DOJ Issues Report on Campus Sex Crime Investigations
The U.S. Department of Justice, aided by the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights and others, has recently released a report titled Promoting Effective Criminal Investigations of Campus Sex Crimes. The report provides college administrators and law enforcement officials recommended tools for investigations of campus sex crimes, as well as various creative approaches for training and educating students beyond the standard orientation sessions that gloss over important issues. The recommended investigative tools include templates for communicating with victims and offenders, checklists for the initial response to an incident, and written materials for victims on what to do and types of available assistance. Although these investigative tools and procedures are not required, they can aid administrators and campus safety agencies in strengthening campus awareness, victim assistance efforts, and investigations of campus sex crimes.
Date of Article: January 8th, 2013
[Abstract by Mark Lombard, ForensIQ Intern, January 14th, 2013]
Citation
Barran, P. Barran Liebman LLP – Labor and Employment Law Firm . DOJ Issues Report on Campus Sex Crime Investigations.Retrieved January 14, 2013, from http://www.barran.com/display-alert.asp?AlertID=175
U.S. Cities Relying on Precog Software to Predict Murder
A precog in the film Minority Report who can see the future and predict events.
Photo courtesy of Dreamworks/20th Century Fox
New crime-prediction software currently being used in Maryland and Pennsylvania promises to reduce homicide rates by predicting which prison parolees are most likely to commit murder, therefore uncovering which should receive higher levels of supervision. University of Pennsylvania criminologist and creator of the algorithm, Richard Berk says the software replaces the ad hoc decision-making of parole officers and claims that it could identify eight out of 100 future murderers. The software analyzes two dozen variables to predict risks of future offending, but interestingly enough the most predictive variables were the type of crime and the age at which it was committed. People assume that if someone committed murder, then they will murder again, but what really matters is what that person did when they were young (Berk, Wired.com).
Date of Article: January 10th, 2013
[Abstract by Mark Lombard, ForensIQ Intern, January 14th, 2013]
Citation
Zetter, K. Wired.com . U.S. Cities Relying on Precog Software to Predict Murder. Retrieved January 14, 2013, from http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2013/01/precog-software-predicts-crime/
Proposed Law Collects DNA with Every Felony Arrest
A proposed bill in the Indiana statehouse would collect DNA samples from everyone who is arrested on a felony charge. Currently, the Department of Corrections (D.O.C.) takes DNA samples from people convicted of certain crimes and places them into a database of convicted criminals, but those who receive suspended sentences or probation are left out of the collection. As Allen County Superior Court judge, Fran Gull says, “A small percentage of our population commits a vast majority of the crimes. We get frequent fliers who come through, so having information available to law enforcement could help them solve additional crimes that may have been perpetrated by these” repeat offenders.
The bill will be heard in the Committee on Judiciary on January 23rd, and will go into effect July 1st, 2013 if it becomes law.
Link to full article and a video.
Date of Article: January 10th, 2013
[Abstract by Mark Lombard, ForensIQ Intern, January 15th, 2013]
Special thanks to Forensicmag.com
Citation
Wane.com. Proposed law collects DNA with every felony arrest.Retrieved January 14, 2013, from http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/crime/proposed-law-collects-dna-with-every-felony-arrest
Forensic scientists need skeletons to train – but they’re down to bare bones
Heavy increases in the need for forensic science courses in unison with strict laws governing human tissue use and legislation repatriating historic remains have left universities struggling to provide actual remains for study and practice. In result, forensic science students are becoming more and more dependent on technology to provide hands-on experience. A British company named Anthronomics is working with computer game developers to alleviate this need by designing new software that creates 3D digital images from scans of existing skeletal collections. These scans can then be used by universities that, as Dr Piers Mitchell, President of the British Association for Biological Anthropology and Osteroarcheology, says “do not have well established archaeological collections and may not be connected to a medical school.” Many students currently rely on studying remains from Anglo-Saxon times or on plastic casts, but as skeletal remains are returned and universities look for a cheaper alternative, 3D images may be the best substitute.
