Our Instructors

Thomas C. McAndrew

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Thomas C. McAndrew is the Chief of Investigations for Innovative Forensic Investigations (IFI), an Investigative Genetic Genealogy company based in Emporia, Virginia. IFI works with law enforcement agencies throughout the United States in efforts to resolve the most difficult violent crimes and cases involving unidentified decedents.

McAndrew was formerly a Homicide Detective with the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and also served 26 years with the Pennsylvania State Police. During his career with the Pennsylvania State Police, he was a member of the Criminal Investigation Assessment Unit, a unit that specializes in behavioral analysis of violent crimes and is designed to supervise and investigative homicides and missing person cases involving suspicious indicators. Throughout his career he has over 26 years of homicide investigation experience.

He has assisted with numerous cold cases investigations that were successfully resolved, and helped start an initiative in Pennsylvania to locate unidentified decedents in efforts to apply contemporary investigative standards. He served on a National Institute of Justice Cold Case Working Group, comprised of 35 subject matter experts. The efforts of this group led to a national publication that was released in 2019, which outlines the national best practices for implementing and sustaining a cold case investigation unit.

McAndrew is president of the Pennsylvania Homicide Investigators Association, is a member of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, the International Homicide Investigator’s Association, the Middle Atlantic Cold Case Homicide Investigators Association, and is Deputy Commissioner of the Vidocq Society, an internationally recognized group of experts who provide pro bono services to homicide investigations world-wide. McAndrew has been recognized for his efforts in numerous homicide investigations including having been named Pennsylvania’s Homicide Investigator of the Year (2000).

McAndrew has lectured on various aspects of homicide and death investigation at venues across the United States. He received his Master’s Degree in Investigative Forensics and Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Desales University.