Forensic Expert's Blog (I.F.O)

Forensic Australia: The dingo killed my baby!

2012-02-22T14:09:00.000+05:30

Australia reopened 32-year-old mystery of whether a dingo killed a baby.

THE CASE IN A NUTSHELL:

The mystery of Azaria Chamberlain's disappearance in the Australian Outback in 1980 became the most notorious, divisive and baffling legal drama in the country's history. Had a wild dog really taken the baby? Or had her mother, Lindy, slit her daughter's throat and buried her in the desert?

Lindy and Michael Chamberlain, their two sons and their nine-week-old daughter, Azaria, were settling in for the night at a campsite near the rock. Azaria was sleeping in a tent and Lindy and Michael making dinner nearby when a baby's cry rang out. Lindy went to check on her daughter and says she saw a dingo slink out of the tent and disappear into the darkness. Azaria's bassinet was empty, the blankets still warm.

There was an intense search, but Azaria was never found.The Chamberlains insisted the dingo snatched their daughter.

But police and the public doubted a dingo was big or strong enough to drag away a 10-pound baby. Nobody could find documentation of a dingo killing a child before.

The prosecution said there was no dingo saliva on Azaria's jumpsuit, which Lindy put down to the jacket she had been wearing over it. But the jacket was missing, and police said she was lying.

Australians didn't like the Chamberlains.it was all wrong for a grieving mother. Australians didn't understand her stoicism and recoiled when she spoke of graphic evidence clinically and without tears. Lindy — heavily pregnant with her fourth child — was convicted of murder, accused of slashing her daughter's throat with nail scissors and making it look like a dingo attack. She was sentenced to life in prison with hard labour. Michael was convicted of being an accessory.

Three years into Lindy's prison sentence, Azaria's jacket was found by chance — near a dingo den. Days later, Lindy was released from prison. A Royal Commission, the highest form of investigation in Australia, debunked much of the forensic evidence used at trial and her conviction was overturned.

As the evidence shifted in favor of Lindy's innocence, public guilt grew. Three decades later, it remains.

Forensic Anthropologist Have a Better Method for Well search

2012-02-22T13:57:00.001+05:30

Dr. Rick Snow specializes in recovering human remains. The former state forensic anthropologist for Georgia has, among other things, spent eight months excavating mass graves in Bosnia.

Dr. Snow uses an alternative method, although heavy equipment is still in the equation.

Working in a corkscrew pattern around the well, a 50-foot well would end up with a hole 200 feet in diameter.“What this allows us to do is work in complete safety,” Snow said.

WATCH THE VIDEO>>

The well shaft is kept covered with metal sheets to prevent debris from contaminating evidence, allowing investigators and forensic anthropologists to examine an undisturbed crime scene, Snow said.

The technique is more effective but also more expense.

CSI: Forensic Workshops- Indian Forensic Organization

2012-02-02T23:10:00.000+05:30

Forensics has been playing a major role in our society. While crime shows like CID, CSI, Crime Patrol have taken to cinemas there is more than what catches the eye. We at I.F.O (Indian Forensic Organization) have been making inspirational and interactive forensic sessions that show you how science works in the real world.

You will find our programmes exciting, fun and valuable.

Why Us?

This workshop will be beneficial for students in following ways:
o Basic understanding of the forensic techniques.
o Faculty and expert from Industries.
o Hands on experience in Crime Scene Investigation,Fingerprints, Blood splatter, Footwear, Ballistics, Cyber etc.
o We provide them insights and valuable resources that makes them skillful and enhance their practical knowledge.
o Also the workshop doesn 't end up then and there. They can contact the concerned faculties throughout their graduation or thereafter also if they need any guidance regarding Industrial Projects and Placements.
Duration

The duration of this workshop will be two consecutive days, with eight hour session each day in a total of sixteen hours properly divided into theory and hands on sessions

Certification

A 'Certificate of Participation ' by I.F.O to all Participants of this workshop. At the end of this workshop, a small competition will be organized among the participating students and winners will be awarded with a 'Certificate of Merit '.
Eligibility

It 's a basic level workshop so there are no prerequisites. Any one interested, can join this workshop.

Fee : Contact Us for affordable price

Contact: +91-9819288253 /+91-9871410821

Website: www.ifsr.in

Happy Republic Day- India

2012-01-26T00:34:00.000+05:30

The I.F.O Team wishes all our our members a patriotic Republic Day.

Jai Hind

Forensic Magazine 24×7.

2012-01-19T23:50:00.000+05:30

>> We have just begun. Hope you find information on the Forensic Magazine 24X7 on the website. The website is a blog so you can feel free to comment / suggest your ideas and opinions.

TAKE ME TO THE WEBSITE

Internships with IFO Forensic!

2012-01-16T12:43:00.001+05:30

A strong forensic science education grows out of forensic internships and volunteer and research programs. Learn how to find such valuable experiences.

Location: Mumbai. (Preferred Candidate: Living in Mumbai)

If you want to be an intern at IFO , send us your resume at forensic@ifsr.in

ASK FOR OUR POPULAR TRAINING PROGRAMS:

Basic Crime Scene Investigation and Processing for Investigation Officers
Advanced Crime Scene Investigation & Processing
Crime Scene Photography
Crime Scene Sketching
Forensic Entomology - A Crime Scene Perspective
Importance of Trace Evidence (Glass, Hairs & Fibers, Paint, etc)
Latent Print Recognition, Processing & Recovery
Taking Legible Prints - Basic Fingerprint Analysis
Evidence Recognition, Packaging and Proper Collection

•Group Bookings:This program is also available for Corporates/Legal Officers/Corporates, Schools, Universities etc...day camp and other groups. Advanced booking is required.

•Please contact the IFO Staff for more information on this popular program.

