Two More Hobos Chicago Gang Members Get Life – Despite PCAST Firearms Defense

14 hours 38 min ago
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by Seth Augenstein
Police Procedure
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In a High-tech World, Composite Sketches Still Helping Police Put a Face on Crime
In many cases, technology has diminished the need for police sketches. But in cases where the perpetrator is not captured by surveillance systems, smartphones or identified by forensic evidence, investigators still rely on sketch artists.
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by John Kopp, PhillyVoice Staff
8.23.2017
11:59am
DNA
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DNA Test of Virginia Beach Woman May be Break in 1996 Baby ‘Hope’ Cold Case
Police are narrowing their search for the mother of “Hope,” an infant whose body was found hanging in a plastic bag at a Virginia Beach business in 1996.
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by Adrienne Marie Mayfield, Southside Daily
8.23.2017
11:55am
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Police Procedure
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Jury Refuses to Convict 4 in Nevada Ranch Standoff Retrial
A federal jury in Las Vegas refused Tuesday to convict four defendants who were retried on accusations that they threatened and assaulted federal agents by wielding assault weapons in a 2014 confrontation to stop a cattle roundup near the Nevada ranch of...
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by Ken Ritter, Associated Press
8.23.2017
11:47am
Death Penalty
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Update: Missouri Gov. Halts Williams Execution After DNA Questions
Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens on Tuesday halted the scheduled execution of condemned inmate Marcellus Williams after DNA testing raised questions about whether he actually killed.
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by Jim Salter, Associated Press
8.23.2017
11:43am
DNA
Article
Rapid DNA Act Signed into Law, Setting Target of 90 Minute CODIS Profiles
The Rapid DNA Act of 2017, signed into law by President Donald Trump on Friday, proposes lowering the turnaround rate of DNA entering CODIS to 90 minutes or less, directly at booking stations around the country in some situations – potentially speeding...
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by Seth Augenstein
Senior Science Writer
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@SethAugenstein
8.22.2017
12:52pm
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Police Procedure
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Eleventh Grader Shot in Back, Head, Cops Face Murder Charges
Eleventh grader Kian Loyd delos Santos was “intentionally killed” with three “treacherous wounds” to the head and back while lying face down during a police operation in the government’s war against drugs, the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) bared...
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by Romina Cabrera and Edu Punay, The Philippine Star
8.22.2017
12:20pm
Medical Examiner
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Reports Questioned, Contract Expired, But California County Coroner Still On the Job
The accuracy of his reports have been questioned, he was arrested last year for driving drunk on the way to an autopsy, and the state is attempting to suspend or revoke his medical license. But San Luis Obispo County’s embattled medical examiner is still...
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by Matt Fountain, The Tribute
8.22.2017
12:11pm
Death Penalty
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Attorneys for Condemned Missouri Man Seek Halt to Tonight's Execution
Attorneys for a condemned Missouri inmate warn that the state is preparing to execute a potentially innocent man.
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by Jim Salter, Associated Press
8.22.2017
11:39am
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Death Penalty
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Most American Indian Tribes Opt Out of Federal Death Penalty
In a heinous case on the Navajo Nation, an 11-year-old girl was lured into a van, sexually assaulted and killed. The man who has admitted responsibility is not facing the death penalty — and the tribe isn’t seeking it.
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by Felicia Fonseca and Russell Contreras, Associated Press
8.22.2017
11:37am
Unsolved
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Danish Police Find Torso of Woman After Submarine Sinking
The body of a woman has been found in the Baltic Sea near where a missing Swedish journalist is believed to have died on a privately built submarine, Danish police said late Monday.
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by Matti Huuhtanen, Associated Press
8.22.2017
11:35am
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Aryan Brotherhood Pair Sentenced to Federal Prison for Texas Carjacking of Black Man
Two members of the Aryan Brotherhood gang were sentenced to federal prison for a violent carjacking of a black man in Texas last year, authorities announced. Roy Ates Jr., 40, was sentenced to 15 years in prison, and Chase Ryan Smith, 32, was sentenced...
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by Seth Augenstein
Senior Science Writer
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@SethAugenstein
8.21.2017
12:32pm
Digital Forensics
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Prosecutors: Prof Killed Boyfriend as Part of Sexual Fantasy
The fatal stabbing of a hairstylist in Chicago was part of a sexual fantasy hatched in an online chatroom between a Northwestern University professor and an Oxford University employee, whose plan included killing someone and then themselves, prosecutors...
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by Michael Tarm, Associated Press
8.21.2017
10:29am
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Mobile Forensics
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Border Agents Track Drone From Sky to Drugs on the Ground
A 25-year-old U.S. citizen has been charged with using a drone to smuggle more than 13 pounds (5.9 kilograms) of methamphetamine from Mexico, an unusually large seizure for what is still a novel technique to bring illegal drugs into the United States,...
