Criminalistics Midterm

Forensic science

application of science to law, does NOT solve crimes

Investigators

solve crimes- witness, interviews, confessions

Expert witness

only witness in a court case that is allowed to give an opinion on their specialty

Class identification

matching remnants of something to its source

Coroner

elected, must obtain state mandated week long class

ME

appointed, had to be held by licenses physician in the state, usually specialized in forensic science

ME’s staff

forensic investigators, autopsy technicians, pathologists, histologists, photographers

Division of laboratories

toxicology, trace evidence, serology, fingerprinting, ballistics

Serology

blood, how it got there, where it’s from, spatter

Forensic Odentology

looks at teeth to identify victim or age, sex, bite barks, dental procedures

Neuropathology

can determine if the brain is how they died

Forensic anthropology

Forensis-pertaining to the forum, anthros-human/man, logia-study

Forensic Engineering

technicalities like how did buildings collapse

Forensic Entomology

live maggots, flies have a certain time from egg to fly so PMI can be estimated

Limited Access Environment

harder for bugs to enter, pot flies and coffin flies can get through zippers

PMI

moment of death interval

When do deaths have to be reported to MEs?

suspicious circumstances, if it isn’t a natural death, any sudden death that can’t be identified by a physician, all ER deaths, all operative deaths if there wasn’t a prior disease, any death where the body is unidentified or unclaimed, ALL JAIL DEATHS including work release and ankle monitor stuff like that

Cause of death

what physically caused them to die EXCEPT Cardio pulmonary arrest

Manner of death

Circumstances behind the death

What are the manners of death?

Natural, homicide, suicide, accident, pending, undetermined

When processing a crime scene you need to…

Secure the scene and make sure it’s safe, forensic investigator is in charge

Ordinary compound microscope

mechanical and optical system so details and depth can be seen

What is the active ingredient of marijuana

THC

If the coroner’s office refuses to do an autopsy, can the family get a private autopsy?

yes

Does beer decrease the speed of absorption of alcohol?

yes

Most alcohol is oxidized in the…

liver

Who can sign a death certificate?

any licensed physician, only the coroner and ME can rule a death anything other than natural

What is not a legal manner of death?

homicide

What is the most important prerequisite for photographing a crime scene?

Unaltered and secured

All club drugs are…

Psychoactive

What drugs are stimulants?

Nicotine, Steroids, Ritalin, Coca, Ecstacy, Bath salts, Synthetic Marijuana, YABA, ketamine

What drugs are depressants

Marijuana,Opium (Diacetylmorphine, heroine, meth, LAAM, Naloxone), Fentanyl, Rohyprol 

What drugs are hallucinogens?

LSD, PCP

ANY substance can be toxic if…

the dose is too high

Among women and men who use sedative, anti anxiety or hypnotic drugs

are more used by women

Cocaine has been found

In paper money

Heroine

Made from opium, made when morphine is boiled over a stove aka dracetylmorphine, more potent than morphine, deaths cause frothing, withdrawal isn’t fatal, symptoms peak between 24 and 48 hours, sharing equipment can cause hepatitis B and C and HIV, eats tissue away

Heroine use is

a hepatitis B and C and HIV risk if shared

Is the District Attorney’s office mandated by law to hold a trail into any death?

no

Cocaine

Blocks pain sensation and stimulates the CNS, producing a sudden increase in heart rate, temp, blood pressure; smoking it gets it in the system faster but only 60% of it, it will be in urine for 5 days but if chronically used up to 3 weeks, kills fetus

What is the original freebase of cocaine?

