Author Profile

Police Training in U.S. is Limited Compared with Other Nations
October 07, 2022
Police in the U.S. deal with more diverse, distressed and aggrieved populations and are involved in more incidents involving firearms, but they average only five months of classroom training—the briefest among 18 countries examined in a Rutgers study. read more
CDC Sees Increase in Fentanyl Analog Use in Overdose Deaths
October 05, 2022
As the overdose epidemic rages on, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released information on the increased detection of para-fluorofentanyl, a schedule I illicit fentanyl analog. read more
State Police Identify Remains as Teen Missing Since 1969
October 05, 2022
The Pennsylvania State Police announced that human remains discovered in Luzerne County nearly 10 years ago have been identified as those of a Wilkes-Barre teenager who went missing four decades earlier. read more
NamUs Selects Othram as a Forensic Genetic Genealogy Partner
October 05, 2022
The partnership will develop and deploy forensic DNA testing tools to help reconnect missing and unidentified persons with their families. read more
Police: California Serial Killer ‘On a Mission’ in Slayings
October 05, 2022
A California serial killer seems to be “on a mission” throughout the fatal shooting of six men and the wounding of one woman dating back to last year. read more
Forensic Art Helps Give Faces to 3 Medieval Ancestors
October 05, 2022
Using a range of archaeological and forensic science techniques, experts are now reconstructing the faces of three people who died 700 years ago. read more
Study: Forensic STRs May Reveal Medical Information
October 03, 2022
In the new study, published last week in PNAS, researchers investigated whether genotypes at the CODIS loci could directly reveal information about the expression levels of neighboring genes. read more
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