The ForensicWeek.com Webcast Show airing Episode #26 – Animal & Agricultural Forensic Services
The ForensicWeek.com Webcast Show is airing Episode #26 – Animal & Agricultural Forensic Services – tomorrow, Thursday, June 6, 2013 at 7:00 PM (EST). This is a LIVE rebroadcast of this show because of previous technical problems experienced with the original show that aired in April. Guest, Dr. Gary Pusillo, from Marshalltown, Iowa, will talk about his research and forensic work investigating cases associated with uncovering how animal food products cause the poor health and sometimes death of all types of animals. So join host, Tom Mauriello, and the rest of the ForensicWeek.com team and learn about this amazing forensic science. Watch the show LIVE or view it at your convenience. Just GO TO www.forensicweek.com
The ForensicWeek.com Webcast Show – featuring “Forensic Nursing – A Medical/Legal Profession”
The ForensicWeek.com Webcast Show is airing Episode 25 – featuring “Forensic Nursing – A Medical/Legal Profession,” tomorrow – Thursday, May 30, 2013, at 7:00 P.M. Distinguished members of the International Association of Nurses will be guests on the show broadcasting LIVE from their locations all over the world. So join host, Tom Mauriello, and the rest of the ForensicWeek.com team as they discuss this important forensic science profession and learn about how the forensic nurse strengthens the investigative process. Watch the show LIVE or view it at your convenience. Just GO to www.forensicweek.com
“Deleted” SnapChat Photos Saved in Phone Data, Can Be Examined as Evidence
Snapchat is a new and very popular smartphone app with millions of downloads. The photos people take with the app are being used to assist law enforcement, lawyers, and parents. The app advertises that once the sender sends a photo, the receiver has approximately ten seconds to view the photo before it is deleted and will never be seen again. Decipher Forensics, a firm based out of Orem, Utah, has been extracting photos from the app, stating that the photos are never fully deleted. Decipher Forensics has stated that they have perfected the steps for extracting these photos from Android devices and are currently working on iPhone smartphones. Digital forensics examiner, Richard Hickman, reveals that the app actually saves the photos to the phone and then can be extracted using digital forensics and issued to law enforcement or necessary recipients.
Source: KSL.com Utah News
Read the full article and view the news clip here.
Citation: Adams, A. (2013, May 8). KSL.com Utah. ‘Deleted’ snapchat photos saved in phone data, can be examined as evidence. Retrieved May 9, 2013, from http://www.ksl.com/?sid=25106057&nid=148
[Abstract by ForensIQ intern, Andrea Williams]
Estimating Time of Death by Circadian Rhythm
Researchers have recently found that they could estimate a healthy person’s time of death, with accuracy to within a few hours, by analyzing the activity levels of a set of genes within certain regions of the deceased brain. In normal and healthy brains, this gene activity “clock” changes in response to the different times of day, and can show which genes were most recently active before the individual passed away. However, people with severe depression have a disrupted “biological clock” that makes it seem as if they are living in a different time zone to the rest of the healthy population, throwing off this established correlation. University of Michigan’s Dr. Jun Li describes that the daily cycles of depressed individuals “are not only shifted, but also disrupted,” which further throws off the accuracy of the time of death estimation.
Source: forensicmag.com
[Abstract by ForensIQ Intern – Mark Lombard]
Citation:
Connor, S. The Independent. New forensic technique for estimating time of death by checking internal clock of the human brain. Retrieved May 15, 2013, from http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/new-forensic-technique-for-estimating-time-of-death-by-checking-internal-clock-of-the-human-brain-8614624.html
The Scene Will Dictate What You Need From the Suspect
The primary objective of a crime scene investigator is to relate a suspect to the crime scene. In order to establish this connection, investigators must collect as much evidence as possible from both the scene and the suspect. The key point is that the scene will dictate what you need to obtain from the suspect. For example, if a pair of latex gloves is found at the scene, the inside of the gloves should be processed for prints, and then the suspect’s hands should be swabbed for traces of powder from those gloves (Warrington, 2009). In another situation where the victim was shot, the suspect’s hands should be tested for gunshot residue. However, this evidence is very fragile and can quickly degrade a few hours after the commission of the crime.
Full article here.