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by Elliot Spagat, Associated Press
8.21.2017
10:27am
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UK Study: Domestic Abuse 'Workshops' Reduce Repeat Offending and Harm to Public
The first domestic abuse policing strategy in UK history to be trialed under experimental conditions has found that an inexpensive two-day course in behavior management for first offenders resulted in 35 percent fewer men reoffending against their...
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by University of Cambridge
8.21.2017
10:19am
DNA
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Omaha Police Purge DNA Samples From Controversial 2004 Sweep
Police have destroyed DNA samples collected years ago from several black men in a controversial 2004 sweep in Omaha now that a suspect in a series of rapes has been charged.
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by Associated Press
8.21.2017
10:13am
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Crime Lab
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Fallen Forensics: Judges Routinely Allow Disavowed Science
Some forensic science—analysis of bite marks, latent fingerprints, firearms identification, burn patterns in arson investigations, footwear patterns and tire treads—was once considered sound, but is now being denounced by some lawyers and scientists who...
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by Denise Lavoie, Associated Press
8.21.2017
9:28am
Crime Scene
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Police: Attacks in Spain Are Linked, Took Long Time to Plan
The back-to-back vehicle attacks in Barcelona and a nearby resort had been planned for a long time by an Islamic terrorist cell—and could have been far deadlier had its base not been destroyed by an apparently accidental explosion this week, Spanish...
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by Joseph Wilson, Ciaran Giles and Barry Hatton, Associated Press
8.18.2017
12:22pm
Cybersecurity
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Virtual Case Notes: A Look at Romanian ‘Hackerville’ Reveals Human Element of Cybercrime
Researchers Jonathan Lusthaus and Federico Varese, of the Human Cybercriminal Project at the University of Oxford, traveled to Romania in 2014 and 2015 to study the oft-ignored real-world aspect of cybercrime in an area known to be a hub for one specific...
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by Laura French
Associate Editor
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@ForensicMag
8.18.2017
12:00pm
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Toxicology
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New Scientific Research Shows Cleaning Fentanyl Spills with Household Product Effective
Researchers have determined that household cleaner OxiClean has proven scientifically to be effective in cleaning up fentanyl spills. The product contains sodium percarbonate, a chemical which, in previous research, had been shown to oxidize and break...
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by Ohio Attorney General
8.18.2017
11:20am
DNA
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True ID of ‘Chameleon’ Killer Revealed: Terry Peder Rasmussen
After a year of a multi-agency investigation, authorities finally have their man: the “Chameleon” killer was one Terry Peder Rasmussen, a U.S. Navy veteran whose wife left him and took their four children before he went on a historic killing spree across...
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by Seth Augenstein
Senior Science Writer
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@SethAugenstein
8.18.2017
11:08am
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Witness Testimony
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After 45 Years, Murder Conviction Scratched for Michigan Man
A man in prison for 45 years could be on the cusp of freedom after another man said he had no role in a 1971 murder in Detroit. A judge last week threw out Richard Phillips’ conviction and granted a new trial. Wayne County prosecutors have pledged to...
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by Ed White, Associated Press
8.18.2017
9:33am
Digital Forensics
Article
New Linguistics Method Tackles Abraham Lincoln Mystery, Jack the Ripper Up Next
A team of forensic linguistics experts lead by the University of Manchester’s Dr. Andrea Nini believe they have solved a longstanding mystery about a letter Abraham Lincoln may have authored.
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by Michelle Taylor
Editor-in-Chief
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@ForensicMag
8.18.2017
8:00am
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Crime Scene
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Chinese Writer Who Wrote of Killings Arrested for Murder
A popular Chinese writer drafting a book about a novelist who got away with murder was himself arrested by authorities for a 1995 quadruple homicide, according to state and independent media.
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by Seth Augenstein
Senior Science Writer
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@SethAugenstein
8.17.2017
1:01pm
Crime Lab
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AFTAC, University of Texas to Partner on Nuclear Forensics Research
The Air Force Technical Applications Center will collaborate with the University of Texas at Austin to conduct research in the field of nuclear forensics. AFTAC and UTA will focus on analyzing short-lived radionuclides using gamma coincidence...
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by U.S. Air Force
8.17.2017
12:49pm
Firearms
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Body Scanners Being Piloted in Los Angeles Subway System
Aiming to stay ahead of an evolving threat against transit systems worldwide, officials in Los Angeles are testing out airport-style body scanners that screen subway passengers for firearms and explosives.
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by Michael Balsamo, Associated Press
8.17.2017
10:29am
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Cybersecurity
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Sonar Technique Could Covertly Surveil Body Movements Through Music
Researchers have demonstrated how it is possible to transform a smart device into a surveillance tool that can collect information about the body position and movements of the user. Their approach involves remotely hijacking smart devices to play music...
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by University of Washington
8.17.2017
10:24am
Toxicology
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Oregon Downgrades Drug Possession from Felony to Misdemeanor
A bill signed by Oregon Gov. Kate Brown on Tuesday makes personal-use possession of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and other drugs a misdemeanor, not a felony. Oregon joined just a handful of other U.S. states in defelonizing drugs under the new law,...
