Author Profile

Police ID Now-deceased Suspect in 1983 Disappearance of Young Woman
June 13, 2022
Through historical evidence and with advancements in mitochondrial DNA analysis, investigators were able to forensically link Mary Hammond to a man believed to be responsible for her abduction and murder. read more
The Importance of Non-targeted Testing in the Opioid Market
June 13, 2022
To keep pace with the current recreational drug landscape, laboratories in the United States should consider investing in practices that are able to detect new and emerging synthetic drugs. read more
Departmental Policies Key to Officers’ Decisions to Activate Body-worn Cameras
June 13, 2022
Body-worn cameras (BWCs) have become increasingly common in U.S. police departments, but we know little about their use in the field, including the factors related to whether and why police activate them. read more
Genetic Paparazzi are Right Around the Corner, and Courts Aren’t Ready
June 10, 2022
As more advanced, faster and cheaper genetic technologies have reached the consumer realm, concerns about DNA piracy seem not only reasonable, but justified. read more
Baby Holly Found Alive and Well 41 Years after Murder of her Parents
June 10, 2022
The Linn and Clouse families have been searching for answers concerning the welfare of the Clouses and their daughter, Holly, since they were last heard from in 1980. read more
DNA, Investigative Work Connects Jailed Man to Serial 'Pillowcase Rapes'
June 10, 2022
Advanced DNA technology helped detectives link the cases of six women to a man accused of being the “pillowcase rapist” for a string of rapes back in the 1980s. read more
University Expands Digital Forensics Training with Second Lab
June 10, 2022
The grant will fund digital forensics and industrial control systems hardware and software and allow LSU to expand its hands-on applied cybersecurity courses, as well as support research into industrial control systems security. read more
Vermont Governor Vetoes Safe Injection Sites for Drug Users
June 10, 2022
Gov. Phil Scott has vetoed a bill aimed in part at creating one or more safe injection sites, also called overdose prevention sites, in Vermont where people could legally use drugs under supervision as a way to reduce overdoses. read more
NIJ Report: Best Practices in DNA Lab Staffing
June 08, 2022
Backlogs and intense demands for precision and timeliness can put undue pressure on DNA personnel. read more
Man Found Guilty in 2003 Rape of Teen
June 08, 2022
In December 2020, Grays Harbor Sheriff’s Office Chief Darrin Wallace obtained grant money to submit the DNA evidence to a private laboratory for genealogy testing. read more
NCMEC Artist Pioneers Forensic Sculpting Class at Virginia University
June 08, 2022
The course is meant to give interested students a chance to try out forensic art and learn more about facial structures. read more
Study: COVID-19 Accounted for 62% of Duty-related LE Deaths in 2020
June 08, 2022
COVID-19 accounted for 62% of the 295 duty-related law enforcement deaths reported in 2020 to the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund database, which tracks law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty. read more
Police Release Sketch of Unidentified Child Found Last Month
June 08, 2022
Investigators believe the remains were left between April 28 and May 2. However, she may have been deceased as early as the summer or fall of 2021, or earlier. read more
Bill Proposes Making Troubled D.C. Lab an Independent Agency
June 06, 2022
One year after ANAB revoked the lab’s accreditation, there is finally movement on the future of the once-heralded lab. read more
Genealogy IDs Victim in 1999 Cold Case Homicide
June 06, 2022
Due to the state of decomposition, the victim could not be identified, but the cause of death was determined to be homicide. read more
Newly ID'ed Man is 50th Solve for Canada's Missing Persons DNA Program
June 06, 2022
A missing person case in Niagara, Ontario, represents the National Missing Persons DNA Program's (NMPDP) milestone 50th case that was solved with the help of DNA. read more
Illinois State Police Clears Sexual Assault Forensic Backlog
June 06, 2022
After decades of extensive sexual assault forensic backlogs, the number of pending sexual assault forensic assignments older than 180 days has reached zero. read more
Electrical Pulses to the Back of the Neck Found to Restore Breathing after Drug Use
June 06, 2022
New research points to a novel treatment for respiratory depression associated with opioid use that administers electrical pulses to the back of the neck, helping patients regain respiratory control following high dosage opioid use. read more
Genealogy IDs Teen Murdered in 1974, Could be ‘Killer Cop’ Victim
June 03, 2022
Othram and the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office have identified a 1974 teen homicide victim that investigators think could have been murdered by serial killer Gerard John Schaefer, also known as the “Killer Cop.” read more
Sex Assault Conviction Tossed Over Statute of Limitations
June 03, 2022
Investigators had DNA evidence from the 2001 crime scene and from defendant Bradley Thompson by 2004 but didn’t get a conclusive match until 2016, due to the FBI’s updating of DNA testing guidance. read more