DNA Test Confirms Father of Child Born in Captivity
May 13, 2013
DNA test results confirmed that Ariel Castro, the Cleveland man accused of kidnapping and raping three women held for years in his rundown home, is the father of a 6-year-old girl born in captivity to one of his alleged victims, Ohio’s attorney general said.
Biometric Database of All Adult Americans Hidden in Immigration Reform
May 13, 2013
The immigration reform measure the Senate began debating recently would create a national biometric database of virtually every adult in the U.S., in what privacy groups fear could be the first step to a ubiquitous national identification system.
Identification and Separation of Evidence Mixtures Using SNP-Based FISH Techniques and Laser Microdissection
May 13, 2013
The goal of this research was to separate cellular mixtures of the same morphology and gender by developing FISH probes based on human genetic single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs).
Attempt to Curb Access to Photos of Murder Victims
May 13, 2013
Andy Kahan, the head of Houston’s Crime Victims Assistance Office, said it was the publication of graphic crime scene photographs, which showed the bodies of the victims, that drove him to seek a change in Texas law to limit access to crime scene photos.
International Symposium Takes Aim at Cross Border Gun Crime
May 10, 2013
Criminals are crossing from one country to the other without any restrictions. And that’s exactly what 250 law enforcement and forensic experts from 70 countries are preparing to do when they gather in Montreal to attend the INTERPOL Firearm Forensics Symposium identified as IFFS 2013.
Ohio Crime Lab Rushing Ariel Castro's DNA Test
May 10, 2013
Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine's office said the Ohio state crime lab received a sample of Ariel Castro's DNA. The Bureau of Criminal Investigation lab staff is rushing the DNA testing to provide investigators with results that would show if he is linked to any other crimes.
Execution for Prison Guard Murder Delayed for DNA Tests
May 10, 2013
Texas lawyers have agreed to a 60-day reprieve for death row inmate Robert Pruett, who was scheduled for execution May 21, after the inmate filed a request for DNA testing, arguing it may prove his innocence in the 1999 stabbing of prison correctional officer Daniel Nagle.
Assembly Considers DNA Testing Bill, Brianna's Law
May 10, 2013
A bill that would require the collection of DNA from people arrested on felony charges in Nevada encountered tough questions from lawmakers concerned that samples from innocent people would not be destroyed properly or promptly.
Australian Government Selects 3M for New Multi-modal Biometrics System
May 10, 2013
The Australian Government Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) has awarded 3M a three-year contract to provide software and services for DIAC’s new Biometric Identification System. The new system is designed to handle the acquisition, quality checking, matching and storage of biometric data.
Identification and Separation of Same Gender Mixtures of Various Cell Types
May 10, 2013
The goal of this research was to improve the methods of DNA mixture resolution in the forensic laboratory by improving laser microdissection (LM) techniques. Laser microdissection (LM) has proven to be an effective method for cell mixture separations in the forensic laboratory.
Bodies from Collapsed Bangladesh Factory Sent for DNA Tests
May 09, 2013
The death toll from the collapse of a building housing five garment factories has climbed to nearly 900, officials said, as authorities continue to search for more bodies two weeks after the worst garment manufacturing disaster in the world.
Hatch Bill Seeks Immigrants' DNA
May 09, 2013
Immigrants in the United States illegally who would seek permanent residency under an immigration reform bill before Congress would have to submit a DNA sample to be kept on file if Sen. Orrin Hatch has his way.
Device Extracts Human DNA with Full Genetic Data in Minutes
May 09, 2013
Take a swab of saliva from your mouth and within minutes your DNA could be ready for analysis and genome sequencing with the help of a new device.
T-shirt to Get More Blood Splatter Testing
May 09, 2013
Special Judge Jon Dartt agreed to allow David Camm’s defense lawyers to have additional DNA testing on the blood-stained T-shirt he wore the day his family was murdered.
Do Women Dominate the Field of Forensic Science?
May 09, 2013
Exhuming corpses, analyzing bloodstained clothing, collecting "crime scene insects" (yes, maggots) ... these are some of the grittier realities of life as a forensic scientist. Yet defying the stereotype that females tend to be squeamish about such things, an entire generation of young women have become entranced by the profession.
Court Blocks Execution over Challenged Evidence
May 08, 2013
The Mississippi Supreme Court has indefinitely delayed the scheduled execution of Willie Jerome Manning amid questions involving evidence in the case, intervening hours before he was set to die for the slayings of two college students.
Forensics Lab Confirms: Robins Die of Berry Binge
May 08, 2013
U.S. officials have resolved the mystery of the robin dieoff in Portland earlier this year. As suspected, it was the berry binge. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife forensics lab in Ashland conducted toxicology tests on the carcasses of 10 robins found in Northeast Portland in January.
NIJ Call for Crime Mapping Presentations at IACA's 2013 Conference
May 08, 2013
NIJ and the International Association of Crime Analysts have joined forces. In lieu of NIJ's traditional Crime Mapping Research Conference and NIJ Conference, NIJ will offer a number of research panels at the 2013 IACA Conference. NIJ is hosting a call for presentations competition to find the most innovative ideas and cutting edge research that will help make this conference a success.
How Ohio Women's Captivity Went Undetected is Questioned
May 08, 2013
Euphoria over the rescue of three Ohio women from a decade-long kidnapping ordeal gave way to questions of how their captivity inside a house on a residential street in Cleveland went undetected for so long.
Sorenson Boosts Workforce, Lab Space to Accommodate Increased Casework
May 08, 2013
Sorenson Forensics has announced that in order to accommodate increased forensic casework needs, the company has boosted its workforce by 33 percent, and has added 20 percent more space to its laboratory facilities.
Why Facial Recognition Tech Failed in the Boston Bombing Manhunt
May 08, 2013
Facial recognition isn't an instantaneous, magical process. Video from a gas station surveillance camera or a police CCTV camera on some lamppost cannot suddenly be turned into a high-resolution image of a suspect's face that can then be thrown against a drivers' license photo database to spit out an instant match. Not yet.
Device Sniffs Out Black Powder Explosives
May 07, 2013
The Boston marathon bombers reportedly purchased several pounds of black powder explosive before the bombing. The explosive substance is both deadly and widely available. It's also very hard to detect. Now, researchers have modified one bomb-sniffing device to accurately spot very small amounts of black powder, an advance that could make us safer from future attacks.
Windshield Cracks Hold Secrets of Impact
May 07, 2013
When a small rock hits a windshield, the cracks that appear are hardly a welcome sight, but the star-shaped pattern may contain information about the rock and the glass. Experimental results show that the number of cracks radiating out from the impact point could reveal the collision velocity and the underlying material properties.
Coroners Question Practices of Forensics Company Operator
May 07, 2013
Shawn Parcells bills himself as a medical investigator, an expert in forensic medicine and a consultant on child abuse. But some coroners and medical examiners in Missouri say Parcells has inflated his qualifications and performed autopsies without a medical license.
Cold Case Tool Lost with Destruction of Six Million DNA Samples
May 07, 2013
A crucial forensic tool used to solve cold case crimes will soon be lost following the UK government’s decision to destroy six million DNA samples. The controversial move means detectives will no longer be able to use the pioneering technique of familial DNA testing to narrow suspects down from samples taken from relatives.
