Unit 3: Serology- Bodily Fluids

Forensic Odontology

Pros to Buccal Sample:

• Saliva lasts longer than blood

• Less invasive to collect

• tests are more accessible

Other names for baby teeth:

A full set of teeth comes in at 2 ½ years old

• Primary teeth

• Deciduous teeth

• Milk teeth

Dentition - The arrangement of different teeth

Incisor (central/lateral) - A broad, flat, sharp tooth found at the front of the mouth. Designed for biting and cutting food.

Canine/cuspid - A sharp pointed tooth for piercing flesh and tearing

Pre-molars/bicuspid & molar - A broad flat tooth with many cusps. Its rough surface is used for crushing, grinding, and chewing food

• Adult Humans should have 32 teeth

  • 16 in the upper jaw

  • 16 in the lower jaw

• There are two incisors, a canine, two premolars, and three molars on each side of the jaw

• Adult teeth are known as permanent or primary teeth

Bruxing:

Bruxing - The tendency to gnash and grind teeth

• Historically linked to tense and unhappy circumstances

• In 1931 the term bruxing was introduced to designate the gnashing and grinding of the teeth during sleep.

Dental problems:

• excessive wear

• shortening of the length of the teeth

•  sharp edges

• wearing down of the enamel on top of the teeth

• fractured teeth

• fillings or crowns.

Bite Marks Solving Crimes:

Teeth marks left in victims are a highly specific tool used in the identification process of suspects.

• Identifications from teeth are unique to each person

• Saliva contains DNA and/or possible ABO antigens

Dental Impressions:

Useful in identifying a missing child

• Alerts dentists to identities of children.

• Produces a unique scent for search and rescue dogs.

• Obtain a DNA sample.

• Postmortem identification tool

Bite Mark Analysis:

• Bite mark – a patterned injury in skin or other substances produced by teeth.

• Forensic Odontologists - Collect, examines, and preserves evidence and compares it to unique dental characteristics of exemplars.

  • Exemplars – impression taken from a suspect

Processing Bite Mark Evidence:

• Photograph

  • with and without scale

• Swab

  • moistened swabs with sterile water

  • air

• Photograph again

• Cast if possible

Saliva:

• Can detect levels of steroids in the body better than blood or urine.

• Easy test collection.

  • Allows CSI unit to control the time better.

  • Noninvasive, simple, safe, stress free, and painless.

• Hormones remain stable in saliva at room temperature for weeks!

• Less expensive than blood testing.

• Used to identify Unabomber! – licked the back of the stamps used to mail bombs!
  

Urine & Sweat

The Kidneys:

• Primary functional organs of the urinary system

• Regulate the acidity of blood

  • Excrete alkaline salts

• Remove undesirable substances from blood plasma

• Filter blood

Diabetes:

• Break down food into glucose (sugar).

• Glucose is used in our bloodstream for fuel.

• Insulin

  • Hormone secreted by the pancreas

  • move glucose from the bloodstream into cells

Gestational Diabetes:

• High levels of blood sugar during pregnancy

  • Usually develops around 24 weeks

• Could cause premature birth due to the baby growing in size too quickly

• Does NOT mean that the woman was diabetic before, or will be after the pregnancy

Sweat Glands:

• 2.6 million sweat glands on skin

• Sweat glands span the entire body.

  • Exceptions: lips, nipples, external genital organs.

Recognizing Child Abuse

What makes children vulnerable:

• developmental abilities and cognitive levels may interfere with recognizing and avoiding danger

• Thinner Skin: toxic agents falling on the skin can be absorbed more rapidly

  • increased surface area = greater exposure

• Breathe Faster: inhaling more toxins per pound than adults

• Shorter: more exposure to heavier aerosols that fall to the ground

• Fluid Intake: more fluids per kg than adults, so they are more susceptible to contaminants

• children differ in ability to detoxify and excrete harmful substances

Physical Abuse Risk Factors:

• Violence in the family

• prematurity

• unrelated male caretaker

• abused parents

• less than 3 years old

• child with chronic conditions

• parental substance abuse

Common Adult Abuser Behaviors:

• Psychopathy - drug/alcohol addiction, low self-esteem, poor impulse control

• Marital stress problems

• Environmental stressors - financial, legal, etc.

