DNA Exoneration after Decades, and a Conviction
April 08, 2013
If not for the 25 years that Michael Morton spent battling to prove his innocence from behind bars, the police might never have captured the man who authorities believe killed Morton’s wife and another Austin woman.
Arizona DUIs in Question over Lab Methods
April 08, 2013
Hundreds of drunken-driving cases from the past four years could be called into question if a legal effort challenging the accuracy of the Scottsdale Police Department’s blood-testing equipment is successful.
Cold Case Arrest Prompts Cross-country Probe
April 08, 2013
When Los Angeles cold case detectives caught up with Samuel Little this past fall, he was living in a Christian shelter in Kentucky, his latest arrest a few months earlier for alleged possession of a crack pipe. But the LA investigators wanted him on far more serious charges.
Designer Amphetamines in Forensic Toxicology Casework
April 08, 2013
The purpose of this study was to evaluate limitations in existing methodology and develop new procedures for the detection of psychedelic amphetamines using techniques that enjoy widespread acceptance in the forensic toxicology community.
Forensics Plays a Role in Civil Litigation
April 08, 2013
While there is no argument that forensics plays a significant role in situations involving violent crimes and murder, often people don’t realize the value that forensic techniques have for other types of scenarios.
Posthumous Pardons for Scottsboro Boys
April 05, 2013
The legacy of the "Scottsboro Boys" is secure: The nine black teens were wrongly convicted more than 80 years ago in one of America's most infamous racial tragedies. Alabama is now moving to repair its own legacy, and correct past injustices, with a bill to allow posthumous pardons for the group.
Kansas Crime Lab Regains Momentum
April 05, 2013
Some legislators who formerly were wary of a plan to build a Kansas Bureau of Investigation forensics laboratory at Washburn Univ. are now on board as momentum for the facility appears to be gaining steam.
Texas Forensics Panels Gets Report on Crime Lab
April 05, 2013
The Texas Forensics Science Commission meets in Austin to get an update on its review of a crime lab worker who may have tainted thousands of drug cases with shoddy or misleading work.
Technical Advances in the Visual Documentation of Crime Scenes Workshop
April 05, 2013
This workshop is for those who have crime scene investigation experience and input on agency instrument assessments and implementation. The attendee will be provided with theory and foundational knowledge, as well as hands-on learning with the most prominent instruments on the market.
Student Researcher Studies New Method to Determine Corpse's Time Underwater
April 05, 2013
Human hair could provide clues for forensic investigators trying to determine how long corpses are underwater, helpful in calculating the time of death.
Texas Considers Giving Prosecutors More Security
April 05, 2013
After two Texas prosecutors were slain in two months, law enforcement agencies across the state are considering steps to better protect attorneys who go after violent criminals, including providing round-the-clock security details and withholding personal information from public records.
A Fingerprint of Exhaled Breath
April 05, 2013
Researchers propose to extend analysis to breath, and in particular to take advantage of modern high-resolution analytical methods that can provide real-time information on the chemical composition of exhaled breath.
Long-running Fingerprint Experts Move On
April 04, 2013
Ernie Jones and Darrell Linville are two ordinary guys who have had extraordinary careers. Jones and Linville recently retired from the Charles County Sheriff’s Office in Maryland after lengthy careers as latent fingerprint experts.
Evidence from Lake Waco Murders to be Sent to Arkansas Lab
April 04, 2013
Evidence from the decades-old Lake Waco triple murders case soon will be sent to an Arkansas laboratory for DNA testing, marking what could be one of the last chapters of an effort to prove the wrong men were convicted of the grisly crime.
Criminal Mistakes Make Arrests Easier for Police
April 04, 2013
Law enforcement never knows what they're going to find when they show up at the scene of a crime. In the case of two men, authorities say they did themselves in.
RJ Lee Group's Criminal Forensics Earns Accreditations in Gunshot Residue and Distance Determination
April 04, 2013
RJ Lee Group, Inc. has announced that its Criminal Forensics department has received accreditation from the ASCLD/LAB Accreditation Board — International Program in the trace evidence sub-disciplines of gunshot residue and gunshot distance determination.
A DNA Revolution: Next Generation Technologies Workshop for Forensic Professionals
April 04, 2013
Technical managers or crime lab directors working at a forensic lab can learn about the next generation DNA sequencing technologies for forensic laboratory practitioners.
Oklahoma Committee Approves Post-conviction DNA Tests
April 04, 2013
An Oklahoma Senate committee has approved a bill that would allow convicted criminals to request DNA testing of evidence in their cases.
Advances in Fire Science Free Convict after 42 Years
April 03, 2013
Unlike DNA evidence, which can exonerate one person and sometimes incriminate another, the evidence collected in some arson investigations does not yield precise results. Often much of the evidence has been lost or destroyed.
New DNA Tests Set Stage for Decisive Hearing
April 03, 2013
There is no physical evidence tying Rodney Lincoln to a gruesome attack three decades ago, new DNA tests show. But there’s nothing in those results that points to anyone else either.
Sheriff Announces Plans for $10 Million Crime Lab
April 03, 2013
The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office in Louisiana will begin construction this summer on a new crime lab estimated at $10 million, which would allow forensic investigators and equipment to be relocated from a run-down former vehicle garage near the jail.
Ignitable Liquid Fuel Fires in Buildings - A Study of Fire Dynamics
April 03, 2013
The purpose of this research was to further develop the understanding of enclosure fire effects by conducting full-scale fire tests in both open and enclosed scenarios with both Class A and liquid fuels present.
Forensics Student Documents Live Crime Scene
April 03, 2013
When shots rang out one afternoon, Irma Romero instantly knew what to do. Romero knows something about crime scene investigation, both from her training in the military and the forensics coursework she’s taking at the Univ. of Texas at Brownsville.
Integrity of All Testing at Closed Crime Lab Questioned
April 02, 2013
Massachusetts investigators have found at least a half-dozen drug samples scattered about the state lab in Jamaica Plain, documents show, raising questions about the integrity of all testing where indicted state chemist Annie Dookhan worked.
Massachusetts Crime Lab Chemist Indicted for Evidence Tampering
April 02, 2013
A chemist accused of stealing heroin and cocaine from a state crime lab and of tampering with evidence has been indicted by a statewide grand jury.