Other Classes Available - PLEASE CALL FOR INFORMATION

** Contact us at forensic@ifsr.in

Ph no: +91-9819288253 (Mumbai- Ms Joulyn Kenny)
Ph no: +91-9871410821 (Delhi- Mr Pankaj Jaiswal)

Forensic For Kids (School) - India (Mumbai/Delhi etc...)

2012-01-16T12:39:00.003+05:30

We are conducting Forensic Workshops/Seminars/Conferences all across Mumbai/Delhi. Interested Schools can contact us at the earliest.

•We at IFSR are a rich source of experience in forensics, combine real world and academic knowledge of challenges and make efforts to unleash a rich and relevant background to forensics.

•We conduct Workshop/Seminars/Conferences on a regular basis to enhance their leaning experience and get a glimpse of what the world seeks in the new development of forensics

•Group Bookings:This program is also available for school, day camp and other groups. Advanced booking is required.

•Please contact the IFO Staff for more information on this popular program.

** Contact us at forensic@ifsr.in

Ph no: +91-9819288253 (Mumbai- Ms Joulyn Kenny)
Ph no: +91-9871410821 (Delhi- Mr Pankaj Jaiswal)

Forensic Expert Witness Services, India

2012-01-16T12:31:00.000+05:30

A forensic expert witness is a type of expert witness who would provide expert forensic testimony within a trial.Many criminal and civil investigations turn to expert witnesses in court to help resolve cases where the facts are unclear or in need of some explanation. An expert witness is a person who can provide information and opinion drawn from the body of knowledge that makes up their own area of expertise.

We at IFO FORENSICS provide Forensic Expert Witness/ Testimony taking into consideration the case in hand.IFO is a leading forensic expert witness firm with numerous vital and comprehensive practices.

We provide investigations, reports and testimony where technical and scientific answers are needed to help resolve both civil and criminal litigation and insurance claims.

Call us for further details.Email forensic@ifsr.in / investigation@ifsr.in

Mob:+91-9819288253/+91-9871410821

Website: www.ifsr.in

Forensic Lawyers In India

2012-01-06T11:44:00.000+05:30

Responsibilities of Forensic Lawyer:

A forensic lawyer is not only an expert at law, but is also an expert in forensic science. His forensic training and background in chemistry and other sciences enable him to analyze physical evidence obtained from crime scenes,individuals, files and office equipment which he uses to enhance the legal process.

Forensic lawyers must be competent in two fields together. First of all he must be an expert in the field of law. Other than this, he must also be an expert in the filed of forensic science. This is a very serious profession and you need to deal with the matters very seriously. The person interested in forensic law must have a background in science.

We provide Forensic Training/Services to lawyers to overcome difficulty set in investigative cases. Please take some time to know about us:

WHO ARE WE?

IFO is registered forensic and investigative Company, it is a panel of experts from various fields of forensic science. IFO delivers its full services in any legal matter ranging from Fraud detection to Crime scene investigation, from detectives to lawyers and from expert opinion to expert witness. We deliver expert opinion and other investigative services with quality, efficiency and confidentiality.

Why use IFO Services?

We treat all enquirers in the strictest confidence. All advice and quotes are FREE. We will listen to your situation and will advise you on: how we can help you. how many agents the case will require. when the work will be completed. when and how you will receive the evidence. the overall cost. We can reveal the truth that will allow you to make an informed decision. Full attention given to our clients at all times. Investigators with police backgrounds. Total discretion - keeping our clients privacy at all times. Very wide range of services. Helpful advice given on the best options. Investigations in entire India. Professional and reliable results.

Contact:09819288253/09871410821

Website: www.ifsr.in

www.forensicexpertmumbai.com

** IFO Wishes all our members a very Happy New Year! :)

2012-01-04T14:41:00.000+05:30

FROM ,

THE IFO TEAM, MUMBAI :)

FORENSIC MAGAZINE 24x7- INDIA

2011-11-15T23:59:00.000+05:30

“Welcome to India’s very own forensic magazine- Forensic Magazine 24×7.

The magazine is the outcome taking into consideration the current status of forensic in India. The magazine requires support from forensic students, forensic experts and all those interested in forensic to keep oneself updated with the latest of forensic in India and around the globe.( Indian Forensic Organization).”

We are looking for Advertisers/Sponsers for the Magazine…

If you are an Educational Institute/Forensic Course Provider/Forensic Instrument Supplier/Distributor. Contact us at 4n6mag@gmail.com. We then will supply you with Our Sponsorship -Proposal Brochure!

COVER DESIGNING CONTEST The Cover-page tells a lot about a magazine.. and we often judge the book by its cOvEr….What do you think should be the Cover-page?? Have Any Ideas for the Cover-page??

Prize for the Best Suggestion/Idea/Photographs for the Forensic Magazine 24×7 Coverpage!! Hurry! Send in your entries today

Mail us at: 4n6mag@gmail.com

Advertising

Forensic Magazine24x7 reaches physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists, accountants, law enforcement and security professionals, engineers, nurses, dentists, toxicologists, investigators, security professionals, and all other specialties associated with the forensic field.
We hope to help you in your advertising plans to make the most effective use of our wide variety of options including:

Print magazine
Digital Edition
Website Advertising

Thank you for your ongoing support of The Forensic Magazine24x7I encourage you to contact me directly with any questions or suggestions you may have about the publication and how we can better meet your specific needs.

Contact the Editor at 4n6gmail.com for more information.

What Does a Forensic Nurse Do?? - India

2011-10-07T23:47:00.000+05:30

Forensic nursing bridges the gap between health care and law enforcement. It’s the application of the science and art of nursing to criminal and civil investigations and legal matters.

Forensic nursing is different from other types of nursing education because students acquire the in-depth knowledge and skill that interfaces nursing with the law, law enforcement, forensic science, mental health and the health care and judicial systems. In addition to learning basic theory and concepts, students are introduced to the real-world aspects of forensic nursing and interacting with the law enforcement and legal systems.