Coca

All coroners in PA are allowed to sign death certificates on…

suspicious circumstances

Anabolic steroids

synthetic testosterone 

Gamma-hydroxybutyrate GHB

mixes with alcohol, date rape drug, also used by body builders, strippers, and elders to improve muscle mass, making dancing sexier, and improving sleep which slows down aging

Ketamine has similar effects to what?

anesthetic

The Coroner’s duties

investigating suspicious deaths

Crime laboratories solve

criminal cases with forensic evidence

If a scene is photographed by a forensic photographer, the detective’s rough sketch is…

a visual for the layout of the scene and locations of evidence

The crime scene should be secured by…

the first responders

Common types of PHYSICAL evidence found at the scene would include…

fibers, hair, ballistics, bodily fluids, glass

Steroids also reduce…

inflammation and pain

Drugs are defined as…

any substance of natural or synthetic origin which can alter the emotional state, perception, body functioning, or behavior of an organism

Who can sign a death certificate?

any licensed physician, only the ME and coroner WITHIN THE COUNTY can rule a death anything other than natural

Disposition of Unclaimed bodies

nobody is financially responsible for it so it’s cremated because it’s a bio hazard

The Center for Organ Recovery & Education (CORE)

non profit that manages donation activity for 155 hospitals throughout western and central PA, West Virginia, and a small portion of NY

Processing hair

Determining species, length, color, whqp3, root, appearance, and internal microscopic features

What protein is hair mainly composed of?

Keritin

List the three hair layers from out to in

Cuticle, cortex, medulla

Cuticle

outer, strongest part, protects inner cortex, can tell the species but can’t identify an individual

Cortex

Middle, dead keratinized cells, flat and squeezed together

Medulla

center

What are the three phases of hair

anagen, catagen, telogen

Anagen

initial phase, may last up to 6 years, root is flame shaped

Catagen

Trans phase (2-3 weeks) root is elongatedT

Telogen

phase where hair naturally falls out

Describe a naturally shed hair

Root is undisturbed

describe a pulled hair

root is crooked

describe a forcibly removed hair

the root is coated in skin

When collecting hair…

take at least 25 strands around the region, comb and pull, submit in clean paper or envelope with sealed corners

Head hairs

Usually the longest, but there can be alterations to its natural appearance

Buckling

pubic hair

Hair color

the fiber usually has no color

Melanocytes

cells that provide pigments called melanin that determines color

What determines hair color

melanin

Describe the cross section for straight hair

circular

Describe the cross section for wavy hair

oval

Describe the cross section for wavy hair

flat oval

Medullary index

measure of the diameter of the medulla relative to the diameter of the hair shaft

What is the medullary index for a human?

less than 1/3

What is the medullary index for an animal

Greater than 1/2

Determining race with hair

Not as identifiable now

Determining age with hair

infants are finer and less distinctive while elders are gray

Determining sex with hair

The tissue pulled out if the hair was forcibly removed can tell

Trace evidence

small evidence used to link victims, suspects, objects, and crime scenes

Locard Exchange Principle

wherever there is contact between two objects, they will leave or pick up debris from the other object

Fibers

type, color, number, location, clothing

Collecting fibers

remove from surface, or take whole object, use tweezers but don’t crush, place in a pillbox or folded piece of clean paper

Comparison Microscope

like two compound microscopes looking at 2 objects to be used for comparisons, often used for firearms

Stereoscopic Microscope

3D image of an object right side up, mainly used for debris, garments, weapons, big objects, paint, soil, gunpowder residue, or marijuana

Polarizing Microscope

uses light vibrations, so mainly used for objects that polarize light, like crystalline substances, minerals in soil, and synthetic fibers

Scanning electron microscope

uses beam of electrons instead of light to study electron emissions, can be used to determine elemental composition, or headlight fragments to see if they were on or off during a crash

Who is in charge on the scene when the body is there?

The Forensic investegator

Toxicology of urine

Can show what was in the system

Toxicology of blood

What is in the system

Toxicology of spinal fluid

Shows bacterial growth

What should be public knowledge in a crime?

name, age, race, general address, location, circumstances, cause

Analyzing vehicle accidents

location, descr. of location, descr. of collision, vehicle make, model, type; direction, location of body at collision and after were they a driver passenger or pedestrian, test blood for alcohol and drugs first

Analyzing ODs

location of drugs, paraphernalia type (how did it enter body) are there suicide notes, evidence of struggle, or illness signs?

Analyzing hangings

ligerature marks, suspension, kneeling

Analyzing autoerotic hangings

is there a towel or soft material between ligurature and neck, signs of masturbation, pornography, sexual stimulants, or in front of a mirror, is clothing off or opposite sex