COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) - Columbus Police Chief Selvain McQueen was an investigator 15 years ago when several murders struck fear in the Friendly City. With two cold cases solved and others pending, Chief McQueen credits good police work and the public's help for solving the crimes.

"The citizens have been very instrumental in the solving of said cases. We can solve a lot more if people would come forward."

So far the cold cases involving George Wilbanks and Willie Vaughn have been solved with three charged with capital murder. Both Ernest Talley and Curtis Hinton are behind bars in the Wilbanks case and Myron Sewell involved in the Vaughn case is already serving time for a string of other crimes.

15 years ago the folks on 2nd Ave North in Columbus were rocked by the news of the murder of George Wilbanks. Soon after a string of murders took place striking fear in the friendly city.

McQueen says, "We've never put those cases to rest. We have been meeting as a cold case unit throwing ideas up in the air seeing what works and what won't work."

McQueen keeps the files in his office and goes over them trying to see if anything was missed, if so he assigns an investigator to take another look. He credits his staff for the departments success and the addition of Retired Chief Pete Bowen and Retired Corporal Ed Williams.

According to McQueen, "They're obtaining a wealth of knowledge with those two people being back there because they can work hand and hand and actually physically be able to go out and watch the masters work."

But in the end technology will have the last voice in helping to solve the remaining cases.

McQueen says, "I can tell you this, we are very close to two or three other ones."

McQueen says, they are currently waiting on the results of some forensics that could solve more cases.