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by Andrew Selsky, Associated Press
8.17.2017
10:15am
Unsolved
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DNA Tests to Determine if Human Remains Found in Aruba Match Missing Teen Natalee Holloway
The father of Natalee Holloway, the American teenager who disappeared in Aruba 12 years ago, revealed that he and a private investigator recently discovered human remains behind a house on the island. The remains are being DNA tested to determine if they...
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by Mary Bowerman, USA Today
8.17.2017
9:22am
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Digital Forensics
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Web Hosting Service Fights DOJ Warrant Demanding Records from Inauguration Protest Site
The U.S. Department of Justice has issued a search warrant for internet records possessed by web hosting service DreamHost regarding a 2017 Inauguration Day protest website, after about 200 were arrested in relation to the Jan. 20 event. DreamHost says...
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by Laura French
Associate Editor
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@ForensicMag
8.16.2017
12:44pm
Unsolved
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MH370 Mystery: Details in Satellite Images Point to Long-lost Plane, Study Says
MH370, the flight that made a suspicious turn into the Indian Ocean three years ago with 239 people aboard and has never been located, could be discovered with further searching, contends a group of Australian scientists. High-resolution satellite images...
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by Seth Augenstein
Senior Science Writer
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@SethAugenstein
8.16.2017
12:38pm
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Firearms
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Detecting a Concealed Weapon or Threat is Not Easy, Even for Experienced Police Officers, Study Finds
The likelihood of a police officer identifying someone concealing a gun or bomb is only slightly better than chance, according to new research from Iowa State University. The results, published in the journal Law and Human Behavior, found officers with...
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by Iowa State University
8.16.2017
12:23pm
DNA
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DNA, Missing Evidence Are at the Heart of a 24-year-old Cold Case Murder in Arizona
Prosecutors' reliance on DNA evidence and police credibility went on trial, along with a man they call murderer, kidnapper and arsonist, as a 24-year-old Mesa, Arizona cold case finally made it to court Tuesday.
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by Sean Holstege, Pheonix News Times
8.16.2017
12:19pm
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Digital Forensics
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On the Darknet, Drug Buyers Aren't Looking for Bargains
When drug users go online for the first time to buy opioids, they aren't looking for the widest selection or the best prices for their illicit purchases, a new study suggests. Researchers found that first-time drug buyers who visited one marketplace on...
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by Ohio State University
8.16.2017
9:21am
News
Uzbek State Corruption Abetted by Western Companies, Report Says
The government of Uzbekistan was essentially an organized crime network that benefited the leader and his daughter for decades, according to ongoing investigations. But Western companies were complicit in assisting the schemes of President Islam Karimov...
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by Seth Augenstein
Senior Science Writer
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@SethAugenstein
8.15.2017
12:41pm
Biometrics
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Scientists Automate Key Step in Forensic Fingerprint Analysis
This week, scientists from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Michigan State University report that they have developed an algorithm that automates a key step in the fingerprint analysis process.
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by National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
8.15.2017
11:34am
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Forensic Anthropology
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Face of 19th Century Scottish Killer Revealed by Modern Forensics
The face of a 19th century murderer has been revealed using modern forensic techniques. John Howison, known as the Cramond Murderer following a brutal killing in the Scottish village in 1831, is the subject of a new museum exhibition.
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by Neil Pooran, STV News
8.15.2017
11:13am
Medical Examiner
News
Shaken Baby Syndrome at Center of Hearing in 2002 Death Penalty Case
The state medical examiner that helped send a Natchez, Mississippi man to death row 15 years ago for reportedly shaking a baby to death testified Monday that the baby's injuries could have come from a fall. The convicted man has contended from early in...
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by Cain Madden, The Natchez Democrat
8.15.2017
10:45am
Unsolved
News
Search on in 2 Countries for Woman Missing Since Submarine Sank
Police from Sweden assisted their Danish counterparts on Tuesday with pursuing leads in the search for a missing Swedish woman who was on an amateur-built submarine the night before it sank, while volunteers and authorities combed the countries'...
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by Jan M. Olsen, Associated Press
8.15.2017
10:24am
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Toxicology
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Police Try Out New Database for Documenting Opioid Overdoses
Police in Massachusetts are testing a new database for documenting opioid overdoses they hope will help departments share information in real time and get people into treatment. The database was developed by criminal justice experts Sean Varano at Roger...
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by Jennifer McDermott, Associated Press
8.15.2017
10:10am
Crime Scene
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FBI Most Wanted MS-13 Member from NJ Snared with Public’s Help
An MS-13 member who is accused of brutally butchering his friend as part of a gang initiation was apprehended after four months on the FBI’s Most Wanted List. Walter Yovany Gomez, who allegedly killed his friend with an aluminum baseball bat, a knife and...
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by Seth Augenstein
Senior Science Writer
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@SethAugenstein
8.14.2017
12:04pm
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