...called ‘Beaten by a hair’. In this case, a woman was reported missing after she went to work and never returned home. After the police discovered a bloody pillow case in the woods, near her house, they linked it to the missing pillow case in the woman’s room, and then realized that they had a murder case on their hands. A mystery in the case was that one of the local neighbors had mentioned seeing the woman leave through the front door of her house but the evidence says different, so investigators had to find out who left the house that morning. I am interested in this case because it was very intriguing how the forensic officers put all the pieces together and discovered the missing woman and her murderer. It was also interesting that if the forensic officers had not gone through every single hair fiber on the brush they had found, they could not have had enough evidence to convict the killer. Science and Methods Used In this case there were many different scientific methods such as an ultraviolet light test, a luminol test, an amido black test, and the use of a highly trained dog. Two main scientific methods used in the solving of this case were hair and DNA analysis and the use of mass spectrometry. When the woman was missing and the only lead the forensic officers had was the bloody pillow case; they had to use various scientific methods in order to solve the case. The forensic officers started using their methods where they suspected the crime had taken place which...
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...the most insignificant clue becoming the one piece of evidence that is the key to the whole case. Just as dated as those television shows, so is the investigative practice. Present day, almost all investigative crimes involve the collection of forensic evidence that is broken down into two categories: organic versus inorganic evidence. This paper will detail the differences between organic and inorganic evidence, explain the strengths and weaknesses of each, and breakdown the significance of either organic or inorganic evidence as it travels through the justice system from the crime scene to prosecution. The way evidence collected can be broken down into two categories; organic and inorganic. According to Saferstein (2011), “Organic substances contain carbon, commonly in combination with hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, chlorine, phosphorus, or other elements. Inorganic substances encompass all other known chemicals substances. Each of these two broad groups has distinctive and characteristics properties (p. 123, Para 3). In laymen’s terms, organic evidence is biological evidence that has once lived (i.e. blood, hair, or any liquid that originates from a human or animal). Whereas, the second category inorganic evidence; it’s the non-biological evidence collected at a crime scene. Inorganic evidence has never lived before (i.e. bullets, fiber evidence, chipped paint, murder weapon, a rock or water). The reason why...
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...Crimes occur every day from burglary, to killings, kidnapping, stealing, and many more. The people that commit those kind of crimes need to be caught so that they can pay their consequences which should help them realize the crime they committed was wrong. Catching a criminal is not easy so what are the most effective ways to catch a criminal? The forensic community plays an important role in helping out with this situation. Forensic scientist help law enforcements get a lead and solve a case. Forensic scientists use different devices like urine testing, DNA testing, DNA markers, and many more devices to help get a lead in a case in order to come to the decision of convicting the right person. Forensics technology has improved greatly over time DNA In most cases the easiest way to catch a criminal is by DNA. With DNA in a criminal case it can put you at the place of crime. There are some flaws with DNA though. There is always the possibility of people having the same DNA strands. And if a piece of hair or any other kind of DNA is found at a crime scene and that is the only evidence and two people have the same DNA strand there’s a possibility of the wrong person going to jail. Once a crime has been committed the most important item to recover is any type of evidence left at the scene. If the suspect left any DNA at the crime scene, he could then be linked to the crime and eventually charged. A suspect’s DNA can be recovered if the suspect leaves a sample of his or her DNA...
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...system in these identifications are Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) analysis, biometric identification, Intra-agency databases for DNA, fingerprinting and palm printing, and camera and wiretap surveillance. Each aspect serves a specific purpose in making certain that the right person is properly identified for the crimes that they commit. Each technological aspect makes certain that the criminal justice system can prove without a doubt that the person under arrest is the person responsible for committing the crime. Criminal Identification Procedures Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) analysis is an examination method that allows any organism to be identified, by its genetic sequences. DNA analysis is highly accurate, important, and used all across the world for important reasons. The main purpose for DNA analysis is identifying individuals who are suspects in criminal cases, identifying victims or their remains when other means of identity is not possible. The advantages of DNA analysis are reliable, accurate results, and helps solving old and new cases. The disadvantage of DNA analysis is it reveals information on physical state, this information is sensitive and must be guarded. Biometric Identification is a system based around the main physical characteristics of the human body such as finger print identification, hand geometry, palm vein authentication, retina scan, iris scan, face recognition, signature, and voice analysis. The advantage is unique the information for each individual...
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...oday, the word "forensics" has become synonymous with crime and crime scene investigation. Immediately conjuring images of crime labs, ultra violet lights and high-tech computers, popular crimes shows like CSI have brought increased attention to the field of forensic science. They've also generated newfound interest in forensics careers. The term "forensic" comes from the Latin and means, simply, having to do with the law. Hence, any discipline that has any ties to the legal system is, in fact, forensic. This is why so many job titles within criminology, such as forensic psychologist, are preceded by the term. With regard to forensic science, the term is now commonly understood to refer to the application of scientific principles to questions...