• Social isolation

• Inappropriate expectations for the developmental level of the child

Recognizing Physical Abuse:

• Unexpected bruises, scars, and welts in various stages of healing

• Unexplained swollen extremities

• Bite marks

• Bruises shaped like recognizable objects

• Spiral fractures - commonly found in long bones (twisting force)

• Burns

  • “stocking” or “glove” burns, splashes, contact burns

• Shaken baby syndrome

  • subdural hematoma of the brain, skull fractures, retinal hemorrhages

Lead Poisoning (Plumbism):

• Accumulation of lead in the blood, bones, teeth, or soft tissue (kidney, bone marrow, liver, and brain)

  • particularly harmful for children under 7

• Sources

  • lead paint (houses older than the 1970s, or foreign counties)

  • Ingesting contaminated food and water

  • Ayurvedic medicine – Chinese and Middle Eastern herbal

    products for teething & colic.

  • Eye cosmetics imported from Asia, Africa, Mexico, &

    Middle East

How to check for plumbism:

• Serum Quantitative Lead Level – how much lead is in the bloodstream?

• Anemia tests

• Assess neuro stats

• Access renal function

Other poisons:

• Cleaning products

• Acetaminophen overdose (Tylenol)

• Acetylsalicylic acid overdose (Aspirin)

• Iron overdose

• Hydrocarbons - gasoline, kerosene, lighter fluid, paint thinner, turpentine

• Corrosives

Behavior Indicators:

• Explanation for physical injury that is inconsistent with the injury or the child’s developmental stage

• Persistent or repetitive physical complaints with unclear etiology

  • headache or abdominal pain

• Delay in seeking medical care

• Hyper alert when the caregiver is around

• Extremes in behavior

• Overeager to please

Physiological Indicators:

• Withdrawal

• Depression, anger, hostility

• Frightened when approached

• May harm siblings, peers, or pets

• Sudden change in personality - usually picked up by teachers

Neglect:

• Constant hunger - begging or hoarding food

• fatigue or listlessness

• Poor hygiene - skin, hair, clothes

• Inappropriate dress

• Malnutrition or failure to thrive

• Emotional - abandonment

• Medical - unattended medical or dental problems

• Educational - truancy, failure to be enrolled

Emotional Abuse Indicators:

• Delayed physical, emotional, or intellectual development

• Failure to thrive

• Speech delay or disorders

• Habit disorders

  • rocking, sucking on fingers

• Lack of involvement with school or friends

• Acting out/violence

Sexual Assault & Rape

Sexual Assault:

• Semen and vaginal fluid (in some rare cases) may be analyzed to yield answers about crime

  • especially in cases of sexual assault and rape

Sexual Assault - a wide range of victimizations, any type of sexual activity to which you do not agree, distinct from rape or attempted rape

• Include unwanted sexual contact, inappropriate touching, or

  sexual attention between the victim and offender.

Sexual Assaults…

• May or may not involve force

• May or may not include grabbing or fondling

• Can be verbal, visual, or anything that forces a person to join unwanted sexual attention

• Includes child molestation

NJ and Sexual Assault:

• No time limit on reporting to the police!

  • No “statute of limitations”.

• Includes: Any unwanted or forced touching of a person’s intimate body parts. Penetration does not have to be involved.

• A person who is incapacitated due to the effects of drugs and/or alcohol cannot give sexual consent.

Rape - forced sexual intercourse including both psychological coercion and physical force

• A common type of sexual assault

• Includes vaginal, anal, or oral penetration by offenders, including foreign objects such as a bottle

• Includes attempted rape, male and female victims, and heterosexual and homosexual rape

  • Most rapes are committed by someone known to the victim

Drug Facilitate Sexual Assault

• Known commonly as “date rape”

• The drugs often have no color, smell, or taste and are easily added to flavored drinks without the victim’s knowledge

• There are at least 3 types of date rape drugs

  • GHB (gamma hydroxybutyric acid)

    • Has a few forms: colorless/odorless liquid, white power, and pill

  • Rohypnol (flunitrazepam)

    • Known as a “roofie”

    • Pill or clear liquids

    • New pills turn blue when added to liquids, but old pills have no color

  • Ketamine (ketamine hydrochloride)

    • Known as “special K”

    • White powder

Risk Factors for Children

• Absence of natural father

• Being female

• Mom working outside of the home

• Poor friendships with parents

• Conflict in parent relationship

• Parental substance abuse

Clinical Indicators in Children

• Pain, itching, bruising, or bleeding around the genitalia

• Stained or bloody underclothing

• Dressing in layers inappropriate to the season

• Isolation or failure to form relationships

• Difficulty walking or sitting

• Chronic UTI

• Venereal disease

• Pregnancy

• Bedwetting

Sex Offender Registry/ Megan’s Law NJ

• Sex offender registry

  • name and address

  • Offender’s age, race, sex, DOB, weight, height, eye & hair color, any distinguishing marks, & photo

  • Date/ Time/ Description of offense

• Severity of crime

  • High Risk: Level 3

  • Moderate Risk: Level 2

  • Low Risk: Level 1

• Megans Law

  • Developed by her parents after she was abducted and killed by her neighbor

Who Can Help?

