Bloodstain and Transfer Patterns In 1955, the first meaningful achievement of bloodstain evidence was credited to Dr. Paul Kirk of the University of California at Berkeley (Nordby). First and foremost, blood contains a fluid portion we call plasma. Plasma contains natural segments of erythrocytes, leukocytes, and platelets. The nuclei of the leukocyte (white blood cells) are our source to DNA evidence. Furthermore, blood is similar to common fluids however, blood is held together by powerful cohesive molecular forces that generate a surface tension within each drop and on an external surface (Nordby).
Other methods are based on facial, iris, voice, handwriting, and signature recognition. Fast and accurate identification enhances officer safety, detects criminals, secures facilities and information systems from unauthorized access, makes borders more secure, and prevents identity theft.” (National Institute of Justice, 2011) Biometric innovations are used in different sectors of the criminal justice system, such as FBI, police agencies, CIA, etc. The FBI is actually the leading sector in the usage of biometrics and biometric developments, they continue to strive and develop new ways to help in the war against crime. “The FBI has long been a leader in biometrics. We’ve used various forms of biometric identification since our earliest days, including assuming responsibility for managing the national fingerprint collection in 1924.
Careers are all categorized by specialty and craft. Each career is placed under a specific category such as health careers or law enforcement careers. A Forensic Scientist falls under both of these careers and mixes characteristics from each to make a career that is hands on, intricate, and overall satisfying. According to the Career Library data base, “Forensic scientists investigate crimes by collecting and analyzing physical evidence using a variety of scientific, mathematical and problem-solving methods and instruments.” The evidence that they gather is used in a court during a trial or case. They often have to give a statement or testimony in the court to explain their conclusions after analyzing the evidence.
1. What was Francis Henry Galton's major contribution to forensic science? Francis Henry Galton founded the system of fingerprinting. He is an English scientist, biometrician,and explorer whom also founded the science of eugenics. Due to his studies of anthropometric research, fingerprints are still in use to date.
Alec Jeffery: DNA fingerprinting Throughout history, man has pride himself on inventions that changed the fabric of history, inventions that have shown how far the human mind can go. Alec Jeffery’s invention of DNA fingerprinting is a perfect example of how one man’s invention can change how everyone looks at technology. Alec Jeffery is a molecular biologist whose method of DNA fingerprinting has quickly found its way into the courts, where it is used to exonerate people wrongly accused crimes and to finger the true culprits. Alec Jeffery’s groundbreaking invention has helped keep innocent people out of prison and also has put the right people into prison. DNA fingerprinting changed the world because of the amount of people it helped, also the amount of people that were caught because of it.
Profile generation is the final stage and is where the offenders profile is developed, usually including an age range, ethnicity and social class, type of work, habits and personality. A strength of the US approach is that it has helped investigators to find criminals. An example of where the US approach has helped to catch a criminal is the Arthur Shawcross case where profilers Grant and McCrary developed an identical profiler to the killer which
The advancements such as DNA testing and fingerprinting has helped solve many cases as well as keep the law enforcement agencies and officers aware of what is going on with a person and who they may be dealing with. It is truly amazing how far we have advanced from the beginning of technology. The FBI is currently working on a new form of AFIS called the NGI (next generation identification) not only will it be able to bring back the same information that was already provided by the AFIS but it will also have advanced look up capabilities, incorporating palm prints, as well as facial and iris identification scans. According to the FBI the mission and goals of the NGI is “to reduce terrorist and criminal activities by improving and expanding biometric identification and criminal history information services through research, evaluation and implementation of advanced technology within the AFIS environment.” (http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/fingerprints_biometrics/ngi/ngi2/) The FBI’s main goal in developing this new technology is public safety and national
The grave may be sought as part of an investigation of an unsolved crime or may in some rare cases result from information gained from an individual already convicted of the crime in the absence of a grave. Surface body disposals where a recent victim has been concealed under fallen walls, tree branches, rubbish etc. In this case the application of archaeological stratigraphic recording to the removal of the layers of material concealing the victim can be of great evidential value. The collaboration of a forensic archaeologist, entomologist and forensic botanist in cases of this sort can allow very detailed reconstructions of the timing of the disposal and have in previous cases been decisive in proving a death was not accidental but an intentional criminal act. Mass graves, usually as part of an international organization’s investigation where the recovery
THE ROLE OF DNA PROFILING IN CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION Henry Roberts Jane Taupin and Tony Raymond Victoria Police State Forensic Science Laboratory Victoria Introduction DNA profiling has attracted a good deal of public attention in the last eight years. The practical application of DNA technology to the identification of biological material has had a significant impact on forensic biology, because it enables much stronger conclusions of identity or non-identity to be made. Legislation regulating the taking of blood samples from suspects has been enacted in Victoria (Crimes (Blood Samples) Act 1989; Crimes Legislation (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act 1991), and further amendments are proposed. Databases of DNA profiles are being compiled as an aid to criminal intelligence. Faced with powerful incriminating evidence, defendants are often persuaded to change their plea or else mount a legal challenge to the admissibility of DNA profiling.
The most common places to get DNA evidence from a crime scene is blood, semen, saliva, urine, or hair. Police and detectives that work on murder crimes (for instance) search the surrounding area for clues that could lead them to DNA that the criminal could have left behind, whether it come from a cup that they drank from, a cigarette butt, or semen if it