West Virginia University Forensic Science Initiative Offers Online Forensic Courses
West Virginia University’s Forensic Science Initiative (FSI) is presenting a collection of online forensic courses, including Forensic Science 101: An Introduction, Science of Fingerprints, Principles of Death Investigation, Introduction to Bloodstain Pattern Analysis, Crime Scene Investigation, and Fundamentals of Forensic Toxicology. FSI also offers the Continuing Education Program Tracks (CEPT) in four areas: Crime Scene Investigation, Forensic Chemistry, Forensic Biology, and Specialized Skills. The tracks contain a capstone that is a comprehensive exam of the knowledge students have gained from the courses taken.
These courses are open to everyone from forensic professionals to the general public. Federal employees can take courses for $30 per course and the general public can take courses at a fee of $225 per course. The general public can also take advantage of the Continuing Education Program Tracks (CEPT), which decreases the cost to $100 per course.
For a complete list of courses offered by FSI and more information, please visit here.
Source: forensicmag.com
Estimation of Death Using Cortical Bone Histomorphometry
Estimating the age at death in the human skeleton can be a challenging task due to the significant physical, biological and general individualistic differences of the body. Determining the age of death of individuals over the age of fifty has proven to be even more difficult. Further developments and models are continually being developed to assist anthropologists in determining age estimates. Early models of age of death estimations based their focus on the femur but this basis has revealed unreliable and inaccurate results. A recent study conducted by Dr. Christian Crowder of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in New York City has shown that focusing on the anterior cortex and the biological limitations of bone turnover has shown to be an accurate model for estimating the age of death for those individuals over the age of fifty. A significant advantage of this model over historical models includes accounting for ninety to ninety-five percent of the spatial variation in osteons within the anterior cortex.
Read the full study here.
Source: Forensic Magazine
[Abstract by ForensIQ intern, Andrea Williams]
Citation: Crowder, C. (2013). Estimation of Age at Death Using Cortical Bone Histomorphometry. Retrieved February 12, 2013, from http://www.forensicmag.com/news/estimation-age-death-using-cortical-bone-histomorphometry.
Walker proposes expanding DNA collection
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker is seeking to expand DNA collection efforts to include anyone arrested on a felony charge and anyone convicted of a crime. Wisconsin currently collects DNA only from convicted felons and sex offenders, but Walker says that the expansion would be “tremendously powerful” for solving cold cases. Some argue that this move is a civil rights infringement that will put more stress on the state’s justice system, but supporters say it offers a sure-fire genetic identifier upon arrest, which will identify more criminals and solve more cases. Among the proposal to expand DNA collections, Walker wants to provide grants for GPS monitoring of high-risk offenders, spending $1 million to hire five new full-time employees at the DoJ task force, and to replace surcharge money with $4 million from the state’s general fund to assist victims of sexual assaults.
Source: forensicmag.com
Citation:
Bauer, S. SFGate. Walker proposes expanding DNA collection . Retrieved February 13, 2013, from http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Walker-proposes-expanding-DNA-collection-4271689.php
Regional Firearms Laboratory joins Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences
In an effort to integrate all forensic science disciplines into one, science-based organization, the oversight of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office’s Regional Firearms Identification Laboratory is transferring to the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences. The firearms lab processes approximately 2,000 cases per year for the Harris County Sheriff’s Office and 53 other law enforcement agencies. Under the Institute of Forensic Sciences, the lab will share the same accreditation and be held to the same exacting quality standards and comprehensive oversight as the Institute’s current forensic disciplines. Harris County officials say that this adoption will advance leadership in forensic testing and improve the forensic science background of the county.
For more information on the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences, visit www.harriscountytx.net/ifs.
Citation:
Thomas, S. Your Houston News. Regional Firearms Laboratory joins Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences. Retrieved February 13, 2013, from http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/kingwood/news/regional-firearms-laboratory-joins-harris-county-institute-of-forensic-sciences/article_1e271418-7544-11e2-8fd6-0019bb2963f4.html
The forensicweek.com Show – Episode 011 – Solving a Serial Murder
The forensicweek.com Show is airing Episode 011 – Solving a Serial Murder – LIVE TONIGHT, Thursday, February 14, 2013 at 7:00 PM (EST). Special guest FBI Special Agent Robert Hilland, will discuss how the FBI brought the nearly 40 year investigation of serial killer John Smith to a successful conclusion. Smith eluded law enforcement for 26 years before his arrest in 2000. Special Agent Hilland has been featured on 20/20, Cold Case Files, The New Detectives, Forensic Files and On the Case with Paula Zahn presenting the details of this case. Forensicweek.com will focus on the role forensic science played in bringing Smith to justice. So join host, Tom Mauriello, and the rest of the forensicweek.com team and learn the “real” truth about investigating a serial murder case. Watch the show LIVE or view it at your convenience after the show is aired. Remember all previous episodes are there also. Just GO TO www.forensicweek.com or directly to http://www.youtube.com/forensicweek/.