Date of Article: January 4th, 2013
[Abstract by Mark Lombard, ForensIQ Intern, January 8th, 2013]
Citation
Brown, J. The Independent The Independent | News . Forensic scientists need skeletons to train â but theyâre down to bare bones – Science – News – The Independent. Retrieved January 8, 2013, from http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/forensic-scientists-need-skeletons-to-train–but-theyre-down-to-bare-bones-8439073.html
Virtual Autopsies Provide New Insights into Death
A new method of examining cause of death, which combines images from powerful computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) together with surface scans of corpses, is being developed and used by Swiss forensic scientists. The idea of this new method is draws on a collaborative effort between radiologists and forensic scientists, where autopsies can be planned more effectively after examining abnormalities present in the combined CT, MRI, and surface scans. According to specialist Wichmann of the Hamburg university hospital, relatives of the deceased often do not allow an autopsy to be performed because they do not want the body of their family member to be cut open. Virtual autopsies relieve these concerns and have also allowed Swiss pioneers to circumvent an otherwise excessively messy situation.
Pictured left: How a virtual autopsy is conducted. Courtesy of Universität Zürich Institut für Rechtsmedizin
Date of Article: January 6th, 2013
[Abstract by Mark Lombard, ForensIQ Intern, January 8th, 2013]
Citation
Thadeusz, F. Forensic Magazine. Virtual Autopsies Provide New Insights into Death | Forensic Magazine. Retrieved January 8, 2013, from http://www.forensicmag.com/news/virtual-autopsies-provide-new-insights-death?et_cid=3027348&et_rid=515363537&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.forensicmag.com%2fnews%2fvirtual-autopsies-provide-new-insights-death
NIST and Dutch Agency Team to Improve Forensic Science
On November 29, 2012, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Netherlands Forensic Institute (NF) forged partnership to promote the advancement of technologies, methods, practices and standards in the field of forensic science. These two organizations signed a Memorandum of Understanding at the recent event, Forensics@NIST 2012, in which is held at NIST headquarters in Gaithersburg, Maryland. They agreed to work together through focusing on such areas as research and development in forensic science, standards, education, training, and ethical practices. This will help to improve the accuracy and reliability in forensic science in the United States and Netherlands.
Source: Forensic Magazine
Date of Article: December 13, 2012
[Abstract by David Miller, ForensIQ Intern, December 19, 2012]
The forensicweek.com Show – Episode 004 – Forensic Chemistry and Stevenson University Forensic Sciences Program
Want to learn about the role of Forensic Chemistry in a criminal investigation? Want to hear about a new forensic sciences program at Stevenson University, Baltimore County, MD? Then tune in to “forensicweek.com,” this evening, Dec. 20, 2012 at 7:00 PM. Listen to “Real” science from a “Real” Forensic Chemist and Professor of Forensic Sciences, Dr. John “Jay” Tobin. This will be Episode 004 of the webcast show, forensicweek.com. The viewers are growing and the excitement is contagious. Watch it LIVE, or visit the forensicweek.com website and view achieved shows. Click here: http://www.youtube.com/forensicweek/
DNA Technology Proved the Key in Robert Gordon Rape Conviction
DNA technology continues to be the key in bringing those responsible for serious crimes to justice. In the United Kingdom, DNA profiling brought Robert Gordon to justice 30 years after he raped a stranger in a Basingstoke Park. Thanks to the formation of “Operation Galaxy” in 2010 by Hampshire Constabulary and their team dedicated to reviewing forensic evidence of all historic undetected sexual assaults after 1980, Robert Gordon is put behind bars. 30 years ago, Gordon was able to get away because of a lack of eyewitnesses and clues. But advances in DNA technology was the key to bringing him to justice.
Check out the full article right here
[Abstract by David Miller, ForensIQ Intern, December 19, 2012]
Citation
Morton, Helen. “DNA Technology Proved the Key in Robert Gordon Rape Conviction.”Basingstoke Gazette. N.p., 17 Dec. 2012. Web. 19 Dec. 2012.
