Murder or Suicide?

Forensic Science CSI, Bones, Castle, Law and Order, Dexter, NCIS ….

Forensic Science Forensics: The application of science to answer questions in a legal system It is important that forensics follows a standard of quality Forensic scientists regularly come under pressure for the quality of their work Mistakes can let murderers get away

Forensic Science Evidence: anything that can be used to indicate the truth of an event Footprints, receipts, phone records, blood, DNA, fingerprints… Contamination: When evidence from a crime scene has been altered, damaged, or in some way changed.

Case: O.J. Simpson June 1994 Football player and actor O.J. Simpson was caught fleeing after he found out he would be charged with the murder of his wife and his wife’s lover. There was a lot of evidence recovered: -Hair, DNA, footprints, Simpson’s bloody socks, blood on his Bronco, and bloody leather gloves

Case: O.J. Simpson Simpson hired a “dream team” of expensive lawyers who tried to discredit the investigating police as racist and incompetent Simpson’s defence lawyer asked Simpson to try the bloody glove on to see if it fit. Simpson tried but claimed the glove was too small. The jury acquitted Simpson of the murders. Many people believe Simpson to be guilty Recently, Simpson released a book titled “If I did it,” it was quickly pulled out of production and none were sold.

History of Labs Most Crime Labs were established within police agencies and performed Firearms Fingerprints Photography

Forensic Science Specialties Forensic Pathology: Pathology is a specialty area of medicine Pathology is the study of diseases and the bodily changes caused by the diseases Forensic pathologists determine the cause of death (the medical reason why a person died; e.g. asphyxiation) Forensic pathologists determine the manner of death (the circum- stances causing death; e.g. homicide) 2007 McGraw-Hill Companies, all rights reserved

Forensic Science Specialties Forensic Entomology: Entomology is a branch of biology devoted to the study of insects Forensic entomologists use insects to investigate By examining insects, larvae or pupae associated with a corpse, knowing the life cycle of insects, and by using the existing environmental factors, forensic entomologists can estimate the time of death 2007 McGraw-Hill Companies, all rights reserved

Forensic Science Specialties Forensic Odontology: Odontology is the study of the physiology, anatomy, and pathology of teeth Forensic odontologists perform two types of analyses involving the human dentition Identify human remains by comparing premortem and postmortem dental X-rays Bite mark comparisons (crime scene marks to known bite marks) 2007 McGraw-Hill Companies, all rights reserved

Forensic Science Specialties Forensic Anthropology: Physical Anthropology is the science of the human skeleton and how it has evolved over time 2007 McGraw-Hill Companies, all rights reserved

Forensic Science Specialties Forensic anthropologists: Can determine whether found remains are of human or animal origin Reconstruct the skeleton from found remains Provide an estimate of age, stature, and gender Can sometimes determine racial origin Detect skeletal abnormalities and any trauma Can provide information about the cause of death 2007 McGraw-Hill Companies, all rights reserved

Forensic Science Specialties Forensic Toxicology: Forensic toxicology is the study of the effects of extraneous materials such as poisons and drugs in the body Forensic toxicologists must determine both the presence and the amounts of extraneous materials in the body Assist the medical examiners in determining the cause of death May be involved in the determination of ethanol levels in blood and breath samples 2007 McGraw-Hill Companies, all rights reserved

Forensic Science Specialties Forensic Psychiatry & Psychology: Psychiatry is a branch of medicine concerning the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental illness Psychology is the scientific study of the mind and behavior of humans Forensic psychiatrists & psychologists evaluate offenders for civil and criminal competence and may be involved in offender treatment programs A few specialize in “profiling” of criminal cases, primarily serial murderers and serial rapists 2007 McGraw-Hill Companies, all rights reserved

Forensic Science Specialties Forensic Engineering: Involved in the investigation of transportation related accidents, material failures, and structural failures Forensic Computer Science: Use information located on computers and other electronic devices as investigative aids Find hidden or deleted information to determine if internet based crimes have been committed 2007 McGraw-Hill Companies, all rights reserved

Forensic Science Specialties Criminalistics: Criminalistics involves the examination, identification, and interpretation of items of physical evidence 2007 McGraw-Hill Companies, all rights reserved

Forensic Science Specialties Four major areas of examination: Biological evidence Forensic Chemistry Pattern evidence Other patterns (scene reconstruction) 2007 McGraw-Hill Companies, all rights reserved