NY Man Pleads Not Guilty in '94 Vermont Death of Wife
May 17, 2013
A suburban New York man released from a life sentence after DNA tests casts doubt on his original conviction for killing his wife in Vermont pleaded not guilty to a new aggravated murder charge in the same case.
Loss of RCMP Firearm Labs Could Hurt Police
May 17, 2013
Critics fear that police could lose timely access to a key technology used to investigate shootings as the RCMP shutters several regional forensic laboratories.
Overview on Trace Evidence for Legal Professionals
May 17, 2013
This webinar will provide an overview of the various forms of trace evidence most commonly encountered in forensic casework, such as hair and fibers, gunshot residue, glass, paint and fire debris.
DNA Links Woman to Slaying of Aspiring Model
May 17, 2013
The killing of an aspiring 21-year-old model and actress found strangled in her Santa Monica apartment was connected to a business negotiation that her father ended with a Marina del Rey doctor just days before her death. Detectives found DNA and fingerprint evidence at her apartment that matched an associate of the physician.
Iowa Governor Signs Expanded DNA Sampling Measure
May 17, 2013
People convicted of certain aggravated misdemeanors in Iowa now will be required to submit DNA samples. Gov. Terry Branstad signed into law a measure that expands the collection of DNA samples beyond felony convictions and sex offenses.
With No Unified Database, Many Murder Victims Remain Nameless
May 17, 2013
A serial killer who committed suicide in an Alaska jail last year confessed to murdering at least 11 people across the country. But Israel Keyes didn't name names, and investigators trying to figure out who he killed are running into a major stumbling block: There is no unified, mandatory national database for missing persons.
Conflict Seen in Review of Detective's Conduct
May 16, 2013
Alvena Jennette spent almost 21 years in prison, writing appeals that pointed out irregularities in his murder case. In each instance, the office of the Brooklyn district attorney fought back against his claims. But now his is one of some 50 murder convictions that the office is reviewing.
State to Handle DNA Tests Instead of County Crime Lab
May 16, 2013
A police officer who finds a trace of blood inside a burglarized shed today could wait more than a year for the local crime lab to process and return the DNA test results. If the officer used Ohio's state crime lab, the results could be back within 20 days.
Inside the Toronto Police Ballistics Lab
May 16, 2013
Advanced technology is helping Toronto police learn more about the history of the guns they seize from city streets, but wary criminals are paying attention and taking steps to thwart that process.
Collecting DNA for Human Rights While Safeguarding Privacy
May 16, 2013
DNA databases might help identify victims of crime and human trafficking, but how do we safeguard the personal privacy of innocent victims and family members? A report identifies a number of key challenges to consider as experts develop such programs.
Lockheed Martin Enhances FBI's Next Generation Identification System
May 16, 2013
The FBI's Next Generation Identification Increment 3 provides improvements in latent fingerprint search accuracy and a new nationwide palm print identification system to help solve cold cases and improve crime-solving capabilities. Latest upgrades are delivered by a Lockheed Martin-led team for the FBI's NGI system.
Tarnished Gold Standard: Limited Quantity and Degraded DNA, Part II
May 16, 2013
This Live Forensic Research Seminar will include presentations by experts within the Forensic community. Presentation topics for the series will include simultaneous detection of mtDNA using mtDNA primer sets and deep sequencing, and genotyping single DNA molecules without PCR.
DNA Evidence May Clear Honduran Man
May 15, 2013
Lawyers seeking to overturn the murder conviction of a Honduran man who has been on Florida's death row since 2006 presented new DNA and blood stain evidence in a Florida court.
Morton Act, DA Accountability Bill Head to Governor
May 15, 2013
After final approval in the Texas House, the Michael Morton Act, which requires prosecutors to open their files to defense lawyers, and Senate Bill 825, which extends the statute of limitations for discipline against state lawyers who suppress evidence, are headed to Gov. Rick Perry for his signature.
Prosecutors Scrutinized along with Detective's Work
May 15, 2013
As the Brooklyn district attorney’s office pledged a complete review of about 50 murder cases after questions arose regarding the conduct of the detective assigned to them, renewed scrutiny has also focused on the role prosecutors play in what turn out to be wrongful convictions.
Designer Drugs: The New Face of a Workplace Safety Issue
May 15, 2013
Designer drugs are not captured in most current workplace screening programs, yet present the new face of drug abuse and an increasing workplace safety issue.
Estimating Time of Death by Circadian Rhythm
May 15, 2013
Researchers found that they could estimate a healthy person's time of death to within a few hours by analyzing the activity levels of a set of genes within certain regions of the deceased brain.
From Bizarre to Mundane: Crime Scene Evidence Yields Clues
May 15, 2013
Bullets and blood stains are hardly the only items that can crack a case. For instance, just check out an evidence locker in North Portland, Ore., which houses endless bags of bizarre pieces of evidence.
LECO Releases New Chemical Ionization Application Notes
May 14, 2013
LECO’s Life Science and Chemical Analysis Centre has released four new application notes utilizing the chemical ionization (HR-CI) source for the Pegasus GC-HRT (high resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometer).
Geophysical Tools Used to Search for Clandestine Graves
May 14, 2013
It's very hard to convict a murderer if the victim's body can't be found. And the best way to hide a body is to bury it. Developing new tools to find those clandestine graves is the goal of a small community of researchers spread across several countries.
Sexual Assault Kit Backlogs - What Exactly are the Issues?
May 14, 2013
Find out some of the real, underlying issues behind why so many sexual assault kits go untested in this highly readable article by NIJ’s Nancy Ritter.
Garbage DNA Up for Grabs
May 14, 2013
Imagine you stop by a Starbucks one morning, and the shop is robbed only minutes after you leave. Witnesses say the perpetrator was drinking coffee, so investigators retrieve dozens of cups from the trash, looking for genetic evidence. When they analyze it, they may find the robber’s DNA, but they’re going to find many other people’s as well.
Fifty Brooklyn Murder Cases to be Reviewed
May 13, 2013
The Brooklyn district attorney’s office has ordered a review of some 50 murder cases assigned to an acclaimed homicide detective, an acknowledgment of mounting questions about the officer’s tactics and the legitimacy of the convictions.
Higher Demand being Placed on State Crime Labs
May 13, 2013
Crime fighting in the 21st century is becoming increasingly dependent on forensic analysis from sophisticated crime labs.
Forensics Could Link Boston Bombers to 2011 Triple Murder
May 13, 2013
Massachusetts investigators have developed what they call "mounting evidence," bolstered by "forensic hits," that point to the possible involvement of both Tamerlan Tsarnaev and his younger brother Dzhokhar in a gruesome, unsolved triple homicide in 2011.
