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.

Full article here.

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.

Full article here.

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

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]

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]

Forensic Confirmation Bias: When the Evidence Doesn’t Speak for Itself

Decades of psychological research have consistently shown that humans exhibit “confirmation biases” in decision-making. This phenomena is where we naturally gather, interpret, and even create evidence in biased ways that support our previous beliefs. As a growing number of wrongful convictions in the United States judicial system are being discovered, psychologists are exploring the effects of these biases in the field of forensic science and how they can be prevented.  Such was the case in the 2004 Madrid train bombings, where a  “loss of objectivity” led examiners to see similarities in fingerprint identifications that “were not in fact present.” This led to investigators to wrongfully accuse and detain American Muslim attorney, Brandon Mayfield, until Spanish authorities identified the true perpetrator. Based off the context of the Mayfield case, Itiel Dror and his colleagues developed an experiment that tested whether forensic examiners can be biased by their expectations, and found that their judgments were indeed sensitive to contexts surrounding a case.

Read the full article here.

Source: forensicmag.com & The Huffington Post

[Abstract by ForensIQ Intern – Mark Lombard]

Citation:

Kukucka, J. Huffington Post Canada. Forensic Confirmation Bias: When the Evidence Doesn’t Speak for Itself. Retrieved May 1, 2013, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeff-kukucka/forensic-evidence_b_3178848.html

Safeguarding Forensic DNA Samples

DNA evidence is invisible and remarkably easy to transfer, making it possible for a sample to be spilled or even planted on a piece of evidence. Boise State University professor, Greg Hampikian has developed a solution for this contamination problem by discovering tiny DNA and protein sequences that can be used to permanently mark DNA samples. Several years ago, Hampikian and Boise State computer science colleague Tim Andersen identified these sequences that were not present in nature and Hampikian termed them ‘nullomers.’  Hampikian explained that “DNA contamination is a fact of life in all laboratories,”  and the key to protecting these samples may be stamping them with the nullomers as a permanent DNA bar code.

Read the full article here.

***Note: Hampikian’s research will be published by The Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine. Pre-publication available here.

Source: forensicmag.com & Boise State Univ., Sherry Squires

[Abstract by ForensIQ Intern – Mark Lombard]

Citation:

Squires, S. Forensic Magazine. Safeguarding Forensic DNA Samples. Retrieved May 1, 2013, from http://www.forensicmag.com/news/safeguarding-forensic-dna-samples?et_cid=3227680&et_rid=515363537&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.forensicmag.com%2fnews%2fsafeguarding-forensic-dna-samples&location=top

Department of Justice Updates Standards for Forensic Examination of Sexual Assault

The Department of Justice announced the revised version of the National Protocol for Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Examinations (SAFE Protocol) on April 24, 2013. The SAFE Protocol is a guide for handling sexual assault medical forensic examinations in order to promote supportive exams for victims of rape and sexual assault. The revised version of the protocol has been updated to include numerous advances in technology. It also includes increased emphasis on victim-centered care and information on changes from the Violence Against Women Act of 2005. The revisions also include information on special need populations such as victims with disabilities or victims in the military. Additional information also involves drug and alcohol facilitated sexual assault and updated confidentiality and reporting procedures. Research has proven that examiners with the proper training who are using modern guides like the SAFE Protocol significantly increase evidence collection and the investigation of sexual assaults.

Source: Forensic Magazine and Department of Justice

Read the full article here.

Citation: (2013). Forensic Magazine. DOJ updates standards for forensic examination of sexual assault. Retrieved April 25, 2013, from http://www.forensicmag.com/news/doj-updates-standards-forensic-examination-sexual-assault

[Abstract by ForensIQ, Andrea Williams]

Putting More Science Behind Bloodstain Pattern Analysis

Bloodstain pattern analysis is full of uncertainties in the forensic science field. Scientific studies and research support some pattern analysis but much more is needed to take out the uncertainness. Daniel Attinger, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at Iowa State University and his team are using a three-year grant from the Department of Justice to perform numerous studies on bloodstain pattern analysis to help bring more science to the understanding and investigation of these unique patterns. Attinger and his highly qualified team are working to understand the physics behind the impact and drying of blood droplets and are working to develop tools for crime scene investigators to analyze bloodstains at the crime scene. In the lab, the team is working on tasks such as trying to understanding the trajectory of blood droplets through the air, reconstructing the trajectory, and developing a 3D device to measure the thickness of bloodstains at a crime scene.

Source: Forensic Magazine

Read the full article here.

Citation: (2013). Forensic Magazine. Putting more science behind bloodstain pattern analysis. Retrieved April 25, 2013, from http://www.forensicmag.com/news/putting-more-science-behind-bloodstain-pattern-analysis

[Abstract by ForensIQ intern, Andrea Williams]

Photonics-enabled Tools Help Sort Clues in Boston Bombing

Photonics-based technology could play a central role in improving efficiency of investigations and possibly help prevent similar incidents to the Boston Bombings. Today, advances have reached the point to where it can identify suspects simply by their gait caught on camera, to identify shifting emotional states by calculating their pulse, and even identify explosives from as much as 100 meters away. With the huge array of cell phones with cameras being used by the public, the amount of video and image surveillance available to investigators of domestic terrorism, such as the Boston bombings, has increased. This image and video evidence can then be integrated into a huge panorama of the scene of an event, and can make faces and actions more recognizable when enhanced in the lab. As was the case in the recent Boston bombings, where surveillance, private, and even cell phone images and video sources were complied by investigators to identify the two male suspects.

Check out the full article here. 

[Abstract by ForensIQ Intern – Mark Lombard]

Citation:

Burkhart, F. Forensic Magazine. Photonics-enabled Tools Help Sort Clues in Boston Bombing. Retrieved April 24, 2013, from http://www.forensicmag.com/news/photonics-enabled-tools-help-sort-clues-boston-bombing?et_cid=3211923&et_rid=515363537&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.forensicmag.com%2fnews%2fphotonics-enabled-tools-help-sort-clues-boston-bombing&location=top