Development of forensic nursing in India- step by step :

What is the work environment like for forensic nursing careers?
As far as patients go, forensic nurses can work with victims of rape, sexual assault, domestic violence, pediatric trauma, as well as victims of other violent or traumatic events.

Forensic nurses often work with hospitals, prisons and law enforcement to collect and document evidence, and act as aids in a crime scene investigation. They can also provide expert testimony in court helping the police to catch and convict criminals.

Why would someone want to work in forensic nursing?
Many students in forensic nursing work full time as emergency room, critical care and/or intensive care nurses. They’re already working with victims and want to be able to assist them in a legal way.

What are some of the challenges of a forensic nursing careers?
One of the challenges of forensic nursing is to stay focused and calm in a fast-paced, chaotic and often upsetting environment. Forensic nurses need to be able to comfort victims while gathering evidence.

Some Important Links:

International Association of Forensic Nurses

Forensic Nursing

Forensic Nursing Careers

Forensic Serology. Description, Education, Case Study

2011-09-26T12:06:00.000+05:30

The job of the serologist begins at the crime scene.A forensic serologist extracts DNA evidence from bodily fluids connected with a crime, including blood, semen and saliva. This identifies victims and possible suspects and can be the cornerstone of a criminal conviction.

Tests are also done to determine the blood type and Rh factor, and to figure out which antigens and antibodies are present. These new techniques help to determine whether the blood belongs to any particular suspect.Forensic serology can also be used on other bodily fluids as well. By testing the fluids it is possible to determine that a suspect is definitely not the culprit in the crime, and to give an idea of what type of person might have committed the crime.

Despite how well the crime scene may get cleaned up, even the finest trace of blood can often be detected and further tested. It is often the case that while the perpetrator may scrub down the obvious places, he can still miss between floorboards, under pipes, and inside drains. Merely by pouring water on some tiles at a murder scene and pulling them up wherever the water flowed beneath them, one detective found the only existing trace of the crime--blood.

TOXICOLOGY AND SEROLOGY:

Forensic serology also looks at toxicology factors for evidence of poisoning. It is also used to determine if wildlife has been poisoned.

Presumptive tests:

The Kastle-Meyer Color Test uses a solution of phenolphthalein and hydrogen peroxide on a piece of filter paper, and when blood of any quantity is present, it turns pink. However, it also turns pink in the presence of potatoes or horseradish, so care must be taken at the scene.

Sometimes microcrystalline tests are also performed. The two most often used are the Takayama and Teichmann tests. Both add specific chemicals to the blood to make it form crystals with hemoglobin derivatives. These tests are also sensitive to other materials that may be present in a bloodstain.

Education

People with a bachelor's or graduate degree in forensic serology or a related field have learned to apply biological science to criminology, including the areas of genetics and DNA analysis, molecular biology, pathology, and metabolic biochemistry. Most forensic serologists work for law enforcement agencies and crime laboratories.

OJ Simpson & Forensic Serology
On the night of June 12, 1994 neighbours were woken by a dog barking. The barking led them to the scene of a bloody crime. Laying in a pool of blood was a woman named Nicole. Near Nicole was her friend. When police arrived and took a closer look, they found that the attack had left Nicole nearly decapitated.
There were many pieces of evidence at the crime scene. Not only was there a blood pool, but there was also a hat and a bloodstained left-handed glove.
After the police made their report, they set off "wake-up calls" to the homicide detectives. The police and homicide detectives met at the scene of the crime and then drove to Simpson's house. While "buzzing" the intercom a detective noticed blood on Simpson's car. Then they saw blood drips going from the car to the front door of his house. More evidence, which was recovered from Simpson's house/bedroom, consisted of a sock belonging to the victim, Nicole, who was Simpson's ex wife. Another piece of evidence was a right-handed glove, retrieved from Simpson's car. It too had blood on it.
Forensic Serology was applied in this case when it came to all of the blood evidence. The blood from the sock was tested and showed that the blood belonged to Nicole. Blood from the right-handed glove was from Simpson and both the victims. The blood trail leading from Nicole's home, to Simpson's car, and then to Simpson's house, in itself, almost proved his guilt. But Simpson's legal team was one of the best and, this ending up being a nine-month long trial, Simpson was later cleared of the murder.

( SOURCE: Forensic Serology Written In Blood...)

FOOTWEAR EVIDENCE IN FORENSICS

2011-08-24T00:09:00.000+05:30

Footwear track evidence can be very instrumental to the successful conclusion of a criminal investigation.Detailed examination of footwear impressions can help to link a specific piece of footwear to a footwear imprint as each shoe will have unique wear characteristics.

Photographing Footwear Evidence

Written by Dwane Hilderbrand

Taking quality examination photographs

When making quality examination photographs of the evidence prints, be sure to use the same numbered marker you used when you were showing the relationship of the print to the scene. In order for a footwear examiner to perform a quality examination, high-quality, close-up photographs are required. Since footwear evidence can come in two different forms—prints and impres-sions—the techniques of photography are slightly different. This can be easily obtained with a little time and patience. There are many types of cameras that are being used for crime-scene photo-graphy, ranging from 35 mm and 4 x 5 film cameras to digital cameras.

Tire Tread and Tire Track Evidence: Recovery and Forensic Examination (Practical Aspects of Criminal & Forensic Investigations)

After the selection of the camera and the film or digital media, you will need to select an appropriate scale that will be present in all the photographs. This is very critical in order to allow for enlargement from the negative or image to make an exact duplicate of size (1:1). When no scale is utilized in the photograph, the examiner has no idea what the size of the real impression is. It then becomes difficult for the forensic photographer to print 1:1 scale photographs for examination purposes.

Types of footwear evidence

Footwear evidence can come in at least 3 forms, footwear outsole impression evidence, footwear insole impressions and footwear trace evidence.

