
• Brings modern science and expert partnerships to New York’s justice system
• Restores public trust in law enforcement and the criminal justice process

Protect Families’ Rights in Cold Cases
Pass legislation modeled after the federal Homicide Victims’ Families’ Rights Act, giving families the legal ability to request case reviews and requiring transparency about decisions.

Allow Evidence Testing at Accredited Private Labs
When state crime labs are backlogged or limited in capabilities, certified external labs should be an option. Families should not be denied access to justice because of red tape.

Fund Dedicated Cold Case Units Or Partner with Outside Investigators to reduce the over 30,000 unsolved homicide cases in NY State.

Create and staff specialized cold case task forces statewide, as seen in states like Colorado, where centralized efforts have helped solve long-dormant cases.

Kristin’s name deserves to be remembered - not just as a victim, but as a catalyst for change. Lets make her legacy be that she helped reform a system that too often fails the families it’s supposed to protect.

Please sign this petition to demand that New York State take meaningful action to clear its cold case backlog and give families like Phyllis’s the justice they deserve.