The Vidocq Society was founded in 1990 in Philadelphia, PA, to assist homicide investigators in the resolution of long unsolved homicides.  The Society is named for Eugène François Vidocq (1775-1857), the criminal-turned-detective who founded the French Sûreté and is considered to have been the first modern detective.  Our all-volunteer team of forensic experts and investigators serve to assist law enforcement in solving difficult cold cases. Our members act as confidential consultants to police agencies with investigative jurisdiction only when such an agency requests our assistance. The investigation always remains under the full control of the investigating agency.