Author Profile

Project Aims to Detect Burial Site of 1918 Pandemic Victims
October 03, 2022
According to historical accounts of the 1918 influenza pandemic, victims were often hastily buried in unmarked graves. Cremation was an uncommon practice and undertakers were unable to keep pace with the daunting task of burying the dead. read more
Families, Experts Shed Light on Cold Case Crisis at Symposium
October 03, 2022
In the United States, there are over 270,000 cold cases—unsolved criminal cases of homicide or missing persons that remain open pending the discovery of new evidence. read more
Conn. First to Receive Federal Grant for Gun Intelligence Center
October 03, 2022
The Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory has been awarded a $700,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to aid in the development of the Connecticut Crime Gun Intelligence Center. read more
Homeland Security Releases New Training Guideline for Detection Canine Teams
October 03, 2022
Different from traditional explosive detection dogs whose training consists of monitoring threats hidden within stationary objects, PBED canines must also detect and track explosives in motion and concealed on a person. read more
Tennessee Funds Additional Forensic Jobs after Fletcher Murder
September 30, 2022
Would Eliza Fletcher, a mother of two and kindergarten teacher, still be alive today if a rape kit containing the DNA of her accused killer—Cleotha Henderson—was processed when it was received in September 2021, rather than a year later? read more
Prisoner Charged, Again, With Second 1983 Murder
September 30, 2022
Using new breakthroughs in DNA forensics, the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office has charged a San Jose man, who is already in prison for a brutal murder of a woman, with another murder, 39 years ago. read more
New University Hub Addresses Forensic Scientist Shortage
September 30, 2022
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is addressing a critical shortage of forensic scientists, advancing criminal justice research, and supporting reform through the launch of the new Southwestern Illinois Justice and Workforce Development Campus. read more
Advocates Seek More Say in How Opioid Settlements are Spent
September 30, 2022
Across the U.S., people in recovery and families of those who died from overdoses fear they won’t be heard on the state-level panels recommending or deciding on the use of big pieces of proposed and finalized settlements, which are worth more than $40 billion. read more
The Business Case for Reducing Gun Violence
September 30, 2022
While gun violence in the United States continues to claim lives at an alarming rate, it is also taking a quiet toll on the U.S. economy, according to new research. read more
Despite 40% Workload Increase, ME's Office Uses 1800s Ancestral Link to ID Victim in Cold Case
September 28, 2022
The rising number of deaths in Clark County has outpaced population growth and left investigators with less time to work on cold cases. But that didn't stop Christine Holroyd. read more
DNA, Genealogy ID Dismembered New York Woman Found in a Trunk
September 28, 2022
In March 1980, the New York State Police investigated the discovery of a victim left headless and handless in a travel trunk near a dumpster on the grounds of the Hudson View Apartment Complex in Fishkill, NY. read more
Sudan Officials Warn of 'Plague' from Unidentified Bodies Backlog
September 28, 2022
Sudanese medical officials warned Monday that more than 1,500 unidentified bodies piled up in several of the country’s morgues could lead to an outbreak of disease, amid accusations the government is covering up their causes of death. read more
Re-review of Recorded Polygraph Interview Leads to Cold Case Confession
September 28, 2022
Detectives discovered their tape-recorded statements and reexamined them for deceptive answers using software. read more
Senate Passes Bill To Continue Digital Law Enforcement Trainings Nationwide
September 28, 2022
Bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the National Computer Forensics Institute, which provides training to state and local law enforcement agencies, passed the Senate unanimously Tuesday night. read more
Study Links BMI to Decomposition Condition
September 26, 2022
Multiple researchers began noticing that bodies donated and placed in the soil at the same time were not decomposing in the same way. read more
New York State Police Asking for Tips After Othram ID's Mother Murdered in 1984
September 26, 2022
The FBI investigative team conducted research resulting from the DNA profile created by Othram and provided an investigative lead to to the New York State Police. read more
Genetic Genealogy Identifies Teen Who Went Missing in 1975
September 26, 2022
The initial report indicated the remains were like that of an African American female in her late teens to early 20s. Cold case detectives connected with Othram earlier this year and learned the remains belonged to a Caucasian female. read more
After Student’s Death, LA Schools to Carry Overdose Antidote
September 26, 2022
The Los Angeles Unified School District will provide all its schools with a medication that can reverse opioid overdoses, after at least seven teenagers overdosed on pills likely laced with fentanyl in recent weeks, including a 15-year-old girl who died on a high school campus. read more
Mitochondrial DNA Analysis Helps ID Soldier Who Went Missing During Korean War
September 26, 2022
A soldier from Massachusetts who went missing during the Korean War and was later reported to have died in a prisoner of war camp has been accounted for using modern scientific techniques. read more
Cybersecurity Offers Home for 'Isolated' Autistic Community
September 23, 2022
Highly educated autistic people have long found work in tech—but now two Dutch entrepreneurs are training socially isolated autistic dropouts and finding productive jobs for them. The approach could be a model for America. read more