25th Annual Forensic Anthropology Course
The National Museum of Health and Medicine (NMHM) recently sponsored their 25th Annual Forensic Anthropology Course in June 2012 held at the Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore. ForensIQ, Inc’s Tom Mauriello was one of the 30 attendees who learned a great deal about the field of forensic anthropology and its application to the investigative process. According to the NMHM website’s article about the course, forensic anthropology is “concerned with the scientific recovery, analysis and identification of human remains in the medicolegal context.” To learn more about the course, forensic anthropology, and the work being done at the National Museum of Health and Medicine, read the full story here.
Discovery’s ID Channel Airing “Forensic You Decide: Caught On Tape” Show
For those of you who haven’t had the opportunity to view one of the forensic documentaries featuring Tom Mauriello, then tune in on August 3rd, 2012 at 10:00 PM, ET/PT, to the Forensic You Decide series, Episode 5, “Caught On Tape.” This show is a Murder/Arson case committed in Baltimore City in 2006 that has some interesting turns of events. Learn more about the show…
Tattoos Finally Have A Purpose – FBI Adding Them to Identification Database
Anyone who knows Tom Mauriello knows what he thinks of tattoos on people’s bodies. Well he has changed his mind. He believes they finally have some utility. The FBI’s Biometric Center of Excellence (BCOE) is gathering information regarding tattoos to add more identifying factors to their database. Researching extremist and gang-related tattoos across the country will allow the FBI to use these permanent marks to identify people beyond using just DNA, fingerprints, or mug shots. In the future, scars and other skin marks will be included, as well as developments in voice, iris and even footprints.
Find out more now.
Date of Article: July 19, 2012
[Abstract by Carrie Wells, ForensIQ Student Intern, July 21, 2012]
Cable TV Documentary “Lizzie Borden Had An Ax” showing again!
For those of you who have not seen the TV documentary I did in 2004, “Lizzie Borden Had An Ax,” you have several more chances to do just that in the next few weeks. Discovery Channel’s new cable network, Destination America is showing it next Tuesday, July 24th at 10:00 PM and Friday, August 3rd at 9:00 PM. Click here to see highlights of the show.
New Partner for Computer Forensics and Cyber Security
ForensIQ, Inc has a new partner! Paul Woodie, who recently retired from the US Department of Defense, is a Computer Forensic Expert and Consultant with years of experience in the field. He also teaches a three-day, hands-on course that delivers information about identity theft, viruses, malware, and cyber intrusions into our critical infrastructures (e.g., power grid, financial systems, etc.). Most criminal offenses today have a computer involved somehow either directly in the crime scene or indirectly associated with the criminal behavior. Too often, the contents of the computer is overlooked by investigators, or the capabilities of an experienced computer forensics expert is unknown. ForensIQ now has this expertise, and they are excited to have Mr. Woodie as a partner. Welcome Paul!
Justice Dept., FBI to review use of forensic evidence in thousands of cases.
The Justice Department and the FBI have launched a review of thousands of criminal cases to determine whether any defendants were wrongly convicted or deserve a new trial because of flawed forensic evidence, officials said Tuesday.
The undertaking is the largest post-conviction review ever done by the FBI. It will include cases conducted by all FBI Laboratory hair and fiber examiners since at least 1985 and may reach earlier if records are available, people familiar with the process said. Such FBI examinations have taken place in federal and local cases across the country, often in violent crimes, such as rape, murder and robbery. Read more…
By Spencer S. Hsu, Published: July 10 – The Washington Post
“Convicting the Innocent” not just a title of a book – Its happening too often!
Brandon L. Garrett in his book, “Convicting the Innocent,” examines the first 250 innocent people exonerated by postconviction DNA testing. It was not until Sir Alec Jeffreys developed the first DNA profiling test in 1984, that we ever realized that our system of justice in America may be convicting innocent people. Today, we have DNA to thank for throwing this failure in our faces,… and rightfully so. But I do not see anyone asking the hard questions like, …Why is this happening? What went wrong? What is going wrong? What can we do to fix it? Garrett found that of the 250 exonerees, 76% (190) were misidentified by an eyewitness. Are we placing too much credence in eyewitness testimony? You bet ya! Most recently, the Commonwealth of Virginia, Department of Forensic Science has disclosed DNA test results for more than 70 persons where testing of biological evidence discovered in forensic case files from 1973 to 1988, failed to identify the convicted person. Read more on this issue.
It is my opinion that there is a significant lack of training for police investigators (not mandated in most states, if any at all); the pressure for them to clear cases; forgetting that they should be looking for the truth, not simply finding evidence that satisfies their initial beliefs in an investigation; not treating the investigation as a process involving multiple players; and prosecutors not willing to admit maybe they were wrong about a case, has caused this travesty to have been brought to the forefront by the advent of DNA. Was this happening before Dr. Jeffreys’ DNA profiling turned the investigation process upside down? I believe so. It was easy to remain pompous when all you had to do was accept the decision of the 12 people not smart enough to get out of jury duty (the jury) as being infallible.