Footwear outsole impression

Footwear outsole impressions are impressions left on an object that was caused by contact with a piece of footwear. These can left on the ground or raised surface by persons treading over it, left on doors or walls by persons attempting to kick or climb over a wall or even left on other persons after being kicked or stomped on.

Latent footwear outsole impressions:

Latent impressions are caused impressions that are not easily visible to naked eye. Such prints can be on many different surfaces such as floor tiles, concrete or even carpet. Latent impression may not be easily visible to the naked eye and its detection may require the use of additional specialized light sources such as portable UV lighting. Recovery typically includes photography as well as lifting with “gel” or “electrostatic” dust lifters.

Footwear Insole imprints

Footwear insole imprints are imprints left in the inside of footwear caused by contact from the person’s foot. Analysis of the insole imprints can be used to link a person(s) to a piece of footwear.

Footwear trace evidence

Footwear trace evidence is trace evidence that is recovered from footwear. Types of trace evidence that could be recovered include skin, glass fragments, body hair, fibres from clothing or carpets, soil particles, dust and bodily fluids.

The study of this trace evidence could be used to link a piece of footwear to a location or owner.

Detection of footwear evidence

Detection of impression in ambient lighting

Detection with forensic light sources

Detection with electrostatic lifting devices

Detection with chemical enhancement

COURSES IN FOOTWEAR EVIDENCE:

Bournemouth University: 3D Laser Scanning & Forensic Footwear Evidence

FEW LINKS:

Footwear Impression Evidence: Detection, Recovery and Examination, SECOND EDITION (Practical Aspects of Criminal & Forensic Investigations)

Tire Tread and Tire Track Evidence: Recovery and Forensic Examination (Practical Aspects of Criminal & Forensic Investigations)Search Amazon.com for Footwear track evidence

Forensic Saliva Analysis

2011-08-20T00:34:00.003+05:30

Body fluids, whether excreted or secreted, help our forensic experts compile detailed reports on sexual assaults, death, and the identification of attackers among other things.A forensic investigation can involve the analysis of body fluids, including saliva, for evidence of toxins and both prescription and illicit drugs.Saliva can be of forensic significance because traces of drugs that are circulating in the body can be present in saliva. The composition of the saliva accurately mirrors the proteins that are present in both the blood and the urine. Thus, testing of saliva, which is easier and less obtrusive than obtaining a blood or urine sample, can be used to reveal the presence of prescription and illicit drugs.

Saliva is presented as an alternative matrix in the establishment of drug abuse. The ultimate salivary concentration is determined by the route of administration, the salivary pH, the degree of plasma protein binding,and the physico-chemical properties of the abused drug. Since the saliva/plasma ratio can exceed 1, saliva might be a better analytical tool than blood during roadside testing of potentially intoxicated drivers

The researchers have used near-infrared (NIR) Raman spectroscopy to obtain spectra for pure dried human saliva samples from several donors in a controlled laboratory environment. By applying principal component analysis (PCA) on the spectra they demonstrated that dry saliva is a particularly heterogeneous substance. However, the Raman spectra can be described as being a linear combination of a fluorescent background and three spectroscopic components.

Forensic Preliminary Testing for Saliva (amylase)

Phadebas tablet method

1. Place 50 ul of each described dilution from above into a

test tube.

2. Add 1.0 ml of water, and ¼ Phadebas tablet (cut with scalpel

or razor blade CAREFULLY). Add the ¼ tablet using

forceps, NOT fingers to handle/cut the tablet.

3. Vortex to mix thoroughly.

4. Incubate at 37C for 30 minutes.

5. Add .25 ml of 0.5 M Sodium Hydroxide to each tube to stop

the reaction.

6. Centrifuge for 5 minutes.

7. A transparent dark blue supernatant

LATEST!!- New Forensics Tool Can Determine a Person’s Age from a Spit Sample

Researchers at UCLA have figured out how to determine age to within five years from nothing more than a saliva sample. The method relies on a process called methylation, which is a chemical change to one of the four building blocks of a person’s DNA. Methylation changes as our bodies grow older, contributing to age related diseases. In extracting DNA from saliva samples from more than 100 test subjects, the team found that it could zero in on a person’s age within five years by looking at just two of the 3 billion blocks that make up the human genome–such is the strong correlation between methylation and age.

References:

1. Enotes

2. Sourcebook in forensic serology, immunology, and biochemistry

3. Scientific Protocols for Forensic Examination of Clothing (Protocols in Forensic Science)

4. Forensic Biology: Identification and DNA Analysis of Biological Evidence

Are you in the Right Flight??

2011-08-08T23:17:00.000+05:30

Dexter- Has got his Blood Splatter Analysis done! What About You??…. Yes Guys! This is where blood takes flight and we as forensic scientist need to know the Direction of Flight- i.e The trajectory of a blood drop which can be established by its angle of impact and directionality angle.

Now you need to know the basics in Direction in Blood Splatter. Here are few terminologies:

Draw-Back Effect – Blood in the barrel of a firearm that has been drawn backward into the muzzle.

Drip Pattern — A bloodstain pattern which results from blood dripping into blood.

Expirated Blood – Blood that is blown out of the nose, mouth, or a wound as a result of air pressure and/or air flow which is the propelling force.

Flight Path – The path of the blood drop, as it moves through space, from the impact site to the target.

Flow Pattern – A change in the shape and direction of a bloodstain due to the influence of gravity or movement of the object.

Forward Spatter – Blood which travels in the same direction as the source of energy or force which caused the spatter.

High Velocity Impact Spatter (HVIS) — A bloodstain pattern caused by a high velocity impact /force to a blood source such as that produced by gunshot or high speed machinery.

Impact Pattern – Bloodstain pattern created when blood receives a blow or force resulting in the random dispersion of smaller drips of blood.