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...How has our knowledge of DNA improved the study of criminal forensics? Introduction Through genetics, the study of DNA, we are able to figure out what and how genes are responsible for many things like our hair color or why do some people look a lot like their parents and others don’t. It also allows us to understand better how species evolve and how are they related to each other. It is important to understand how DNA mutates, changes and replicates in order to get information about what mechanisms cause DNA to change. In the 1970s scientists developed a DNA sequencing technique and other methods to manipulate and analyze DNA. This gave them the basic tools to start exploring the DNA blueprint which provided the techniques for a vast international project called The Human Genome Project (MRC). The Human Genome Project which was a major international project with the goal of decoding all our genetic information by 2003. A rough draft was done in June 2003 and it was a huge milestone that helped us understand how our genes can determine who we are (Genome Project). Many of today’s advances in DNA and biotechnology allow scientists and medical doctors to potentially cure genetic disorders through gene therapy by inserting, deleting or manipulating genes (Tillery, page 686). Another use of DNA technology is the creation of mutation by transferring DNA from one organism to another through techniques like cloning and introducing new DNA sequence into an organism to alter...
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...laboratories and impeccable machines as portrayed in forensic crime dramas, an average person’s faith and trust on forensic evidence is unshakable. In particular, jurors significantly rely on DNA analysis, scientific evidence, and testimonies by forensic experts to help decide the outcome of most criminal cases. Hence, justice and freedom for an individual can depend on the proficiency, reliability and efficiency of a forensic laboratory and their forensic analysts. Investigative or methodological forensic errors either on...
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...this reason, witnesses cannot fully recall facial details, especially when they are under stress by the events of the crime. Also, memory is very flexible...
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...to all questions where control of chemical compounds, products, or processes is involved. Forensic Chemistry is an interdisciplinary field of Chemistry tasked to solve cases that can only be explained or resolved by applying analytical methods of investigation and instrumentation with chemistry as the main core of discussion. Forensic chemistry is a broad and diversified field of science. It includes all branches of chemistry and the application of its principles to solve crimes when it arise in the administration of justice. Significantly, Forensic chemistry is vital in crime detection when the components or chemical composition, structure of physical evidence/s collected from the scene of the crime are needed to support in the speedy solution of crime. Application of forensic chemistry is legally applied to the following: 1. Primarily, Forensic Chemistry deals in the recognition, identification, preservation, packaging & transportation of physical evidence collected at the crime scene. 2. In crime detection, it is applied in the identification of poisons, blood, semen, feces, urine, saliva, and other body fluids whether fresh or dried. It also include other stains of interests from ob-gynecological origin, mineral stains, fruits and/or vegetable stains. 3. It is involved in determining the kind of ink used in signature writings, and the kind of paper of a questioned document. 4. The knowledge of properties of volatile substance like organic solvents (alcohol, acetone...
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...tiny specs of blood spatter are all alone in the back seat of the same car, and a half smoked cigarette rests softly on a freshly mowed lawn next to the driveway. These are clues of a crime scene. Each clue adds up to the story of something terrible. A crime has taken place, and law enforcement is on the scene. Whether it is a detective, county Sheriff or the FBI, the investigators will rely on their forensic teams to link all the pieces of the puzzle that don’t quite fit yet. A Forensic Chemist can make them fit by scientifically analyzing the evidence. Chemistry, biology, materials science, and genetics to analyze clue found at the scene of the crime, on the victims or in the bodies of the bad guys. Forensic Chemists go into a case with many unknow pieces of the crime scene they need to analyze to determine the nature of each sample. Most Forensic Chemists work in a lab. It is rare for private labs to do this kind of work so most of the time these labs are associated with Local, State, or Federal law enforcement agencies. From local Medical Examiner’s labs to state of the art FBI labs, Forensics Chemists often provide the strongest evidence in court against the defendants. They have many different types of test and methods they use to figure out what the samples mean. Each crime scene brings new types of clues and samples so a Forensic Chemist must always be thinking of ways to analyze the evidence. Some of the more common test for optical testing, X-ray spectroscopy...
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...of the justice system. Forensic scientists use scientific techniques and knowledge to assist law enforcement in investigations and solving crimes. They collect and analyze numerous types of evidence, including blood, body fluids; DNA; and human tissue. Forensic scientists assist the decision makers by showing the prosecutor if the issue has merit before it reaches the courtroom thereby reducing the number of cases having to be heard. Their decisions are based on scientific investigations and not circumstantial evidence or unreliable witnesses. Forensic scientists can restore faith in the judicial system with the use of science and technology for facts in criminal and civil investigations. The legal system is established on the belief that the legal process results in justice for all. History of forensic science The history of Forensic science or the applying of scientific principles to legal questions has a lengthy and interesting history. The first recorded autopsy was reported in 44 B.C was on Julius Caesar, where the Roman physician, Antistius proclaimed that he had 23 wounds on his body but only one was fatal. In 1248, a Chinese book entitled “His Duan Yu” (meaning The Washing Away of Wrongs) explaining how to tell apart a drowning from a strangulation. This was also the first recorded use of medicine to assist in solving crimes. In 1590, the first microscope was developed. In 1775, Karl Wilhelm Scheele first discovered forensic detection of arsenic when...
