Today we’d like to introduce you to Kacy Robinson.
Kacy, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was fortunate to grow up in a rural community in Utah. My dad, aunt and uncle were all law enforcement and my grandpa was with search and rescue (Jeep Patrol back then). This allowed me to see an opportunity to serve the community in a unique way.
Later, I moved out of that rural community and pursued a Masters Degree in Forensics, never thinking it would lead me back to my roots.
Upon finishing my degree, I moved to another rural part of Utah with my Golden Retriever puppy, Uintah. We met a group of people who introduced me to canine search and rescue. After taking Uintah out on her first training, I told her we found our calling. I then spent the next 12 years with my two Goldens Uintah and Wahsatch doing general search and rescue work. This meant searching water, wilderness and urban locations for lost and missing persons all over the state of Utah.
With Uintah’s innate skills and incredible abilities, we became proficient in wilderness, tracking/trailing, water recovery, and avalanche searching. We deployed multiple times and were honored to have located the body of a gentleman who had been missing for ten days in the wilderness.
After being with the general search team for many years, I began to notice a specific need in our field. I was contacted by families of missing individuals whose cases had gone cold. My current team was unequipped to respond to such search missions. Therefore, I began discussing with my search partner, Bret Sayer, a way to fill this gap and bring resources to families who have waited far too long.
In 2017, Fide Canem Cold Case, Inc. was born. Fide Canem means “trust the dog” in Latin and perfectly represents our commitment to always trust our canines while serving the public utilizing their unique abilities.
Fide Canem Cold Case, Inc. is an all volunteer, non-profit 501(c)3 dedicated to bringing canine search and recovery resources to the families of the missing. Fide Canem does not ever charge for our services which include consultation and deployment to any area a person is missing. The team is willing and able to travel anywhere in the world.
Since the team was formed, we have been honored to serve law enforcement agencies and families in bringing some measure of hope and closure where resources were thought to be depleted. It is an honor to continue my work with two new canines, Machhu and Anna who are carrying on the tradition of human remains detection.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
As with any big decision, there were questions and concerns along the way. I had never taken on a project so large and worried that without name recognition it would be difficult to let agencies know we are available. Once the team was formed, the stars really did align for us. We have been blessed by multiple agencies reaching out and spreading the word, by being allowed to speak at multiple law enforcement conferences, have been published in articles and magazines, and are currently being published in a forensic cold case textbook. Every year we have responded to more searches and had more opportunities to serve.
The work is also difficult. If it weren’t, it wouldn’t be worth it. There are many times we are asked to clear an area of interest for an agency and do not find anything relevant to the case. Instead of letting this deter our efforts, it reminds us that being a part of the team and providing a service, even as small as clearing an area, is an honor and a privileged and is a way we can give back to our community.
We are so grateful to be able to do this work.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
In addition to the volunteer work I do with Fide Canem Cold Case, Inc. I also work full time as a Fatality Review Specialist for the State of Utah. My work in both ares allows me to utilize my investigative skills. I love puzzles and am intensely detail oriented, which tends to suit both incredibly well.
Within Fide Canem Cold Case, Inc. I specialize in both human remains detection and trace evidence recovery in cold cases. Not only do I hold a Master of Science in Forensics, but I am also a certified crime scene analyst. I have also most recently become certified in Psycholinguistic Statement Analysis and am part of a team that convenes monthly to provide statement analysis for law enforcement agencies around the country.
Because all my skills tend to focus in one area, I am able to provide consultation on cold cases for law enforcement agencies in ways other search and rescue members are unable. Upon deployment, my specializations ensure that time, energy and effort will be spent in the highest probability areas leading to the greatest success. This also helps lend credibility to our search team when law enforcement agencies understand that we will integrate with them on their cases and provide one piece of the puzzle.
Being recognized as an expert in the field of cold case canine recovery has been one of my highest honors, and I am so grateful to be a part of a team who is truly making a difference in these sometimes long-forgotten cases.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
I have always been a perfectionist, never settling for anything less. If I am going to undertake a task, it will be done correctly and thoroughly. With Fide Canem Cold Case, Inc. that means ensuring that my skills and abilities and those of my canines are of the highest quality. We spend countless hours training and perfecting our skills. We ensure we are always ready for any case on which we might be of service. If we don’t have a particular skill that is needed, we will train until we have it. We don’t settle for anything less than the best.
This philosophy also includes meticulous planning, execution and reporting of each search mission. I pride myself on being an asset to every agency with whom I work.
We also love challenges. No two searches are ever the same. And one thing we have learned in doing cold case work is, that these cases are the most difficult. Whether it is rappelling our canines into a culvert or crawling on our hands and knees in a crawl space, we give our entire effort every single search, every time. The families of the missing deserve to have our complete dedication on every search to which we respond.
Pricing:
- We are a completely free resource for any law enforcemnet agency.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.fidecanem.org