Impact Site — That point where force encounters a source of blood.

Low Velocity Impact Spatter (LVIS) – A bloodstain pattern that is caused by a low velocity impact/force to a blood source.

Medium Velocity Impact Spatter (MVIS) – A bloodstain pattern caused by a medium velocity impact/force to a blood source. A beating typically causes this type of spatter.

Passive Drop (Bleeding) – Bloodstain drop(s) created or formed by the force of gravity acting along.

Point (Area) of Convergence – The common point (area), on a two dimensional surface, over which the directionality of several blood drops can be retraced.

Point (Area) of Origin — The common point (area) in a three dimensional space to which the trajectories of several blood drops can be retraced.

Projected Blood Pattern — A bloodstain pattern that is produced by blood released under pressure as opposed to an impact, such as arterial spurting

Angle of Impact: The steeper the impact, the more elliptical or elongated, the blood drop

For a complete list of bloodstain pattern terms, as recommended by the International Association of
Blood Stain Pattern Analysts. (IABPA), go to: http://www.iabpa.org/
These terms should serve as a guide, for those who work and teach in the field of Blood Stain Pattern Analysis

FORENSIC DNA

2011-07-28T23:41:00.005+05:30

DNA typing, since it was introduced in the mid-1980s, has revolutionized forensic science and the ability of law enforcement to match perpetrators with crime scenes. Thousands of cases have been closed and innocent suspects freed with guilty ones punished because of the power of a silent biological witness at the crime scene.
DNA technologies used in forensic investigations

Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP)
RFLP is a technique for analyzing the variable lengths of DNA fragments that result from digesting a DNA sample with a special kind of enzyme. RFLP was one of the first applications of DNA analysis to forensic investigation.

PCR Analysis
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is used to make millions of exact copies of DNA from a biological sample. DNA amplification with PCR allows DNA analysis on biological samples as small as a few skin cells.

STR Analysis
Short tandem repeat (STR) technology is used to evaluate specific regions (loci) within nuclear DNA. Variability in STR regions can be used to distinguish one DNA profile from another.

Mitochondrial DNA Analysis
Mitochondrial DNA analysis (mtDNA) can be used to examine the DNA from samples that cannot be analyzed by RFLP or STR.

Y-Chromosome Analysis
The Y chromosome is passed directly from father to son, so analysis of genetic markers on the Y chromosome is especially useful for tracing relationships among males or for analyzing biological evidence involving multiple male contributors.

FORENSIC BALLISTIC COURSE DETAILS

2011-07-22T02:27:00.002+05:30

Forensic Arson Analysis

2011-07-07T15:13:00.000+05:30

When detectives arrive at the scene of a fire, the first thing that they do is interview any witnesses to the fire, for example, the person who called the fire brigade and those who arrived before the fire department, whom may have seen how the fire began. When the fire has been controlled, the temperature falls, allowing the firefighters to make the building safe for investigation. Similar to burglary and theft, arson is also a crime of stealth. The perpetrator of arson does not want to be seen committing his cowardly act. Most arson fires, therefore, occur at night and normally when no one is in the structure. Arson-for-profit is usually planned well ahead and the insured usually has a solid alibi far from the scene.

The investigation into how the fire started involves beginning at the lower levels, as fire travels upwards. The signs investigators search for when looking for the place the fire may have started include lingering heat, how deep the charring is, the flaking of building materials like cement and plaster, distorted plastic, metal and glass resulting from prolonged burning, damaged ceiling and structural damage.Samples are sealed in airtight containers and then tested for residues of accelerant liquid that might have been used to start the fire. These are the most common tests performed by forensics labs during an arson investigation:

Static headspace heats the sample, causing the residue to separate out and vaporize into the top, or "headspace" of the container. That residue is then injected into a gas chromatograph, where it's broken apart to analyze its chemical structure.
Passive headspace heats the sample and the residue collects onto a carbon strip in the container. Then the residue collected is injected into a gas chomatograph/mass spectrometer for analysis.
Dynamic headspace bubbles liquid nitrogen gas through the sample and captures the residue onto an absorbent trap. The trapped compounds are then analyzed using gas chromatography.

References:

Forensic Saliva Analysis

2011-07-07T15:00:00.001+05:30

Virkler and Lednev add that Raman spectroscopy has great potential as just such a non-destructive tool. In 2008, the team reported that it could be used to identify bodily fluids at a crime scene but those experiments were carried out with just a single sample of each type of fluid. Now, the team has extended the work significantly to investigate the potential for spectroscopic differences among different "donors" of the same fluid.
The researchers have used near-infrared (NIR) Raman spectroscopy to obtain spectra for pure dried human saliva samples from several donors in a controlled laboratory environment. By applying principal component analysis (PCA) on the spectra they demonstrated that dry saliva is a particularly heterogeneous substance. However, the Raman spectra can be described as being a linear combination of a fluorescent background and three spectroscopic components.

New Forensics Tool Can Determine a Person's Age from a Spit Sample

Researchers at UCLA have figured out how to determine age to within five years from nothing more than a saliva sample.

The method relies on a process called methylation, which is a chemical change to one of the four building blocks of a person’s DNA. Methylation changes as our bodies grow older, contributing to age related diseases. In extracting DNA from saliva samples from more than 100 test subjects, the team found that it could zero in on a person’s age within five years by looking at just two of the 3 billion blocks that make up the human genome--such is the strong correlation between methylation and age.

References:

Saliva Can Reveal Person's Age

2011-06-28T01:42:00.000+05:30

Geneticists of University of California, Los Angeles, have developed a new saliva test which can accurately predict a person's age.

A newly patented test based on the research, for example, could offer crime-scene investigators a new forensic tool for pinpointing a suspect's age.