U.S. Supreme Court to Hear Case on Collecting DNA from Arrested People
The United States Supreme Court will hear the battle over collecting DNA samples from arrested but not convicted individuals this month and rule to either allow or prohibit the collection nationwide. A little over half of the states currently collect a DNA sample from arrested but not yet convicted offenders along with standard fingerprints and basic identification procedures after arrest. Proponents for DNA collection of arrested offenders argue that identifying offenders as soon as possible will save innocent lives and prevent future crimes from occurring. Opponents argue that DNA collection of individuals who are not convicted is unconstitutional and a violation of the fourth amendment’s protection from unreasonable searches and seizures. The Supreme Court will hear the 2009 Maryland v. King case in determining the constitutionality of DNA collection of arrested but not convicted offenders.
Date of Article: February 2, 2013
Source: Forensic Magazine
Citation:
Savage, D. (2013, February 2). Supreme Court to hear fight over taking DNA from arrested people. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-court-dna-20130203,0,4970458.story
Supreme Court to Hear Fight over Taking DNA from Those Arrested
On a cold February night three years ago, police in suburban Arlington, Va., received a frantic call. A young woman said her roommate had been abducted at gunpoint by a short, clean-shaven man who sped away in a silver SUV.
At dawn, a motorist spotted the victim in a snowy field near a highway, raped and strangled, but alive. An alert officer, hearing the lookout report, recalled that he’d jotted down the license tag of a silver Dodge Durango whose driver lurked near bars at midnight, leading to the quick arrest of a short, clean-shaven Marine named Jorge Torrez.
Ten years ago, Virginia became the first state to require a mouth swab for DNA, upon arrest for a serious crime. This month, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear a privacy rights challenge to this common police practice. DNA samples are currently being taken nationwide from those convicted of serious crimes, while only the federal government and 28 states take samples from those arrested but not yet convicted. Victim’s rights groups, the Obama administration, and the top state attorneys from California and 48 other states have urged the court to rule in favor of routine DNA testing, saying that the mouth swab is at most, a minor invasion of privacy that has an extraordinary potential for solving heinous crimes.
Sourced from forensicmag.com
Citation:
Savage, D. Los Angeles Times . Fight over taking DNA samples after arrests goes to Supreme Court. Retrieved February 5, 2013, from http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-court-dna-20130203,0,4970458.story
The forensicweek.com Show – Episode 010 – Gun Control vs. Gun Safety
The forensicweek.com Show is airing Episode 010 – Gun Control vs. Gun Safety – tonight, Thursday, February 7, 2013 at 7:00 PM (EST). A panel of distinguished guests will discuss the issues related to the gun violence recently terrorizing the country and causing the loss of innocent lives. Guests will include a mother who lost her 12 year old son in an accidental hand gun incident and is a “Mother on a Mission,” to help stop gun violence; a clinical psychologist, author, professor and retired corrections executive, who will delve into the criminal mind of those who use weapons as tools of aggression; a Forensic Scientist and Professor, who has examined weapon related evidence for many years; and a security and counterintelligence expert, retired special agent, and professional public speaker, who has dedicated his career to countering the threat to our national security. So join host, Tom Mauriello, and the rest of the forensicweek.com team and learn the “real” truth about this explosive subject. Watch the show LIVE or view it at your convenience after the show is aired. Just GO TO www.forensicweek.com or directly to http://www.youtube.com/forensicweek/.
The forensicweek.com Show – Episode 009 – Hazardous Materials and Weapons of Mass Destruction
The forensicweek.com Show is airing Episode 009 this Thursday evening, January 31, 2013 at 7:00 PM (EST), discussing the identification and handling of “Hazardous Materials (HazMat) & Weapons of Mass Destruction,” with special guests – Michael Hildebrand and Gregg Noll, preeminent experts and co-authors in the field. So join host, Tom Mauriello, and the rest of the forensicweek.com team and learn the “real” truth about the forensic evidence associated with Hazardous Materials (HazMat) & Weapons of Mass Destruction. Watch the show LIVE or view it at your convenience after the show is aired. Just GO TO www.forensicweek.com or directly to http://www.youtube.com/forensicweek/.
Open up DNA Databases to All
In most states, prosecutors have exclusive access to over 11 million DNA samples in the CODIS national database to match known and unknown suspects to crimes. Over the last decade, there have been dozens of cases where an attorney for a convict has dug into the case file and found untested DNA that could exonerate their client. However, when they ask the court to test the new evidence, judges say they do not have the power to force prosecutors to retest. If the CODIS system was open, government and judicial watchdog groups maintain that hundreds and maybe thousands of prisoners could substantiate their innocence. These massive DNA databases have been built by American taxpayer funds ever since the DNA Identification Act was passed in 1994, but if we find ourselves in trouble and our lawyer discovers DNA evidence that needs to be checked out, we are not allowed access. Currently only nine states (including Colorado, Ohio, and Maryland) grant defense attorneys access to DNA databases, but if suspects are innocent until proven guilty, why not level the playing field and give the defense a chance to prove their innocence?