DC Judge Orders Exoneration, Cites Hair Evidence DNA Test Rejected
51 year old, Santae Tribble, spent 28 years in prison for a murder that he did not commit. In 1978, he was convicted for the murder of a Southeast Washington taxi driver after an FBI examiner claimed that he microscopically matched Santae Tibble’s hair to one in a stocking found at the crime scene. However, it took almost 30 years for Tribble to finally be exonerated. DNA testing proved that none of the hairs used as evidence actually matched Tribble’s genetic profile. Judge Laura Cordero ordered Tribble’s exoneration and he became the second D.C. man in 2012 and the third since 2009 to be exonerated after serving a long sentence based on false hair matches. As a result of these exonerations and mistakes in the FBI Laboratory, the Justice Department announced a nationwide review of all cases in which were handled by the FBI Laboratory;s hair and fibers unit before 2000. Editorial note: In 1978, they did not even have the technical capability to positively identify an individual from a hair sample.
Read the full article here and even watch a video of Sentae Tribble telling his story
[Abstract by David Miller, ForensIQ Intern, December 19, 2012]
Citation
Hsu, Spencer S. “D.C. Judge Exonerates Santae Tribble in 1978 Murder, Cites Hair Evidence DNA Test Rejected.” Washington Post. The Washington Post, 15 Dec. 2012. Web. 19 Dec. 2012.
County detective develops 3D crime-scene animation
When at a crime scene, detectives record measures from all angles so they can explain scientifically how the crime took place. However, once detectives are in the courtroom they have to explain to a jury their findings and with the help of two-dimensional photographs they can explain the events a little better. However, juries often need more visual presentations to truly understand what took place. Then want more then just explanations and photographs and Berks County Detective Albert Schade discovered that he can use a free computer program to create a 3D model of a crime scene, all from the measurements and crime scene sketches. With that 3D model, Schade made some modifications to gaming software allowing him to virtually take the viewer into the scene using a computer mouse. Schade stated, “If I want to walk a jury through a crime scene I really can’t do it with animation because they’re all looking through one camera angle,” “Having an interactive way to walk through things and talk to people while doing it is very helpful.”
[Abstract by David Miller, ForensIQ Intern, December 19, 2012]
Citation
Henshaw, Steve. “County Detective Develops 3-D Crime-scene Animation.” Reading Eagle. N.p., 13 Dec. 2012. Web. 19 Dec. 2012.
Ohio Justices: DNA Proof Must be Kept
On Thursday, December 6, 2012, the state Supreme Court of Ohio ruled that all law-enforcement agencies must preserve all biological evidence in both rape and murder cases. Prior to this ruling, agencies could have trashed any evidence that existed before the law’s enactment. Supreme Court Justices stated that agencies and crime labs that believe they can destroy all evidence from cases before the law took affect in 2010 are wrong. This ruling is important for innocent people who could have had their evidence destroyed. Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor stated in the court’s opinion that “Because DNA and biological evidence play such significant roles in the judicial system, it is imperative that law-enforcement agencies handle all evidence with extreme care.”
Check out the full article here
Date of Article: December 7, 2012
[Abstract by David Miller, ForensIQ Intern, December 13, 2012]
Citation
Candisky, Catherine. “Ohio Justices: DNA Proof Must Be Kept.” The Columbus Dispatch. N.p., 7 Dec. 2012. Web. 13 Dec. 2012. <http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/12/07/ohio-justices-dna-proof-must-be-kept.html>.
Vital Clue Ignored for 50 Years
Up for auction this week is a letter from 1840, written by Robert Blake Overton, a surgeon from the Norfolk village of Grimstone. What is extraordinary about this letter is that Overton writes that fingerprints could be used as a tool for solving murders. Overton suggests fingerprint use in criminal investigations 50 years before they came into use. This means that some of the most notorious criminals of the 19th century could have been identified. In the letter, Overton wrote about a murder he was investigated and stated: “It is not generally known that every individual has a peculiar arrangement [on] the grain of the skin … I would strongly recommend the propriety of obtaining impressions from the fingers of the suspected individual and a comparison made with the marks on the sheets and pillows.”