"Our approach supplies one answer to the enduring quest for reliable markers of aging," said principal investigator Dr. Eric Vilain, a professor of human genetics, pediatrics and urology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

"With just a saliva sample, we can accurately predict a person's age without knowing anything else about them," he added.

Vilain and his colleagues looked at a process called methylation - a chemical modification of one of the four building blocks that make up our DNA.

"While genes partly shape how our body ages, environmental influences also can change our DNA as we age," explained Vilain.

"Methylation patterns shift as we grow older and contribute to aging-related disease," he added.

"Methylation's relationship with age is so strong that we can identify how old someone is by examining just two of the 3 billion building blocks that make up our genome," said first author Sven Bocklandt, a former UCLA geneticist now at Bioline.

The study has been published in the online edition of the Public Library of Science (PLoS) ONE

Source-ANI

Forensic Human identification

2011-06-17T00:08:00.001+05:30

People can be identified by their fingerprints. This assertion is supported by the philosophy of friction ridge identification, which states that "Friction ridge identification is established through the agreement of friction ridge formations, in sequence, having sufficient uniqueness to individualize".

Friction ridge identification is also governed by four premises or statements of fact:

   1. Friction ridges develop on the fetus in their definitive form prior to birth.
   2. Friction ridges are persistent throughout life except for permanent scarring, disease or decomposition after death.
   3. Friction ridge paths and the details in small areas of friction ridges are unique and never repeated.
   4. Overall, friction ridge patterns vary within limits which allow for classification.

People can also be identified from traces of their DNA by DNA fingerprinting, from their teeth or bite by forensic odontology, from a photograph or a video recording by facial recognition systems, from the video recording of their walk by gait analysis, from an audio recording by voice analysis, from their handwriting by handwriting analysis, from the content of their writings by their writing style (e.g. typical phrases, factual bias, and/or misspellings of words), or from other traces using other biometric techniques.

Body identification is a subfield of forensics concerned with identify someone from their remains.

Body identification is a subfield of forensic science wherein investigators need to identify a body. Forensic (literally, "for the courts") purposes are served by rigorous scientific forensic identification techniques, but these are generally preceded by simply asking bystanders or other persons for the victim's name.

If a body is not badly decomposed or damaged, two persons (or one) who knew the deceased well should visually confirm the identity.

Authorities will also compare supportive documents such as driver's license, passport, or other authoritative photo ID before accepting a personal identification with which to further their investigative and/or forensic purposes.

Of course, any formal investigation should "reality check" additional forensic and scientific evidence to reinforce or question the supposed identity of the victim. Reliable identification becomes increasingly difficult as time passes.

SOURCE : WIKIPEDIA

IMPORTANT LINKS:

Forensic Human Identification Course

Forensic Human Identification: An Introduction

Recovery, Analysis, and Identification of Commingled Human Remains

Human and Nonhuman Bone Identification: A Concise Field Guide

Forensic geology- By Raymond C. Murray

2011-06-11T01:22:00.000+05:30

The use of geological materials as trace evidence in criminal cases has existed for approximately one hundred years. Murray (2004) provides an overview and reminds us that it began, as with so many of the other types of evidence, with the writings of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Doyle wrote the Sherlock Holmes series between 1887 and 1927. He was a physician who apparently had two motives: writing salable literature and using his scientific expertise to encourage the use of science as evidence (Murray and Tedrow 1992). In 1893 Hans Gross wrote his book Handbook for Examining Magistrates in which he suggested that perhaps one could tell more about where someone had last been from the dirt on their shoes than from toilsome inquiries. A German chemist, Georg Popp, in 1908 examined the evidence in the Margarethe Filbert case. In this homicide a suspect had been identified by many of his neighbours and friends because he was known to be a poacher. The suspect's wife testified that she had dutifully cleaned his dress shoes the day before the crime. Those shoes had three layers of soil adhering to the leather in front of the heel. Popp, using the methods available at that time, said that the uppermost layer, thus the oldest, contained goose droppings and other earth materials that compared with samples in the walk outside the suspect's home. The second layer contained red sandstone fragments and other particles that compared with samples from the scene where the body had been found. The lowest layer, thus the youngest, contained brick, coal dust, cement and a whole series of other materials that compared with samples from a location outside a castle where the suspect's gun and clothing had been found. The suspect said that he had walked only in his fields on the day of the crime. Those fields were underlain by porphyry with milky quartz. Popp found no such material on the shoe although the soil had been wet on that day. In this case, Popp had developed most of the elements involved in present day forensic soil examination. He had compared two sets of samples and identified them with two of the scenes associated with the crime. He had confirmed a sequence of events consistent with the theory of the crime and he had found no evidence supporting the alibi.

Rocks, minerals, soils and related materials have evidential value. The value lies in the almost unlimited number of kinds of materials and the large number of measurements and observations that we can make on these materials. For example, the number of sizes and size distributions of grains combined with colors, shapes and mineralogy is almost unlimited. There are an almost unlimited number of kinds of minerals, rocks, and fossils. These are identifiable, recognizable, and can be characterized. It is this diversity in earth materials, combined with the ability to measure and observe the different kinds, which provides the forensic discriminating power.

There have been many contributions to the discipline over the last 100 years. Many have been made by the Laboratory of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in Washington D C., McCrone Associates in Chicago, The Centre for Forensic Sciences in Toronto, Microtrace in Elgin, Illinois, the former Central Research Establishment at Aldermaston, Kenneth Pye Associates Ltd in Great Britain, The Japanese National Research Institute of Police Science, The Netherlands Forensic Institute, as well as other government, private and academic researchers.

Because much of the evidential value of earth materials lies in the diversity and the differences in the minerals and particles, microscopic examination at all levels of instrumentation is the most powerful tool. In addition, such examination provides an opportunity to search for man-made artifact grains and other kinds of physical evidence.

