I loved Cold Case as well even though, all else being equal, you could always be sure it will be the straight white guy who did the murder. I should not have watched it, and it is the only series show I have watched in quite a while, but I enjoyed it very much. Only started watching it this year, but, since you can see a season in two weeks on TNT, it was easy to follow.
Some choice examples (SPOILER ALERT)
The entire chastity club, who each have their own sexual hang ups, stone to death the uninhibited girl because she broke up their cozy hypocrisy. A bonus to the priest who masturbated while one of the girls discussed her sexual dreams. The entire cast think the chastity club is barking at the moon crazy (even before they find out who did it).
The white construction foreman who, not only actively engaged in exploiting the Cambodian workers through immigration law, also obsessed over one of the Cambodian women to the point of forced oral sex and humilation (licking boots) on both the sister and the woman. Of course he was the killer. A bonus to the heroin addicted former white student teacher who bought smack from the former black smack dealer/user/vet who becomes a father figure to the orphan of the couple killed.
The white boy friend of a black hooker in the 1920s who kills her because she won’t abandon her kid and run off with him.
The Philadelphia KKKish group who lynch a black boy because he plays chess with the wife of one the men and wants to turn the man in for raping his girlfriend.
The church family (father is music director of church) whose wife is a drunk and a bully. She kills the father after finding out about his affair, and, while the father tries to get the son away from her so he can go to the prom. She cynically makes it look like he was killed trolling for hookers/crack.
Local hoods who beat the death a star gay baseball player. Cops just stay back and allow it to happen.
A cynical attempt by a white professor to pin a second murder and cover up the first murder on a schizo art student by hiring someone to kill a hooker acquaintance of his.
Lots of black hoods on a street corner sniffing glue, but the guy who killed the boy was the white shop owner the boy stole from.
A black and white couple help women get safe abortions in the 1960s. They are killed by the white FBI informant who does not want his cover blown. Lots of opportunities to bad mouth abortion restrictions as this ultimately noble couple work to stop the horrors of illegal abortions.
White father of a black star’s teammate stabs the black star out of jealousy. Black uncle and black loan shark look good for the crime, but it has got to be the white guy.
A black guy is executed for a murder done by a white guy (can’t remember the details). White investigator and ADA are complicit on the conviction/execution.
A white housewife is killed in the south by a wannabe KKKer for doing civil rights activities in the south. Body brought back by friends and dumped after white police officer refuses to listen to the friends because two are black.
All man on boy sex crimes/murders done by suppressed heterosexuals living in heterosexual relationship.
Of course some black on black crime occurs, but I am having a tough time remembering any black on white crime episodes. The show in no way reflects the actual homicide statistics in Philadelphia (or course they may argue cold cases mean that the perpetrator is unexpected).
My favorite part of ‘Cold case’ episodes is the great song selection. They end each episode (including showing a cop putting the evidence box back on the shelf) with a great song from the year the murder happened. Very nice touch.