Forensics quiz 1

What does “forensic” mean?

“Of the forum”

Forum = “public” in Latin

Definition of forensic science

The methods of science applied to public matters

Scientific method applied

1. Ask a question (Did the unknown hair come from the suspect?0

2. Observe (look at the hair under a microscop)

3. Form a hypothesis (if the hair came from the suspect, then it must look like the suspect’s hair under the microscope)

4. Experiment (Using a microscope, compare the unknown hair to known hairs collected from the suspect)

5. Collect data and analyze (document findings - notes, measurements, photos, etc.)

6. Come to a conclusion (the unknown hair looks like the known hairs)

7. Write a report and testify

Overview of forensic history

• The ancient Chinese used fingerprint to identify the owner of objects

• Early 1900s, Henry Faulds, Francis Galton, and Sir Edward Henry developed use of fingerprints

• Faulds published article on how to use fingerprints to identify someone

• 1910 - 1st crime lab established in France by Edmond Locard

• 1924 - 1st crime lab in USA established by August Vollmer

• 1932 - FBI lab established

• 1940 - USPS lab established

• 1972- ATF lab established

• 1973 - DEA lab established

Paul Kirk

• “father of forensic science” in the US

• Well known criminologist

• Developed first forensics related major and school at UC Berkeley

• Worked on the Sheppard murder case where he analyzed bloodstain patterns

Sir Alec Jeffries

• Used DNA Fingerprinting to solve a double murder case in England

• Was the 1st case solved by DNA analysis

Kary Mullis

• Developed the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)

• Used to make many copies of a specific segment of DNA quickly

Edmond Locard

• Established 1st crime lab in France in 1910

• Created the “Locard exchange principle”

Digital forensics

Application of computer science to criminal and civil offenses including the use of computers and cell phones to commit crimes and the use of computers to solve crimes

Forensic Engineering

Application of engineering principles in forensic cases including failure analysis and traffic accident reconstruction

Forensic anthropology

Analysis of skeletal remains recovered from crime scenes for the purposes of developing a biological profile and identification of the remains

Forensic entomology

Study of insect activity and cadavers assist in the determination of time of death (postmortem interval) and for other forensic purposes

Forensic odontology

Analysis of dentition for the purposes of human identification and injuries, can include analysis of bite marks

• synonymous with forensic dentistry

Forensic pathology

Determination of the cause and manner of deaf in cases of unattended or suspicious death

What is behavioral forensics?

Forensic psychiatry and forensic psychology

• Determine insanity in court

• Criminal profiling = psychological crime reconstruction

• TSA checkpoint profiling for safety

• Interrogation and polygraph testing research

Forensic psychiatry

Medical specialty attained by a medical doctor

Forensic psychology

Behavioral science without medical training

How many public forensic labs are there?

400 forensic labs

Federal labs

• Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

• Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

• Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives. (ATF)

• Secret Service (USSS)

• Department of the Treasury - Internal Revenue Service (IRS)

• Department of the Interior - Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS)

• US Postal Service (USPS)

Federal labs

• Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

• Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

• Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives. (ATF)

• Secret Service (USSS)

• Department of the Treasury - Internal Revenue Service (IRS)

• Department of the Interior - Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS)

• US Postal Service (USPS)

State & Local labs

• varies in size and function

• Every state has at least one publicly funded lab

• Larger counties in some areas have labs attached to county police

  • Ex: Maryland and California

Private labs

• May focus on special niche of forensics

• May be large multipurpose labs

• Frequently used by defense attorneys for criminal defendants

  • Secondary testing

• EX: Bode (DNA), Merck, Target, Quest Diagnostics. NMS Labs (tox and drugs)

Organization of forensic labs

• Very secure facilities

• Evidence intake section = where evidence is entered into lab info system

• Evidence analysis section = where examination of evidence is performed

• Chain of custody of evidence must be maintained for court purposes

Chain of Custody

• Authentication of evidence

• Chronological record of who had custody/was in control of evidence AT ALL TIMES

  • All evidence is sealed and labeled with dates & initials

  • Ay opening or transfer of evidence must be logged

• A BREAK in chain of custody can make the evidence unusable in court

Classification of Evidence

• Physical vs. Non-Physcial

• Real vs. demonstrative

• Known vs. unknown

• Individual vs. class

Physical evidence

Consists of objects or things

Non-physical evidence

Verbal testimony about a crime or someone’s actions during a crime (ex: running away)

Real evidence

Evidence generated by criminal activity, found at the crime scene or obtained from suspect

• EX: gun, drugs, blood

Demonstrative evidence

Evidence created to help explain or clarify real evidence - produced after the crime, not by it

• Ex: 3D scale, drawing, charts from analytical instrument

Known evidence

Evidence with a known source - collected from a known person, place, or thing

• Ex: bucal swab from suspect, fingerprints from suspect

Unknown evidence

Evidence with an unknown source - collected from the crime scene

• Ex: bullies found in dead body, glass fragments in shoe, blood at crime scene

Individual evidence

Evidence that can be associated with one particular person or object

• Ex: DNA, fingerprints, shoe prints/tire treads, Glass/paint fragments

Class evidence

Evidence that cannot be associated with one particular object or person. It can only be put into a group of similar pieces of evidence

• Ex: Carpet fiber, small glass/paint fragments, soils, hairs, illicit drugs, fire residues

• Most forensic evidence is class evidence