How the Boston Marathon Bombing Investigation Will be Conducted
April 16, 2013
As law enforcement flocks to the scene of the bombings at the Boston Marathon, the information they are able to gather at the scene of the attack will be critically important in identifying suspects and building a criminal case against them.
US Investigators Hunt for Clues in Boston Bombing
April 16, 2013
A large area of downtown Boston remained cordoned off by police on Tuesday as authorities pursued an investigation into the two bombs that exploded at the finish of the Boston Marathon a day earlier, killing three people and wounding more than 100.
Exonerated by DNA, Advocate Seeks End of Capital Punishment
April 16, 2013
Kirk Bloodsworth became the first person sentenced to die in the United States to be exonerated with a now-common scientific method. Now, a death-penalty repeal activist, his intimate knowledge of the frailty in America's criminal justice system have proven hard to ignore.
Canada Police Reopen Investigation of Alleged Rape
April 15, 2013
Authorities are reopening the case of a teen who hanged herself after she was allegedly raped and bullied for months, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police have said.
French Police Contaminate Evidence
April 15, 2013
Detectives initially thought unidentified DNA found at the site of the quadruple murder of a British family might lead to the identification of the killer, but now admit that an "expert" working for a police forensics team “accidentally contaminated” crime-scene material with his own DNA.
Cities Share Struggle to Handle Decades-old Rape Kits
April 15, 2013
Cleveland is just one of many cities that promised to test thousands of overlooked rape kits and are now scrambling to find strategies to deal with decades-old cases that create more work for law enforcement and open old wounds for victims.
VSU Holds Its First Forensic Science Camp
April 15, 2013
This summer, Valdosta State University in Georgia will host its first forensic science day camp for high school students.
Hastings Police Clearing Old Evidence
April 15, 2013
The Hastings Police Department of Nebraska is doing some spring cleaning to reduce and reorganize evidence storage.
Thermo Fisher to Acquire Life Technologies
April 15, 2013
Thermo Fisher Scientific and Life Technologies Corporation have signed a definitive agreement under which Thermo Fisher will acquire Life Technologies.
NIJ Proposal to Enhance Methods for Studying Degraded DNA
April 15, 2013
This study suggests that previous claims that sodium hypochlorite is particularly damaging to endogenous ancient DNA (aDNA) molecules are inaccurate. Experiments conducted during this phase of the grant led to two additional relevant observations.
NFI White Paper on Trends, Challenges and Strategy in Forensic Science
April 12, 2013
The role of forensic science throughout the world is changing due to recent technological development. Whereas forensic science has traditionally supported police work, the field has begun moving into the spotlight as new research allows for more rapid and science-based reconstructions of crime scenes based on a smaller amount of evidence.
Judge Blames Defense for Not Presenting Evidence, Frees Convicted Man
April 12, 2013
Forty years later, a Bronx judge has vacated the murder conviction of David Bryant and has ordered his release.The ruling focused on whether his lawyer had failed to present evidence that could have raised a reasonable doubt about Bryant’s guilt.
Mexican Blogger Covers Drug War Crime Scenes
April 12, 2013
The writer behind Mexico's notorious Blog del Narco is a young woman who has written a book based on the blog that chronicles Mexico’s bloody drug war.
Misdemeanor Convictions in Colorado Could Call for DNA Swab
April 12, 2013
In what's billed as an ambitious effort to solve cold cases, exonerate those wrongfully convicted and quell future crimes, a Democratic Colorado lawmaker wants to require that individuals convicted of misdemeanors must submit a DNA sample to be stored in a statewide database system.
Burglars Drink OJ, Leave DNA
April 12, 2013
DNA left on an orange juice carton during a burglary has led investigators the perpetrators.
Biomarkers of Human Decomposition Ecology and the Relationship to Postmortem Interval
April 12, 2013
This project evaluated the physicochemical and microbial characteristics of ARF soils, non-ARF soils, and skeletal tissue exposed to various levels of human decomposition and advancing PMIs.
Forensics Recovers Fingerprints from Foods
April 11, 2013
Forensic scientists at the Univ. of Abertay Dundee have recovered latent fingerprints from foods – publishing the UK’s first academic paper on this subject.
Thermo Fisher Bids for Life Tech
April 11, 2013
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc has made a binding offer for Life Technologies Corp as private equity firms raced to finalize a consortium to take the genetic testing equipment maker private, several people familiar with the matter said.
Mandatory DNA Testing Bill Advances in Texas
April 11, 2013
A DNA-testing bill seeking to prevent wrongful convictions, restore faith in Texas’s justice system and prevent costly delays to state executions passed the Senate Criminal Justice Committee in a unanimous vote.
Skull of Young Native American Girl Found
April 11, 2013
A skull found in a recent mobile home purchase was found to belong to a young Native American girl, probably 6 to 8 years old. But the biggest shock was not the profile of the victim, but the age. The forensics lab dated the skull to nearly 100 years ago.
Determination of Unique Fracture Patterns in Glass and Glassy Polymers
April 11, 2013
The study of fractures of glass, glassy type materials, and plastic has long been of interest to the forensic community. This study documented the very controlled fracture patterns of 60 glass panes, 60 glass bottles and 60 plastic tail light lens covers.
Now iPhone Has Biometric Power
April 11, 2013
Cops and soldiers may soon be able to pull out their iPhones to track the eyes, facial features, voice and fingerprints of suspected criminals and combatants.
NYPD App to Show Crime Scene Data and Criminal Records
April 10, 2013
The NYPD is developing a high-tech smartphone app that will give cops the lowdown on crime scenes before they even roll up to trouble.
Interviewers' Gestures Mislead Child-witnesses
April 10, 2013
Children can easily be led to remember incorrect information through misleading gestures from adults, according to researchers from the University of Hertfordshire.
John Doe DNA Indicted for 20-year-old Rape
April 10, 2013
A Cuyahoga County grand jury in Ohio — for the first time ever — indicted the DNA profile of an unidentified serial rapist, rather than a named individual.
