Author Profile

36-Year-Old Evidence from Victim's Clothing Helps ID Suspect
August 29, 2022
A new lead developed in 2012. Evidence recovered from Gravel's clothing was instrumental in solving the case. read more
Forensic Professor Hopes to Simplify Rape Cases with Cancer DNA System
August 29, 2022
Proving a sexual assault case in a courtroom often presents multiple challenges, but Research Assistant Professor Mike Marciano is working to help change that. read more
Crime Lab Halts Marijuana THC Tests after Problems
August 29, 2022
The Michigan State Police crime lab has stopped screening blood samples for THC, the compound that gives marijuana users a high, after problems with testing, a spokeswoman said. read more
Can Postmortem CT Scans Replace Autopsies?
August 26, 2022
There are about 500 practicing forensic pathologists in the United States—only about half the actual number that is needed. Methods that can streamline postmortem examinations without compromising accuracy can help meet demand, potentially at reduced cost. read more
Why Outlawing Ghost Guns Didn’t Stop America’s Largest Maker of Ghost Gun Parts
August 26, 2022
Unregistered, unserialized weapons produced with Polymer80 parts have turned up at crime scenes across the country, but state-level efforts to close ghost gun loopholes continue to fall short. read more
Using Virtual Reality to Bridge Gaps in Forensic Nursing
August 26, 2022
Nurses complete a number of tasks to learn how to conduct a sexual assault examination. The goal is to help them become comfortable performing the exam before working with a live standardized patient. read more
Ancient DNA Shows Griffin Warrior Ruled His Greek Homeland
August 26, 2022
Using aDNA, archaeologists discovered that an ancient Greek leader known today as the Griffin Warrior likely grew up around the seaside city he would one day rule. read more
FIU Launches New Veterinary Forensics Degree
August 26, 2022
In partnership with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), the curriculum provides those working in animal services a comprehensive skillset to oversee animal cruelty cases. read more
Verogen Launches Workflow for Estimating Ancestry of Crime Scene Samples
August 26, 2022
ForenSeq Imagen uses single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that have been established by the leading laboratories in the forensic community for estimating phenotypic traits. read more
Police Tie Recently Arrested Suspect to a Second Cold Case
August 24, 2022
On Monday, just over a month later, Ivy found himself in an eerily similar position. While the survivor standing next to him was a different woman, the suspect was the same—Frederick Fitzgerald Gandy. read more
Cold Case Team Uses Genealogy to ID Woman Found in 1991
August 24, 2022
Earlier this year, a forensic genetic genealogy investigation started, and the remains were tentatively identified as Kathryn Coffey. read more
South Korean Link Suspected to New Zealand Suitcase Deaths
August 24, 2022
South Korean police say they believe a possible relative of two children whose bodies were found in suitcases in New Zealand last week is likely in South Korea. read more
New LA Innocence Project First to Be Connected to Academic Forensic Program
August 24, 2022
Los Angeles Innocence Project at Cal State LA will be the first innocence project in the Innocence Network to be attached to a forensic science academic program in the U.S. read more
Othram Appoints Carla Davis as Chief Genetic Genealogist
August 24, 2022
Carla Davis joins Othram after a year-long collaboration in which she led genealogical efforts to restore names to unidentified persons in Virginia, Alabama, and her home state of Mississippi. read more
Texas' Latest Execution: Bitemark Evidence, DNA, Hypnosis All Part of Murder Case
August 22, 2022
His attorneys had argued new science raised the possibility Chanthakoummane’s DNA could have been transferred to Walker’s fingernails without any direct contact between the two. read more
The Democratization of Forensic Genetic Genealogy
August 22, 2022
Verogen CEO Brett Williams discusses the implications of the recently announced Verogen-Gene by Gene partnership and what users can expect to see going forward. read more
Unknown Man Found in 'Hurricane Hole' Identified after 5 Years
August 22, 2022
Initial anthropological analysis suggested an ancestry that contradicted the known ancestry of the missing man and the recovered remains were insufficient to produce an estimation of the man's height, hair color, and other physical traits. read more
University Helps Local High School Teachers Build Cybersecurity Lessons for Classrooms
August 22, 2022
FIU experts are training local high school teachers to develop cybersecurity lesson plans for their students. The Cybernet Miami Academy is an FIU-led virtual, interactive program about digital forensics. read more
Top Criminologist and University Leader Joins the National Policing Institute
August 22, 2022
For more than two decades, Robin Engel has worked to engage in policing research designed to reduce harm in communities and make police-community encounters safer, promoting best practices through academic-practitioner partnerships. read more
Digital Forensics 101: The Value of ‘Capture the Flag’ Events
August 19, 2022
“Capture the Flag” competitions offer a good opportunity to have a lot of fun and learn new cybersecurity and digital forensics skills, in a way that may not seem much like work at all. read more