Date of article: January 27, 2013
[Abstract by ForensIQ intern, Mark Lombard]
Citation:
Dimond, D. Rockland County Times Newspaper. Open up DNA Databases . Retrieved January 28, 2013, from http://www.rocklandtimes.com/2013/01/27/open-up-dna-databases-to-all/
Fighting crime with fiber research
A new chemical process developed by researchers from N.C. State University will help forensic analysts identify and match the dyes used on small fiber samples. Investigators can use this process to conclusively prove if two fibers share specific dyes or impurities, therefore matching trace evidence samples of fibers in criminal court cases. Trace evidence is “anything involved in a crime that can be transferred between people, objects or the environment, such as hair or dirt,” and is a big part in major investigations. Thomas A. Dow, a professor in mechanical engineering, is also involved with furthering the project and is working on creating a small machine that will allow investigators to use this process to perform chemical analysis of fibers in the field.
[Abstract by ForensIQ intern, Mark Lombard]
Source: Forensicmag.com
Citation:
Cabaniss, J. Technician Online. Fighting Crime with Fiber Research . Retrieved January 29, 2013, from http://www.technicianonline.com/features/article_3a69c174-66ae-11e2-8fc0-0019bb30f31a.html
Knobbly Knee Identification
Forget digital fingerprints, iris recognition, and voice identification, the next big thing in biometrics could be your knobbly knees. New research has shown that our kneecaps are just as unique to identifying us as individuals, as fingerprints and other body parts are. Computer scientist of Lawrence Technological University in Southfield, MI, Lior Shamir has now demonstrated that a knee scan based on an MRI could be used to quickly register and identify people in a moving queue, such as an airport checkpoint. This approach has been tested and achieved an accuracy of around 93 percent. According to Shamir, “deceptive manipulation [of kneecaps] requires an invasive and complicated medical procedure,” which is more “resistant to spoofing” when compared with methods for altering a face, fingerprints, or an iris.
[Abstract by ForensIQ intern, Mark Lombard]
Source: Inderscience Publishers
Citation:
Forensic Magazine. Knobbly Knee Identification . Retrieved January 29, 2013, from http://www.forensicmag.com/news/knobbly-knee-identification?et_cid=3057073&et_rid=515363537&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.forensicmag.com%2fnews%2fknobbly-knee-identification
Biometrics for National Security and Law Enforcement: Training Summit 2013
As technology continues to advance and national security remains at the forefront of discussion, it comes as no surprise that biometrics is a hot topic. The ability for scientists to determine ways to accurately identify people based upon physical and behavioral characteristics has been achieved; however, improvements in equipment, interoperability and database accuracy are essential. Biometrics is key to our nation’s intelligence and security efforts in the fight against terrorism. Establishing an individual’s identity with certainty provides our military personnel an immediate edge and aids our national security capabilities.
Key Areas of Discussion Will Include:
- An In-depth Workshop Day Focusing on Secure Interagency Information Sharing
- Exploring Biometrics strategies and Acquisition Efforts
- Examining I.D. Verification Through Diverse Tracked Sessions on DNA, Fingerprint, and Facial/Iris Recognition Analysis
- Uncovering Requirements for Cost Effective Biometric Solutions
- Discussing Biometric Capabilities on a National and Local Law Enforcement Scale
At IDGA’s Biometrics for National Security and Law Enforcement you will have the exclusive opportunity to interact, network, and learn from leading representatives from military, government agencies, and private industry
The forensicweek.com Show – Episode 008 – 012413 – The Polygraph Process
The forensicweek.com Show is airing Episode 008 this Thursday evening, January 24, 2013 at 7:00 PM (EST), discussing the “Truth and Lies of the Polygraph.” This show is Part II of the series of episodes where we will discuss the polygraph (commonly incorrectly referred to as a lie detector) and focus on the polygraph process that includes the physiology, psychology, and instrumentation of the polygraph. So join host, Tom Mauriello, former federal polygraph examiner, and the rest of the forensicweek.com team and learn the “real” truth about this investigative technique for seeking the truth. Watch the show LIVE or view it at your convenience after the show is aired. Just GO TO www.forensicweek.com or directly to http://www.youtube.com/forensicweek/.
NFSTC launches YouTube channel
The National Forensic Science Technology Center has just launched a new YouTube channel that contains recorded conferences, lectures, and technology transition workshops for forensic science practitioners. With over 380 videos ranging from one minute to over an hour, this new “treasure trove of information” provides access to presentations from some of the world’s leading forensic science experts. Viewers can subscribe to the channel to get notified each time a new video is uploaded and it’s all available for free.
Link to NFSTC YouTube channel.
Date of Article: January 10th, 2013
[Abstract by Mark Lombard, ForensIQ Intern, January 15th, 2013]
Citation
National Forensic Science Technology Center . NFSTC launches YouTube channel. Retrieved January 15, 2013, from http://www.nfstc.org/nfstc-launches-youtube-channel/
