There's new hope among police that a 23-year-old murder case  could be brought to closure.

Frederick Police recently presented the homicide of Tracy Kirkpatrick to the Vidocq Society of Philadelphia. The organization is composed of forensic professionals and private citizens who apply their skills and experience to cold case homicides, and try to offer insights to local police. "We're not only talking about DNA specialists. We're not talking about just forensic specialists. We're talking about a forensic psychologist that's actually dissecting some of the interviews that we've done, and whose telling us of some of the problems in the stories that were provided to us in the past," says Lt. Clark Pennington, the director of the Criminal Investigation Division of the Frederick Police Department.

He says the visit with the Vidocq Society has given investigators some new insights into how to go about the case. "I won't speculate that we're going to close this case with an arrest. But I will tell that I'm very happy we did this presentation and it's given us new direction," says Lt. Pennington. He says investigators will be contacting those connected with the case, and re-interviewing them.

Tracy Kirkpatrick was found stabbed to death at Aileen's Clothing Store in the Westridge Square Shopping Center on the evening of March 15, 1989. Her killer has not been found. Authorities have not determined a motive for the murder. Robbery was ruled out because the money is the register was not taken.

Two men who were considered suspects in the case have since been cleared. One was a man who called himself "Don" who called a nationwide confession hotline.

Lt. Pennington says the Frederick Police Department was fortunate to have the Vidocq Society look at the case. He says law enforcement agencies must apply to be heard, and the organization only hears one case a month. 

The Vidocq Society is named after Eugene Francois Vidocq, a brilliant 18th century detective who was head of the Surete.