Author Profile

Genetic Genealogy, DNA From Bite Mark Lead to Suspect in 1994 Cold Case Murder
March 11, 2022
Nearly 28 years ago, Cheri Huss was found stabbed to death inside her Desert Hot Springs apartment. Her case went cold until last month. read more
A Look Inside the 1st Official ‘Safe Injection Sites’ in U.S.
March 11, 2022
Equipped and staffed to reverse overdoses, New York City’s new, privately run “overdose prevention centers” are a bold and contested response to a storm tide of opioid overdose deaths nationwide. read more
Othram IDs 1980 Homicide Victim After 9 Previous Attempts
March 09, 2022
A clay reconstruction of the homicide victim's face was developed and released to the public by the end of 1980, but yielded no clues as to who this unknown man was. read more
More Research Needed on How Insects can Reveal Drugs, Poisons at Crime Scenes
March 09, 2022
Researchers are developing ways to detect a range of drugs and other substances commonly found in the suspicious death of humans and animals. read more
The Key to Convicting Human Traffickers
March 09, 2022
Tattoos, electric shock devices, and plastic bracelets. These are examples of the kinds of objects and physical abuses deployed by human traffickers to control, torture, and brand their victims, and which are crucial to securing a conviction. read more
New University Crime Scene House Offers an Immersive Forensic Experience
March 09, 2022
After spending years processing mock murders in the cramped confines of a small storage room, forensic science students at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln are now getting to stretch their crime scene investigation skills. read more
Utah’s Commercial Genetic Genealogy Database Bill Fails
March 09, 2022
A bill addressing law enforcements use of genetic genealogy DNA databases like GEDmatch and Ancestry failed to pass the Utah House of Representatives late last week amid concerns it was not specific enough to prevent police “fishing expeditions.” read more
DNA Links Slain Illinois Man to 1982 Killing in Iowa
March 07, 2022
Investigators in Iowa used genealogical data to link the 1982 fatal stabbing of a woman to an Illinois trucker who was found shot to death in a shallow grave months later. read more
Metabolomics Could be Newest Addition to Forensic Pathologist’s Toolkit
March 07, 2022
Metabolomic analysis of postmortem blood reveals biomarkers that can be used to diagnose diabetes mellitus, enabling accurate forensic diagnosis. read more
Researchers to Use Virtual Reality to Evaluate Eyewitness Accuracy
March 07, 2022
The primary purpose of the three-year award is to probe the pristine conditions hypothesis, which suggests that high-confidence witness identifications will be "remarkably accurate" when identification procedures are optimal. read more
Researchers Create Largest Ever Human Family Tree
March 07, 2022
Researchers from the University of Oxford’s Big Data Institute have taken a major step toward mapping the entirety of genetic relationships among humans: a single genealogy that traces the ancestry of all of us. read more
Cranial Lesions Reveal 9 Murders 430,000 Years Ago
March 07, 2022
The Spanish archeologist who helped piece together possibly the earliest case of murder in human history has published another study that demonstrates evidence of nine additional murders in the same location. read more
How to Fix the Cracks in Forensic Science’s Foundation
March 02, 2022
To avoid any further headlines that read “forensic lab under investigation,” forensic scientist and consultant Brian Gestring suggests taking cues from the transportation industry, specifically cars and aviation. read more
Genealogy Helps ID Older Man Possibly Abducted in 1988
March 02, 2022
Initially, the remains were identified as belonging to a female but later analysis revealed the remains belong to an older male. read more
University Professors Team to Develop AI Tool for Cell Phone Forensics
March 02, 2022
The targeted forensics tool under development will not be used in any way for tracking people. Rather, it will be a tool for collecting evidence to be used in court obtained from phones voluntarily provided to law enforcement by witnesses. read more
New Mexico Bill Allows Testing to Prevent Fentanyl Deaths
March 02, 2022
New Mexico is allowing broad access to test strips that can detect the presence of the potent opiate fentanyl and potentially help avoid deadly overdoses, under legislation signed Monday. read more
Juries are Subject to All Kinds of Biases When it Comes to Deciding on a Trial
March 02, 2022
The aim of our recent review was to bring together different areas of psychology to identify potential sources of bias that may influence how jurors make decisions. read more
Forensic Spray Sends Domestic Abuser to Jail
February 28, 2022
In a first-of-its-kind arrest, a man in the UK has been convicted and jailed for domestic violence and failure to adhere to a non-molestation order after the victim sprayed him with SmartTag, a unique forensic liquid UK police have been piloting. read more
Investigators Turn to Genetic Genealogy after Facial Reconstructions Yield No Leads
February 28, 2022
In August 1980, a bulldozer operator working at the West Side Landfill in Larksville, PA came across what he believed to be a doll. After closer inspection he realized it was a newborn boy. read more
Mexico’s Efforts Paltry in Face of Nearly 100,000 Missing
February 28, 2022
How many disappeared in this cartel “extermination site” on the outskirts of Nuevo Laredo, miles from the U.S. border? After six months of work, forensic technicians still don’t dare offer an estimate. read more