Individualization, that is, uniquely associating samples, from the crime scene with those of the suspect to the exclusion of all other samples is not possible in most cases. In this sense earth material evidence is not similar to DNA, fingerprints and some forms of firearms and tool mark evidence. However, in a South Dakota homicide case, soil from the scene where the body was found and from the suspect’s vehicle both contained similar material including grains of the zinc spinel gahnite. This mineral had never before been reported from South Dakota. Such evidence provides a very high level of confidence and reliability.

One of the most interesting types of studies is the aid to an investigation. There are many examples of cases where a valuable cargo in transit is removed and rocks or bags of sand of the same weight are substituted. If the original source of the rocks or sand can be determined, then the investigation can be focused at that place. In a high visibility case, DEA agent Enrique Camarena was murdered in Mexico (McPhee 1997). His body was exhumed as part of a cover-up staged by members of the Mexican Federal Judicial Police. When the body was found later, it contained rock fragments that were different from the country rock at that place and represented the rocks from the original burial site. With the combination of petrographic examination of those rocks and a detailed literature search of Mexican volcanic rock descriptions, the original burial location was found and the cover-up exposed.

Most examinations involve comparison. Comparison aims to establish a high probability that two samples have a common source, or conversely that they do not have similar properties and thus are unlikely to have come from the same source. In comparison studies of soils, it is difficult to overestimate the value of findings artifacts in the soil or some other unusual type of evidence. In an Upper Michigan rape case, three flowerpots had been tipped over and spilled on the floor during the struggle. It was shown that potting soil on the suspect's shoe had a high degree of similarity with a sample collected from the floor and represented soil from one of the pots. In addition, small clippings of blue thread existed both in that flowerpot sample and on the shoe of the suspect. The thread provided additional trace evidence which supplemented the soil evidence.

In a New Jersey rape case, the suspect had soil samples in the turn-ups of his trousers. In addition to glacial sands grains that showed similarity with those in soil samples collected from the crime scene, the soil contained fragments of clean Pennsylvania anthracite. Such coal fragments are not uncommon in the soils of most of the older cities in eastern North America. However, in this sample there was too much coal when compared with samples collected in the surrounding area. Further investigation showed that some 60 years earlier the crime scene had been the location of a coal pile for a coal burning laundry. Again, the combining of soil-evidence with an investigation of an artifact and local industrial history increased the evidential value.

A new and evolving type of study is one done for the purpose of intelligence gathering. An example might involve identifying mineral material on an individual who had claimed to have recently been to a particular location. In such a case the question would be asked whether the mineral material supports the claim and could have come from that location. Identification of the mineral material alone can be useful in the case of mine fraud, gem fraud and art fraud by providing information that demonstrates the fraud.

The alertness of those who collect samples, and the quality of collection, is critical to the success of any examination. If appropriate samples are not collected during the initial evidence gathering, they will never be studied and never provide assistance to the court. There is the case in which an alert police officer happened to look at an individual arrested for a minor crime. He observed, "that is the worst case of dandruff I have ever seen." It was not dandruff but diatomaceous earth, which was essentially identical with the insulating material of a safe that had been broken into the previous day.

The future of Forensic Geology holds much promise. However that future will see many changes and new opportunities. New methods are being developed that take advantage of the discriminating power inherent in earth materials. Quantitative x-ray diffraction could possibly revolutionize forensic soil examination. When developed to the point that this or similar methods become routine laboratory techniques, it will be possible to do a quantitative mineralogical analysis that is easily reproducible. However, the microscope will remain an important tool in the search for the unusual grain or artifact. Sampling methods, plus the thorough and complete training those people who collect samples for forensic purposes, will be improved. Soils are extremely sensitive to change over short distances, both horizontally and vertically. Soil sampling in many cases is the search for a sample that matches. The collection of all the other samples serves only the purpose of demonstrating the range of local differences. In collecting soil samples for comparison, we are searching for one that would have the possibility of matching. Screening techniques applied during sampling that eliminate samples that are totally different are often appropriate. For example, a surface sample offers little possibility of matching with material collected at a depth of four feet in a grave.

Studies that demonstrate the diversity of soils are important. One approach is to take an area that one would normally assume was fairly homogenous in its soil character and collect a hundred samples on a grid. Each pair of samples would then be compared with each other until all the pairs are shown to be different. Starting with colour and moving on to size distribution and mineralogy, different methods are used to eliminate all of these pairs as appearing similar. Junger (1996) performed several such studies and suggested methods for soil examination.

The qualifications and competence of examiners are a very major problem. How do you learn to do forensic soil examinations? This requires a thorough knowledge of mineralogy and the ability to effectively use a microscope and the other techniques used in earth material examination. It is also important that examiners be familiar with the other kinds of trace evidence plus the law and practice of forensic examination.

REFERENCES

Junger, E. P. 1996. Assessing the Unique Characteristics of Close-Proximity Soil Samples: Just How Useful is Soil Evidence? Journal of Forensic Sciences, 41 27-34.

McPhee, J. 1997. Irons in the Fire. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York.

Murray, R.C. and Tedrow, J. 1992. Forensic Geology. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J.

Murray, R. C. 2004, Evidence from the Earth, Mountain Press, Missoula, MT

Presented at the International Conference on forensic Geology, London, 2003

FORENSIC PALYNOLOGY

2011-06-09T00:11:00.000+05:30

Pollen analysis begins in 1916 in Sweden with the concept that was first outlined by Lennart von Post

The key pollen evidence from the Shroud focuses on four main types, all four are insect-pollinated:

Zygophyllum dunosum, Gundelia tournefortii, Cistus creticus and Capparis aegyptia

Pollen and spore production and dispersion are important considerations in the study of forensic palynology. First, if one knows what the expected production and dispersal patterns of spores and pollen (called the pollen rain) are for the plants in a given region, then one will know what type of "pollen fingerprint" to expect in samples that come from that area (Bryant, 1989). Therefore, the first task of the forensic palynologist is to try to find a match between the pollen in a known geographical region with the pollen in a forensic sample. Knowledge of pollen dispersal and productivity often plays a major role in solving such problems.