Date of Article: December 9, 2012
[Abstract by David Miller, ForensIQ Intern, December 13, 2012]
Citation
Alberge, Dalya. “Vital Clue Ignored for 50 Years.” The Independent. N.p., 9 Dec. 2012. Web. 13 Dec. 2012. <http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/vital-clue-ignored-for-50-years-8395985.html>.
Police Sketcher Turns Witnesses’ Memories Into Evidence
Detective Greg Bean of the Bellevue (Seattle) Police Department can draw from victims memories to create nearly identical computer sketches of suspects. Bean, who could barely draw stick figures throughout his life, has become a successful forensic artist by learning how to use a computer program designed to assist law enforcement agencies in creating composite drawings of suspects. Bean learned that art begins in the mind, not in the hand. Bean became an expert on facial features and his last eight sketches have been identical to the suspects arrested, including Danford Grant, a Seattle attorney who was a suspect of several alleged rapes. Bean stated, “All I’m trying to do is create the most accurate representation of that image – that memory – that I can so that the public and police can use that to hopefully catch, arrest and prosecute the bad guy.”
Read the full article here and also view a photo galley of Beans sketches and oil paintings.
Date of Article: November 25, 2012
[Abstract by David Miller, ForensIQ Intern, December 6, 2012]
Citation
Thomas, Linda. “Police Sketcher Turns Witnesses’ Memories into Evidence.”MyNorthwest.com. 25 Nov. 2012. Web. 06 Dec. 2012.
Serial Killer’s Blood May Solve Old Murders
The blood of mass murderer John Wayne Gacy and other executed men will be entered into the DNA national database in hopes it will link them to the coldest of cold cases. Detective Jason Moran said, “You just know some of these guys did other murders’ that were never solved.” By qualifying executed men as homicide victims, officials were able to get Gacy and others in the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System. There are many unsolved murders going back to the 1970’s when Gacy was killing young men. Other states should turn in the DNA of executed inmates in hopes it will link them to unsolved murders. As of today, there have been no hits that link Gacy or others to unsolved crimes. However, it is just a matter of time when further DNA is submitted that will solve these cold cases.
Check out the full article here.
Date of Article: December 3, 2012
[Abstract by David Miller, ForensIQ Intern, December 6, 2012]
Citation
Babwin, Don. “Serial Killer’s Blood May Solve Old Murders.” Forensic Magazine. N.p., 3 Dec. 2012. Web. 06 Dec. 2012.
What Lawyers and Judges Need to Know About Trace Evidence Examination
The scene of a crime frequently yields a large amount of trace evidence. Trace evidence is left when different objects contact one another. During a criminal investigation, trace evidence plays an essential role in establishing a connection between the crime scene, the victim, and the suspect. Trace evidence includes human hairs, synthetic fibers, gunshot residue, and paint. It is important for those unfamiliar with the science involved in trace evidence to understand the methods used to analysis said evidence, as well as the process involved in finding, construing, and testifying about the evidence.
The American Academy of Forensic will be holding their Annual Meeting taking place on February 18-23, 2013 in Washington, DC, where Gateway Analytical will be giving a presentation entitled, “What Lawyers and Judges Need to Know about the Science behind Trace Evidence Examination.” Higgs stated that this presentation “. . .will help attendees gain a general introduction and exposure to the scientific method employed in the analysis of trace evidence, as well as the conclusions that can be expected from the various types of trace evidence examinations.” In addition, the presentation will provide case studies in which trace evidence was vital in the investigation, as well as the trial. Assuring judges and lawyers understand the science behind trace evidence; will assure the jury understands the significance of the results.
Check out the full article here.
Date of Article: November 12, 2012
[Abstract by David Miller, ForensIQ Intern, December 5, 2012]
Citation
Higgs, Brittney. “What Lawyers and Judges Need to Known about the Science behind Trace Evidence Examination.” Gateway Analytical. 12 Nov. 2012. Web. 05 Dec. 2012.