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...Wrongfully Convictions Introduction: Each year, many people that are innocent are dished out short or long term prison term for crimes that they did not commit. These innocent people have been “wrongfully convicted”. Sometimes these wrongfully convicted charges are unbeknownst to the judge and or jury; other times, they are just wrongfully convicted due to corrupt law enforcement officers. This corrupt issue is very wrong and should be done away with immediately, which is my reason my choosing this topic. In this research paper, I plan to find reasons for wrongful convictions, the actual number, statistics, of individuals that have been wrongful convicted, and those individuals who have stepped up to make a difference in this dilemma. Although there aren’t any statistics kept by the Criminal Justice Department on the number of crimes that were recorded as wrongful convictions, research has estimated about 5% of the cases that are tried annual result in a false conviction. Since 1989, 1,241 people have been wrongfully convicted and later cleared of all charges based on evidence that they were innocent, according to the National Registry of Exonerations, a project of the law schools at the University of Michigan and Northwestern University (Clark 2013). The Michigan Innocence Clinic was the first clinic of its kind to work on non-DNA exonerations. Their work has revealed particular circumstances far too often seen in cases of wrongful conviction. These cases show us how...
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...Criminology in the Future CJA/314 May 27, 2015 Criminology in the Future Over the last century crime and crime prevention has evolved significantly. Crime is not only in the United States, but worldwide, which means law enforcement agencies and Politicians across the globe will have to work alongside each other to find new and inventive ways to solve and prevent crime, such as cybercrime. Cybercrime is constantly progressing in its severity and danger starting from viruses to identity theft, to corporate crime. As more people find creative new ways to commit crimes, new technology to counter these crimes is gradually being developed. Like a cat and mouse game, criminals are always looking for new ways to commit a crime, and the justice system is continuously looking for ways to stay on top of advanced technologies to protect society. Two new and creative technologies are the Robotic Cameras and the Global Positioning System (GPS) Vehicle Pursuit Dart. The mail role of the Robotic Cameras is to help save the lives of police officers. A Robotic camera is a disposable camera with an electric motor. The camera-equipped robot has special wheels for easy climbing and is used for exploration through wireless control. Officers are often in situations where they cannot directly see what’s in front of them, for instance, a hostage situation or a burned building where it is often dangerous for officers to go inside a building. This situation is ideal for sending...
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...Orth Tyrone S. Gibbs 11/21/2010 1 The use of Dna has changed the Criminal Justice System by allowing other materials beside blood to be used as identification. Before the advent of DNA testing, human identify testing was carried out mostly by using blood typing DNA analysis has now passed blood testing and is now the most accurate method currently available for human identification. DNA testing is used in determining parentage but is more widely known for the use in criminal cases. DNA testing is a powerful and reliable form of forsenic evidence that can beyond a shadow of a doubt reveal whether a person is innocence or guilt. One of the disadvantages however, is many prisoners do not have the legal means to secure testing or evidence in their cases. Some states have passed statues that include barriers to testing that are almost impossible to surpass. This is a obstacle that will keep innocent people from securing DNA test to prove their innocent. One of the advantges of DNA is that by using DNA fingerprinting is the use in solving crimes. Since DNA is found in almost every cell in the body, any portion of the human body can be used to establish identity. Just by the use 2 of a single strand of hair, a piece of skin, nail, a drop of blood or saliva can establish guilt or innoccence. Since it is impossible to remove all bodily or physical traes a persons presence DNA fingerprinting is very useful in murder or homicide cases in which the body has been disfigured, or...
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...Forensics Science At a crime scene there may be a lot DNA evidence left behind or none. DNA can identify victims and suspects. It can help solve cold case and give new leads to other cases. DNA is also use to determine kinship in a missing person case. It can also help exonerate someone from a crime that they were convicted of. When handling DNA such as blood at a crime scene it is important that it is properly documented, photographed, collected and stored. Besides blood, DNA can include: body fluid, hair and skin. Such DNA can be matched to an individual. DNA is the acronym for Deoxyribonucleic acid. According to Campbell Essential Biology with Physiology, “The word nucleic is referring to “DNA location in the nuclei of eukaryotic cell.” (Page49). “DNA is genetic material that humans and other organisms inherit from their parents which consists of gain molecules” (Page 48). The shape of DNA is a double helix. Some would say it looks like a twisted ladder. “The double helix has four bases; (A) Adenine, (C) Cytosine, (G) Guanine and (T) Tyhmine. The bases have to be properly linked to their pair or else there will be a mutation in the gene. The following are the base pairs that bind:”Adenine with Tyhmine and Cystosine with Guanine” (Page 49). DNA testing began in the mid 1980’s. In the online article, DNA Factors states: Ever since the start of DNA testing in 1985, biological material has been a reliable physical evidence to help solve crimes (Williams). DNA plays a key...
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