Source: forensicmag.com
Citation:
Warrington, D. (2013, 22). Forensic Magazine. The Scene Will Dictate What You Need From the Suspect. Retrieved from http://www.forensicmag.com/tip/scene-will-dictate-what-you-need-suspect?et_cid=3260547&et_rid=515363537&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.forensicmag.com%2ftip%2fscene-will-dictate-what-you-need-suspect&location=top
Forensics utilized in animal abuse crackdown
Different parts of our nation are flooded with different types of animal abuse issues. Florida has cockfighting, the Carolinas have puppy mills, and Madison County has a cat “sanctuary,” which contains some 700 cats. While law enforcement in general may be more willing to pursue investigations of animal abuse, they may lack the experience and ability to develop a solid case. That’s where Adam Leath, the Gainesville-based southeast regional director of investigations and response for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), comes in. Leath’s expertise can help agencies determine if an investigation is worth pursuing and aid officers in collecting evidence that may otherwise be overlooked.
Find the full article here.
Source: forensicmag.com
Citation:
Swirko, C. (2013, 22). Gainesville.com. Forensics utilized in animal abuse crackdown. Retrieved from http://www.gainesville.com/article/20130519/ARTICLES/130519583?p=2&tc=pg
Man Shot by FBI Had Ties to Boston Bombing Suspect
Ibragim Todashev, a 27-year-old with Chechen roots and a mixed martial arts background that mirrors that of the Boston bombing suspects, was fatally shot by authorities early Wednesday at his Orlando home during a meeting with an FBI agent and two Massachusetts state troopers, authorities said. The FBI gave no details on why it was interested in Todashev except to say that he was being questioned as part of the Boston investigation. However, two officials briefed on the investigation said he had implicated himself as having been involved in the 2011 triple-slaying in a Boston suburb that authorities believe may have been connected to Tamerlan Tsarnaev. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release details of the investigation.
Source: forensicmag.com and The Associated Press
Citation:
Hightower, K. (2013, 23). Forensic Magazine. Man Shot by FBI Had Ties to Boston Bombing Suspect . Retrieved from http://www.forensicmag.com/news/man-shot-fbi-had-ties-boston-bombing-suspect?et_cid=3272217&et_rid=515363537&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.forensicmag.com%2fnews%2fman-shot-fbi-had-ties-boston-bombing-suspect&location=top
The ForensicWeek.com Show – Episode 24 – “The Dollhouse Murders – A CSI Learning Tool”
The ForensicWeek.com Webcast Show is airing Episode 24 – featuring “The Dollhouse Murders – A CSI Learning Tool,” tomorrow – Thursday, May 23, 2013, at 7:00 P.M. The Dollhouse Murders is a book written by host, Tom Mauriello, who produced the stories in association with six dollhouse dioramas built as learning tools in the crime lab, thus making his science more accessible than ever before. Each of the dollhouses depicts a snap shot in time of a scene that may or may not be a crime. So join host, Tom Mauriello, and the rest of the ForensicWeek.com team and walk through each of the dollhouses and learn exactly how serious crimes are investigated. Watch the show LIVE or view it at your convenience. Just GO to www.forensicweek.com See The “Dollhouse Murders” Book Cover
The ForensicWeek.com Webcast Show is airing Episode 023
The ForensicWeek.com Webcast Show is airing Episode 023 – “Counterterrorism – A Response to the Boston Marathon Bombing,” tomorrow – Thursday, May 9, 2013, at 7:00 P.M. Hear the truth from three counterterrorism experts, as they share their thoughts about what has happened in Boston and elsewhere in our homeland, and what we need to do to protect ourselves. Guests include: Rusty Capps, Retired FBI Special Agent; Ray Semko, Retired Military Intelligence Special Agent; and LT. Col. Joe Ruffini, US Army (Retired). So join host, Tom Mauriello, and the rest of the ForensicWeek.com team and be prepared to be educated and entertained. Watch the show LIVE or view it at your convenience. Just GO to www.forensicweek.com
NIST and NIJ Release New Handbook for Preserving Biological Evidence
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) have released a new handbook, The Biological Evidence Preservation Handbook: Best Practices for Evidence Handlers (NIST Interagency/Internal Report 7928). The handbook provides law enforcement agencies, forensic laboratories, and the judicial system with specific guidelines and recommends the best practices for preserving biological evidence. Written by experts in forensics, law enforcement, the sciences, legal scholars, medical personnel, and various professional organizations, the handbook provides valuable information to ensure quality preservation of evidence. The handbook is divided into five main sections: retention, safe handling, packing and storing, chain of custody and tracking, and disposition.
Source: Forensic Magazine
Read the full article here.
To view the handbook, click here.