Killer Insects or Humans?
Dr. Stefano Vanin is focused on being able to pinpoint whether damage to a dead body was caused by the killer during the attack or by insects after the crime. Insects can disturb the crime scene by leaving marks on the body that can mimic bruises and other injuries, which can affect the investigation. Dr. Vanin is studying the effects that insects can have on dead bodies and is reporting his findings in Forensic Science International.
Check out the full article.
Date of Article: May 9, 2012
[Abstract by Carrie Wells, ForensIQ Student Intern, June 12, 2012]
Exonerations and False Convictions
It is scary to know that most wrongful convictions do not end in exonerations and instead the accused serves their time or even dies in prison. The National Registry of Exonerations is a new project by University of Michigan Law School and Northwestern University School of Law. More than 2,000 innocent people have been exonerated in the United States in the past 23 years. You can read the details of nearly 900 exoneration cases at the registry website.
Find out more about this now.
Date of Article: May 21, 2012
[Abstract by Carrie Wells, ForensIQ Student Intern, June 18, 2012]
False Positives and Negatives
False positives and false negatives in DNA testing and criminal investigations can cause the innocent to suffer and the guilty to be free. Some of the possible errors and solutions are examined and discussed. Don’t forget the reality that the prosecution never wants to admit they were wrong. This is a serious problem in our criminal justice and it cannot be ignored. Thirty-five years ago when I began teaching, I used to tell my students that 99.9% of the time a suspect is arrested and the case goes to trail, that defendant probably committed the crime. I don’t believe that anymore, and DNA evidence has proven it for us. (TOMM)
Learn more here.
Date of Article: May 16, 2012
[Abstract by Carrie Wells, ForensIQ Student Intern, June 14, 2012]
Can DNA Testing in Death Row Case be “Frivolous”?
Hank Skinner could possibly be exonerated from a triple murder in Texas in 1993 if it could be agreed that untested evidence from the crime scene be tested for DNA. Skinner is currently on Death Row and has come very close to execution without all of the crime scene evidence being thoroughly analyzed. Solicitor General Jonathan Mitchell told the judges in the case that further DNA testing would be “frivolous”. Some believe that the testing is being avoided because the prosecution is afraid of Skinner being excluded.
Find out more here.
Date of Article: May 4, 2012
Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP)
Should drugs be legalized? This is a question that has been debated for several years and one that continues to affect our society. While most people would assume that all law enforcement officers and members of the criminal justice community are against legalizing drugs, this is not the case. There is a group known as Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) that includes current and former members of the law enforcement and criminal justice communities which firmly believes that we would benefit from legalizing drugs.
LEAP was founded in 2002 by five cops. Now, they boast over 50,000 supporters from 80 different countries. Supporters include police, prosecutors, judges, corrections officials, military personnel, FBI/DEA agents, and civilians. LEAP is based out of Medford Massachusetts.
According to their website, LEAP’s mission is to “reduce the multitude of unintended harmful consequences resulting from fighting the war on drugs and to lessen the incidence of death, disease, crime, and addiction by ending drug prohibition.” They believe that the main cause of almost all of the societal and economic damage can be blamed on drug prohibition. They argue that because of prohibition, marijuana is worth more than gold and heroin is worth more than uranium. Another point that they use to make a case against prohibition is that it does nothing to reduce drug use and abuse.
To learn more, check out their website.
[Abstract by Brittany Schuh, ForensIQ Student Intern, July2, 2012]
Evidence Conference in Washington, DC
There is a conference in Washington, DC at the Ronald Reagan Building October 1-2, 2012 that covers evidence collection, handling, analysis, and chain of custody. If you register for the conference on or before July 20, 2012 you save $100! You will also have an opportunity to tour the new DC Consolidated Forensic Laboratory (CFL), which is set to open in the fall of 2012.
Learn more here.
Date of Article: May 7, 2012
[Abstract by Carrie Wells, ForensIQ Student Intern, June 12, 2012]
Nanotechnology Finds World’s Oldest Blood
Wondering if your forensic evidence could still have usable biological fluids? Check this out. Red blood cells have recently been detected in a 5,000 year old ice mummy named Ötzi. These are the oldest traces of blood to ever be found. Scientists used an atomic force microscope to examine tissue from the ice mummy and found “doughnut-shaped” red blood cells as they would in a healthy person today. This new finding may possibly lead to major breakthroughs in forensic science.
To learn more, check out this article.
Date of Article: May 3, 2012
[Abstract written by Carrie Wells, ForensIQ Student Intern, June 11, 2012]
Detroit PD Crime Lab Cleaning Up
Fifteen years after a woman was raped, the crime may finally be solved. Believe it or not, there are over 10,000 “rape kits” in the Detroit Police Department Crime Lab property room and a random 400 of them are being studied to try and close some cases. The first case of the 400 random samples is finally going to trial.
To learn more, read the full article here.
Date of Article: May 1, 2012
[Abstract written by Carrie Wells, ForensIQ Student Intern, June 11, 2012]
