Crime Scene Observation
By Dick Warrington
In this article, I’ll explain how to use careful observation to get the crime scene to talk to you about the crime.
Ethical Practices in Digital Forensics: Part 1
By John J. Barbara
There are many examiners in the Digital Forensic community who are not aware that professional codes of conduct and codes of ethical practices need to be an inherent part of every examination.
Forensic DNA Technology and the Genocide Dynamic
By Chris Asplen
For all of its benefits and positive impact, DNA and forensic science in general has been woefully underutilized in an area where it could be most powerful—the commission of mass rape and sexual assault as a weapon of war and suppression.
Evidence Packaging
By Dick Warrington
No matter what you’re presented with, it’s up to you to capture all of the evidence you find and maintain its integrity. Let’s take a look at the best way to package the evidence you find at crime scenes.
Mini-Popule Developed to Maximize DNA Recovery for Robotic Forensic Analysis
By Chris Collopy
As the field of forensics evolves, vendors are joining with forensics professionals to create or redesign products for specific new uses—and better science.
Reporting Examination Results
By John J. Barbara
One of the more important facets of digital forensics concerns how to document the findings in a formal report. At first glance, this would seem to be rather straightforward: report what you found.
Computer Forensics Standards And Controls
By John J. Barbara
Part 1 of 2. Read John J.
Don't Forget Your Memory
By Kris Harms, Kevin Mandia
Computer forensics is a field that is changing as fast as software can be written – and that’s fast. For each new application a person uses, such as Skype, Instant Messaging, Media players, and new operating systems, computer forensic examiners have to learn how that application reads, writes, stores, and deletes data.
Who Says You Can't Do That? Protecting Your Crime Scene
By Dick Warrington
Here’s a scene you’ve probably encountered: an accident occurs on an interstate and traffic backs up in both directions because motorists have slowed down to get a better look. It’s human nature to be curious.
Justice Department Launches Missing and Unidentified Persons Databases
By David W. Hagy, Ph.D.
Days after the Office of Justice Programs’ new missing persons and unidentified decedents Web site went live, Randy Hanzlick, the medical examiner in Fulton County, Georgia, received an e-mail message…
Decision Time: Processing Prints
By Dick Warrington
In this issue I’ll take a look at different types of prints and the decision-making that goes into processing them.
Impression Evidence
By Dick Warrington
Suspects often leave important evidence throughout crime scenes: tire tracks, footprints, tool marks, extruder marks on different casings, etc. Casting can preserve this impression evidence for comparison work and analysis at the lab.
Disaster Planning For Forensic DNA Laboratories: How ReliaGene Survived Hurricane Katrina
By Sudhir K Sinha, Ph.D., Gina Pineda, M.S., Lauren G. Aicklen, B.S.
When leaving work on Friday, August 25, 2005, no ReliaGene employee could have imagined the tribulations they would be put through in the coming months and how their lives would be changed forever.
Crime Scene Investigator as a Career
By Dick Warrington
The tremendous popularity of the CSI television series and similar programs has led to a huge number of students interested in pursing a career as a crime scene officer.
Crime Scene 3D Viewpoints Illustrating What Was Seen at the Scene
By Doug Schiff
What exactly did you see as you walked through the door? Could you see into the next room? Where were you when you first saw the suspect standing at the window? Could you see a particular piece of evidence from that position? Could the suspect have seen into the hallway? Questions like these are often critical to understanding the development of events at a crime scene. What did you see and when did you see it? Answers to these questions must be clear and understandable.
Thirty Years of Change
By Dick Warrington
Have you ever seen a bag phone? That was the early cell phone. And that’s just one example of how technology has changed in the last thirty years.
Forensic Disaster Response: The Crash of Comair 5191
By Douglas Page
Challenges, issues, and solutions of identification in mass disasters differ with the type and scope of the catastrophe.
Crime Scene and Crime Lab: Joined by Technology; Validated by Quality
By W. Mark Dale, MBA, Randy Nagy
While the science of forensics continues to advance, the process of collecting evidence at crime scenes has remained remarkably unchanged for more than a century. As DNA analysis and other forensic techniques gain increasing importance in today’s crime investigations and court cases, it is critically important that evidence collection moves into the modern era through the utilization of new technologies.
A Cut Above: Sharpening the Accuracy of Knife and Saw Mark Analysis
By Deborah W. Morton
Symes can discern from the "signature" left on bone what class of sharp-bladed implement might have been used to accomplish a mutilation or dismemberment, be it a serrated knife, a garden-variety treesaw, or a lumberjack-grade chainsaw.
The CSI Effect? The Albuquerque Police Crime Lab Responds
By Larry C. Sonntag
The Albuquerque Police Crime Lab Responds: “Citizen’s CSI Academy” 30 Hours; No Commercial Breaks
The Use of Ardrox® and Fingerprint Powder to Recover Latent Fingerprints from Pig Skin
By Marie Tengren-Knight, Barbara Heflin, Dennis Walsh, Mari Palazzolo
The enhancement of latent fingerprints from human skin continues to be a problem for forensic laboratories. Pig skin is closely related to human skin in thickness, basal cell density, collagen fibers, vascular supply, subcutaneous fat, sweat glands, color, and hair follicles.
Scents and Sense-Ability
By Phillip Jones
Europeans have used scent-discriminating dogs to aid criminal investigations for over a century. Reputed to have a sense of smell 1,000 to 10,000 times more superior than that of humans, a dog’s nose does offer a sensitive forensic instrument.
Forensic Profile: Private Forensic Consulting
By Laura Pettler, M.S.
While many forensic specialists find satisfaction and security in working for a government agency, one recent graduate is determined to make a name for herself in her own forensics company.
Wrapping Up the Scene
By Dick Warrington
In this column, I will discuss the documentation of wounds, weapons, drugs, and medications as well as identifying the deceased and the notification of the family; documenting trace evidence; processing the scene; and wrapping up the scene.
Crime Scene Contamination
By Dick Warrington
Today, more than ever, the quality of evidence in criminal cases is scrutinized in the courtroom. Both defense and prosecuting attorneys look to the manner in which evidence is collected and handled to bolster their cases.
