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Forensic Seience

Forensic Science and the Charles Manson Murders

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The capture and conviction of Charles Manson took over one and a half years to complete. Within this time period many law enforcement officers and forensics professionals put in countless numbers of hours collecting, preserving and testing the physical evidence they found. In addition, the forensics practices used in this case as well as the police investigation techniques serve as a valuable lesson for those in these fields today. In this paper we will look at some of the crimes that were committed by the Manson Family, the mishandled investigation that followed and the forensic techniques used to aid (and sometimes hinder the efforts) in obtaining convictions against those involved. The first five murders, later to be called the "Tate" murders, occurred in a house high above the city of Los Angeles. One victim (Steven Parent) was found in his car outside the house and he had been shot four times and stabbed once. Another two victims (Abigail Folger and Voytek Frykowski) were

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Current Methods In Forensic Gunshot Residue Analysis

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Introduction

Forensic science may be defined as the application of various scientific disciplines to aid the criminal justice system. Gunshot residue (GSR) evidence is an area of forensic science that is often underestimated and underappreciated by the forensic community. It is certainly one of the most underutilized types of physical evidence. The staggering increase in firearms-related offenses in the U.S. has intensified the importance of rapid and accurate GSR analysis. In a recent report, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) cites firearms as the weapons of choice in over 30% of 1.7 million incidents of violent crime. This book was written in response to the growing realization of the significance of GSR as evidence and the lack of textbooks that discuss current developments in this area of forensics. Despite advancements in analytical techniques and adjustments to the classification of GSR particles, no text that discusses these developments has been produced. In particular, this book provides a unique resource to help examiners at every

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Cadaver Decomposition in Terrestrial Ecosystems

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Abstract

A dead mammal (i.e. cadaver) is a high quality resource (narrow carbon:nitrogen ratio, high water content) that releases an intense, localized pulse of carbon and nutrients into the soil upon decomposition. Despite the fact that as much as 5,000 kg of cadaver can be introduced to a square kilometer of terrestrial ecosystem each year, cadaver decomposition remains a neglected microsere. Here we review the processes associated with the introduction of cadaver-derived carbon and nutrients into soil from forensic and ecological settings to show that cadaver decomposition can have a greater, albeit localized, effect on below-ground ecology than plant and fecal resources. Cadaveric materials are rapidly introduced to below-ground floral and faunal communities, which results in the formation of a highly concentrated island of fertility, or cadaver decomposition island (CDI). CDIs are associated with increased soil microbial biomass, microbial activity (C mineralization) and nematode abundance. Each CDI is an ephemeral natural disturbance that, in addition to releasing energy and nutrients to the

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Toxicology: Drugs and Poisons In Forensic Science

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1. Toxicology: Drugs and Poisons Forensic Science

2 Toxicology Toxicology - Mix of Chemistry and Physiology that deals with drugs, poisons, and other toxic substances. Began in 1775 when Swedish chemist Karl Scheele discovered a way to prove arsenic was the culprit in a suspicious death.

3 Poisons ANY substance that when taken in sufficient quantities causes a harmful or deadly reaction. (Sufficient quantities how much enters the body, over what period of time) . Intoxicant requires an ingestion of large quantities before it is lethal Ex: Carbon Monoxide, Alcohol, heavy metals (mercury, lead, selenium) 2. True Poison requires only a tiny amount - Ex: Cyanide

4 The Forensic Toxicologist Finds toxins and determines the likely effect on the individual who ingested or came in contact with it. Examples: Inebriation in an automobile accident or industrial accident Whether a person died from poison or from natural cause? Whether drugs played a role in a perpetrator’s actions or in seizures or coma?...

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Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward

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INTRODUCTION

On November 22, 2005, the Science, State, Justice, Commerce, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2006 became law.1 Under the terms of the statute, Congress authorized “the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a study on forensic science, as described in the Senate report.” The Senate Report to which the Conference Report refers states: While a great deal of analysis exists of the requirements in the discipline of DNA, there exists little to no analysis of the remaining needs of the community outside of the area of DNA. Therefore . . . the Committee directs the Attorney General to provide [funds] to the National Academy of Sciences to create an independent Forensic Science Committee. This Committee shall include members of the forensics community representing operational crime laboratories, medical examiners, and coroners; legal experts; and other scientists as determined appropriate.