There are a number of different methods by which plants disperse their pollen or spores. Many aquatic angiosperms live completely submerged and release their pollen underwater, relying on water currents to transport the pollen from the male anther to the female stigma of a neighboring flower. This method of transport, like the wind, is a hit- and -miss method of pollination. For this reason these plants produce pollen types that consist only of a single-layered cellulose wall, the pollen is almost never preserved in sediments and generally oxidizes rapidly if removed from water. Because of these limitations, these types of pollen are of little potential value for forensic work.

Current Status of Forensic Pollen Use

The United Kingdom is currently the world leader in using forensic pollen routinely in a wide variety of criminal and terrorist investigations, training not offered at any university

It is now routine in most areas of the UK for a forensic palynologist (FP) to be the FIRST person to visit a crime scene & collect essential samples for study Last year the leading Forensic Palynologist team in the UK
worked on over 60 criminal cases of all types New Zealand is a co-leader in Forensic pollen studies, it has
been used routinely in criminal since the mid 1980s

Australia, Canada, Europe, and even a few Asian countries are now using forensic palynology in criminal cases However, the skills and competency of forensic pollen ID & use in some regions of the world are questionable

A Rarely used Technique in the India

Forensic pollen studies are very rarely attempted in the India.
Current problem in the India is that there are very few people who are trained to do forensic pollen studies
Currently there is little demand for this service, this is why very few forensic labs currently use it
There are currently no jobs for those who might want to train as forensic palynologists.
Because of no jobs, there are very few training programs currently available for students interested in becoming forensic palynologists

Textbook of Pollen Analysis

An Introduction To Pollen Analysis

Forensic seismology

2011-06-02T00:08:00.000+05:30

Forensic seismology originated during the Cold War as a means of monitoring the enemy's underground nuclear tests. But it is a field whose uses are as broad as the imagination.

FOR EXAMPLE:

Forensic Seismology Provides Clues To Kursk Disaster

ScienceDaily (Jan. 23, 2001) — WASHINGTON - The explosions that sank the Russian submarine Kursk on August 12, 2000, triggered shock waves that were recorded by a network of seismic stations in the Baltic region and beyond. Now, forensic seismologists have used these data to reconstruct the disaster. Writing in the January 23 issue of Eos, the weekly newspaper of the American Geophysical Union, Keith D. Koper and Terry C. Wallace of the University of Arizona and Steven R. Taylor and Hans E. Hartse of the Los Alamos National Laboratory report that, based on their analysis of seismograms, explosions, not impact, caused the Kursk to sink with the loss of all crew members.

The authors note that underwater explosions are highly efficient producers of seismic signals, and these have been long studied, including those generated by the sinking of a Soviet submarine in 1989. The Kursk seismic data possess features unique to underwater explosions, a strong indication that the Kursk did not sink because of a collision or other impact, they say.

Seismic stations recorded two explosions that correspond to the Kursk disaster in time and place. The first explosion was 250 times smaller than the second one, which occurred 135 seconds later. The earlier explosion was clearly recorded only at a few nearby stations, while the second one released energy equivalent to around five tons of TNT and was recorded up to 5,000 kilometers [3,100 miles] away.

Koper and his colleagues note that this area of the Barents Sea rarely experiences any seismic activity, so it was highly unlikely that the seismic signals were caused by an earthquake. One point of careful analysis, they say, concerned whether the second event consisted of one massive explosion or several simultaneous smaller ones and perhaps also impact of the Kursk on the seafloor.

The most compelling seismic evidence that the main Kursk event was dominated by an explosion was the observation of a "bubble pulse." This pulse results from oscillations of a bubble of hot gases unleashed by an explosion as it rises toward the surface. The spectral pattern produced by an underwater explosion and recorded by seismic stations provides strong evidence that the second explosion was one massive event, not several smaller ones.

In another study, Wallace and Koper collaborated to use seismic data from Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Spitsbergen to reconstruct the sinking of the Russian submarine Kursk on 12 August 2000.

When the sub sank, the Scandinavian seismometers showed two events a little more than two minutes apart. Underwater explosions produce bubbles of hot gases, which oscillate as they rise.

The frequency of these oscillations depends on the size of the explosion and the depth at which it occurs. This allowed the scientists to determine that the Kursk was sunk by an explosion, not a collision, and that it had occurred when the sub was at a depth of 83 m.

The first blast carried power equivalent to 250 kg of TNT; the second was several times larger. Wallace and Koper therefore suspected that the first was a torpedo misfire during live-fire exercises, which the Kursk was known to be undertaking at the time. The second, larger explosion, they believed, probably occurred when fire from the initial accident detonated additional warheads.

Shortly after the sinking, the seismograms revealed many other small seismic events, with magnitudes between 1.25 and 1.86. These appear to have been depth charges dropped by the Russians to discourage other nations from sending scuba divers to spy out the secrets of the stricken submarine. The seismic readings were so precise that Wallace and Koper could even track the speed and course of the naval vessel used to lay down the underwater barrage.

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Forensic Australia: The dingo killed my baby!

Australia reopened 32-year-old mystery of whether a dingo killed a baby.

THE CASE IN A NUTSHELL:

The mystery of Azaria Chamberlain's disappearance in the Australian Outback in 1980 became the most notorious, divisive and baffling legal drama in the country's history. Had a wild dog really taken the baby? Or had her mother, Lindy, slit her daughter's throat and buried her in the desert?

Forensic Anthropologist Have a Better Method for Well search

CSI: Forensic Workshops- Indian Forensic Organization

Happy Republic Day- India

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Forensic Seismology Provides Clues To Kursk Disaster

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