FBI joins Hamilton County District Attorney’s Office in hopes to solve a 20 year old cold case

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn (WDEF) – Joshua Walden disappeared Friday December 8th of 2000.

He was a student at East Lake Elementary and was last seen riding his bicycle.

His body was found that following Sunday in the woods near his home.

“An innocent 10 year old is laying there dead. You could smell the acid, we didn’t know what it was at the moment but, you could smell it. I can still smell it,” says Mike Mathis, with the Hamilton County Cold Case Unit

To this day the case remains left open and unsolved.

Leaving, police and family members without closure.

“That’s all I need, just closure. If it was an accident, it was just an accident. They didn’t mean to do it, they didn’t mean to hurt him, they panicked. People panic in different ways and handle things in different ways. I just need to know,”Crystal Walden, Josh’s Sister.

“The loss of Joshua was not lost on members of the Chattanooga Police Department. Those members have continued to carry this around on their hearts for the last 20 years,”Chattanooga Police Chief, David Roddy.

The Hamilton County District Attorney’s Office says they hope with today’s technology they will be able to find the missing pieces to this murder.

“We have resubmitted evidence that wasn’t submitted in 2000 or when testing was unavailable. It has been in the Chattanooga Police Department evidence storage area,” says Mathis.

The FBI has stepped in to re-evaluate the case and give it a fresh perspective.

Officials believe that the answers to this puzzling case are still out there but, it will take someone coming forward to solve it.

If you have any information about this murder call Chattanooga Police or the Cold Case Unit (423) 209-7470.