The Senate Report also sets forth the charge to the Forensic Science Committee, instructing it to:
(1) assess the present and future resource

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Bringing Science To Digital Forensics With Standardized Forensic Corpora

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1. Introduction

Much of the work to date in digital forensics has focused on data extraction and for presentation in courts. Researchers have developed technologies for copying data from subject hard drives, storing that data in a disk image file, searching the disk image for document files, and presenting the documents to an examiner. As both the variety and scale of forensic investigations increase, forensic practitioners need tools that do more than search and present: they need tools for reconstruction, analysis, clustering, data mining, and sense-making. Such tools frequently require the development of new scientific techniques in areas such as text mining, machine learning, visualization, and related fields. One of the hallmarks of science is the ability for researchers to perform controlled and repeatable experiments that produce reproducible results. Science is based on the principle that phenomena can be observed and results can be reproduced by any one there are no privileged experimenters or observers (given sufficient training and financial resources, of course)...

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Strengthening Forensic Science | Edwards Testimony

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A SYSTEM PLAGUED BY A PAUCITY OF GOOD RESEARCH, FRAGMENTATION, INCONSISTENT PRACTICES, AND WEAK GOVERNANCE.

For decades, various forensic science disciplines have produced valuable evidence that has contributed to the successful prosecution and conviction of criminals, and also the exoneration of innocent people. In recent years, advances in forensic science disciplines, especially the use of DNA technology, have demonstrated that some areas of forensic science have great additional potential to help law enforcement agencies identify criminals. There are scores of talented and dedicated people in the forensic science community, and the work that they perform is very important. They are often strapped in their work, however, because of (1) a paucity of strong scientific research, (2) a lack of adequate resources and national support, and (3) the absence of unified and meaningful regulation of crime laboratories and practitioners. It is clear that change and advancements, both systemic and scientific, are needed in a number of forensic science disciplines to ensure the reliability of the disciplines, establish.. .

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Pediatric Forensic Pathology Is A Field Of Forensic Science

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Introduction

Pediatric forensic pathology is a field of forensic science. As such, it shares the frailties that many forensic sciences currently share. It was created by the justice system to serve its purpose and as such is an “uneasy partner” with the justice system; uneasy because the law demands a single casual theory in order to attach responsibility for precipitating or aggravating a victim’s condition while science can never supply absolute theories but rather presents findings in terms of probabilities. Forensic results in the relatively new field of DNA analysis represent the pinnacle of the scale of probability. Probabilities can be supplied in terms that approach absolute certainty. Nevertheless, even evidence of DNA analysis cannot be presented in terms of absolute certainty. As one moves down the scale from approaching absolute certainty to uncertainty, it is ironic that the terms in which evidence is presented appear to become more certain. For instance, bite-mark comparison, which has been recently tested and the results presented in the scientific...

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Forensics and Critical Thinking

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An article in a recent issue of the Wall Street Journal questioned whether forensics courses belong in the elementary and high school curricula.1 Teachers and forensics professionals are promoting the subject because it exemplifies the kind of evidence-based, objective investigation that permeates science. It also captures the attention of students weaned on TV crime stories. Burlington, NC-based Carolina Biological Supply Co. is helping out with several forensics packages, including kits on DNA fingerprinting and one called 'Caught By A Kiss.' But, the article asks, is there a down side? Could blood and gore desensitize kids to crime, making them more prone to act violently in their schools and communities?

Forensics has always been a media favorite. I seldom missed an episode of the old TV series Quincy, starring Jack Klugman as a troublesome medical examiner who always solved the crime. Years later, novelist Patricia Cornwell lionized another ME,...

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The Forensic Expertise Of Cadavers Of Females Suspected To Be Victims Of Sexually Motivated Homicide.

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Abstract

According to the author's independent observations, the criminal, as a rule, strangles his victim in sex-related murders. In cases of suspected sex-related murders of women, the female urogenital system needs to be examined as an anatomically whole preparation. It was proven that the spermatozoid structure (in the cadaveric vagina, whose condition was optimal) began to change from week 2 with almost all their heads being destroyed by the end of week 6. When cadavers are found in 1.5-2 months after the event, there is no reason to give up examinations of the sperm from cadaver.

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