• Mandated reporters

  • Teachers, doctors, nurses, childcare workers

• Support groups/ Religious groups

• Psychiatrists/ psychologists

• Non-profit organizations

  • Counseling

  • ChildHelp.org (national hotline)

  • B.A.C.A.

Seminal and Vaginal fluids

Male Anatomy

Seminal fluid - organic fluid containing spermatozoa

• May contain clues to classifying blood type

• Spermatozoa contain DNA

Sources of Seminal Fluid in Crimes

• Victim/Corpse

  • clothing

  • body surface

  • body interior

    • pubic area

    • oral

    • anal

  • Evidence samples are taken as part of a rape exam or autopsy

• Scene of crime

  • underwear

  • condom

  • bed sheets

  • mattresses

  • carpeting or flooring

  • bathroom area

• Suspect

  • DNA sample

  • underwear and clothing

Presumptive test:

• Acid Phosphatase

  • Presumptive test for the presence of this enzyme.

  • Protein common to many animals and plants.

    • Male or female

    • Component of bones, spleen, kidney, liver, intestine, and blood.

• Seminal Acid Phosphatase (SAP)

  • Presumptive test for the presence of this enzyme

  • Secreted from seminal vesicles.

    • Only in males!

    • Contain the highest

      amount of SAP.

• False Positives

  • certain fruits and vegetable juices (watermelon & cauliflower)

  • some fungi

  • contraceptive creams

  • vaginal fluid

Confirmatory Test:

• Microscopic examination

• Spermatozoa - absolute proof of semen present

  • single sperm or sperm head only needed

• Prostate- Specific Antigen (PSA/ p30)

  • Produces by the prostate gland

  • Present even after vasectomy

  • Present even without spermatozoa

  • Highly concentrated in semen

Sperm Viability & Seminal Fluid Recovery

• Timing accurately when penetration occurred could implicate or exonerate a suspect

• Duration of sperm mobility

  • Living rape victim - 4-6 hours

  • Rape-homicide

    • In vagina - 6-7 days/ maybe up to 2 weeks

    • In rectum - 2-3 days

    • In mouth - 24 hours

• Other seminal components

  • Elevated PSA levels can be found in the vagina up to 24 hours. Elevated SAP levels can be found for up to 72 hours.

• PSA and SAP destroyed by cleaning

• Destroy DNA:

  • extreme temperatures

  • harsh chemicals.

• Dried semen stains can be used for years if conditions are right!

Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)

• STD – an infection or disease passed from person to person through sexual contact.

  • Forensically, can place a suspect at the scene of the crime.

• the United States has the highest rates of STDs in the industrialized world.

  • US: 15.3 million new cases of STDs are reported each year.

• You can get/pass STDs through vaginal, anal, or oral sex.

ABO Secretor Status:

• 80-85% of the population are ABO antigen secretors

  • Can secrete their blood-type antigens into other body fluids such as:

    • Saliva in your mouth

    • Mucus in your digestive tract

    • Nasal Cavities

    • Tears

    • Semen and vaginal fluids

• No Blood transfer, just the antigens

• Class evidence only - you cannot convict a perpetrator who secretes, but you can only exonerate a suspect who secretes

Female Anatomy

Vaginal Fluid Detection

• Difficult to detect

• Important in non-ejaculatory rapes

  • Swab taken from the penis of the suspect

• Applicable in penetrations with foreign objects.

Periodic Acid Schiff (PAS) (presumptive)

• Depends upon glycogen-containing Epithelial cells (cells that line the vagina).

• Chemical reagent that stains the cell’s glycogen-containing cytoplasm a bright

  magenta color.

• Swab swiped upon a glass slide to view stain.

• Problems:

  • Not all vaginal epithelial cells contain glycogen.

  • Young girls (pre-menstrual) contain none.

  • Post-menopausal women rarely contain any.

  • Varies with stage of menstrual cycle.