Citation: (2013). Forensic Magazine. New a-z guide for preserving biological evidence. Retrieved May 2, 2013, from http://www.forensicmag.com/news/new-z-guide-preserving-biological-evidence
[Abstract by ForensIQ intern, Andrea Williams]
Expert Witness – The Role of a Computer Forensic Expert From Retention Through Trial
Yet another free webinar is being presented by Forensic Magazine, covering the important role for computer forensic investigators as they serve as an expert witnesses. The presentation will cover the attorney’s expectations from the case formation through the actual trial. Join the webinar to learn how to work effectively with attorneys, how to educate them as needed, and how to successfully perform your duties from the start of your investigation through the end of the trial.
Register free here and receive CPE credit.
Source: forensicmag.com
Rapist Gets Life in Prison in Montgomery County Cold Case
Richard E. Ricketts has been sentenced to life in prison for the October 24, 1977 rape of a woman in Montgomery County, Maryland. In 2011, The Montgomery County cold-case detectives reopened one of their oldest unsolved cases and tested old evidence for DNA that led them to a direct match to Richard Ricketts. The DNA test from the victim’s body was checked against a national database of convicts that matched Ricketts’s DNA. Ricketts had been convicted in Florida in 1999 of burglary and sexual battery. Ricketts went on trial in Montgomery County in February 2013 and was convicted by a jury in April 2013 of first-degree rape and two counts of first-degree sex offense. Now in his mid-sixties, Ricketts will spend the rest of his life in prison.
Source: Forensic Magazine and the Washington Post
Read the article here: Forensic Magazine and The Washington Post
Citation: Morse, D. (2013, April 26). Rapist gets life in montgomery county cold case. The Washington Post. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/rapist-gets-life-in-montgomery-county-cold-case/2013/04/26/4052ada2-ae8f-11e2-a986-eec837b1888b_story.html
[Abstract by ForensIQ intern, Andrea Williams]
Boston Plotters Said to Initially Target July 4 for Attack
During the F.B.I. questioning of the surviving suspect of the Boston Marathon bombings, interrogators discovered that he and his brother originally considered suicide attacks and strikes on the Fourth of July. According to Dzhokhar, he and his older brother, Tamerlan finished building the pressure-cooker bombs and other homemade explosives in their Cambridge, MA apartment earlier than they had expected. This led them to accelerate their attack plans to take place on April 15, which is also known as Patriots’ Day in Massachusetts. The F.B.I found this new information from Dzhokhar, when trying to determine if Tamerland’s wife, Katherine Russell, had any part in the plot or in aiding the brothers as they evaded authorities. According to law enforcement authorities, Russell’s fingerprints and DNA do not match those found on the recovered evidence.
Source: forensicmag.com, and The New York Times
[Abstract by ForensIQ Intern – Mark Lombard]
Citation:
Schmitt, E., Mazzetti, M., Schmidt, M., & Shane, S. (2013, 7). The New York Times. Boston Plot Said to Initially Target July 4.Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/03/us/Boston-bombing-suspects-planned-july-fourth-attack.html?_r=0
The ForensicWeek.com Show – Episode #22
The ForensicWeek.com Webcast Show is airing Episode 022 –“Criminal Justice Graduates Speak-Up.” They are University of Maryland Criminal Justice seniors preparing to graduate this month and go out into the real world looking for career opportunities. We will hear from them as they “speak-up” reflecting on their past four years of study; intern experiences; and career aspirations. So join host, Tom Mauriello, and the rest of the ForensicWeek.com team and meet some of our future professionals. Watch the show LIVE or view it at your convenience. Just GO to www.forensicweek.com
Tracking Gunfire with a Smartphone
Computer engineers at Vanderbilt University’s Institute of Software Integrated Systems (ISIS) have developed a smartphone-based system for identifying the location from where gunshots are fired. The system is based off a hardware module and related software that can turn a regular smartphone into a shooter location system. The researchers at Vanderbilt University developed in the past, mobile “smart nodes” in a wireless network in soldiers’ combat helmets that can rapidly identify the location of enemy snipers with relatively decent accuracy. The team has since then adapted their system to the smartphone. The system consists of an external sensor module that contains the microphones required to detect the acoustic signature of gunshots and then transmits the information to the smartphone via a Bluetooth connection. The smartphone then uses the incoming information and transmits it to the other modules, then determining the origin of the gunshot by way of triangulation.
Source: Forensic Magazine
Read the full article here.
Citation: (2013). Forensic Magazine. Tracking gunfire with a smartphone. Retrieved April 29, 2013, from http://www.forensicmag.com/news/tracking-gunfire-smartphone
[Abstract by ForensIQ intern, Andrea Williams]
