Author Profile

New Center to Combat Global Human Trafficking
April 12, 2021
This collaborative effort aims to identify better ways to measure the prevalence of trafficking while crafting real-world solutions to best equip nongovernmental organizations and policymakers with the tools and information they need to combat trafficking. read more
Ex-NFL Player’s Brain to be Probed for CTE Following Mass Shooting
April 12, 2021
The brain of Phillip Adams — the former NFL player who killed a South Carolina physician, three family members and a repairman before fatally shooting himself — will be tested for a degenerative disease that has affected a number of pro athletes. read more
Medical Examiner, Pathologist Blame Police Pressure for Floyd’s Death
April 09, 2021
The chief medical examiner who ruled George Floyd’s death a homicide testified Friday that the way police held him down and compressed his neck “was just more than Mr. Floyd could take,” given the condition of his heart. read more
Validation 101: How to Document Links Between Suspects and Digital Intelligence
April 07, 2021
Validation of investigative methods and the processes and technologies used to collect and analyze evidence are a critical part of preparing a case that will hold up in court. The validation process starts right at the beginning of investigation and may continue until the case closes. read more
California University Gets Unabomber Case Papers
April 07, 2021
The FBI profiler whose analysis of Kaczynski’s writings led to that high-profile arrest will donate his professional papers about the case to the Pennsylvania Center for Investigative and Forensic Sciences at California University of Pennsylvania. read more
Field Sobriety Tests, THC Levels Unreliable Indicators of Marijuana Intoxication
April 07, 2021
Researchers investigated how marijuana affects skills required for safe driving and found that biofluid levels of THC did not correlate with field sobriety test performance or marijuana intoxication, regardless of how the cannabis was ingested. read more
Emma Cole Case: Parents Indicted for Child Abuse, More Charges Possible
April 07, 2021
Stepfather Brandon Haas and mother Kristie Haas were indicted Monday afternoon on charges including First Degree Child Abuse and Endangering the Welfare of a Child, with the possibility of additional charges. read more
FBI: New Autopsy Says Death of Alonzo Brooks was a Homicide
April 07, 2021
The case of a Black man who died following a party in rural Kansas more than 16 years ago has been ruled a homicide after his body was exhumed as federal authorities investigate his death as a possible hate crime. read more
Remains in Missouri Identified as Missing Chinese Woman
April 07, 2021
Decomposed remains found in a Missouri park have been positively identified as those of a Chinese woman who had been missing from Columbia, Missouri, since 2019, authorities said Tuesday. read more
Update: ANAB Suspends DC Crime Lab’s Accreditation
April 05, 2021
After an audit last week recommended the Firearms Examination Unit at the D.C. Department of Forensic Sciences immediately cease casework, the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) temporarily suspended the lab’s accreditation as of April 2, 2021. read more
Houston Forensic Science Center Finds Fentanyl in XTC for First Time
April 05, 2021
The Houston Forensic Science Center has—for the first time—identified fentanyl in XTC tablets, a significant, potentially deadly, health risk, especially to youth purchasing what they believe to be a “party” drug but instead a toxic opioid. read more
Accidental Drowning or Murder? DNA Testing of Remains May Lead to Answer
April 05, 2021
Although this accidental drowning has been a focus of the investigation, investigators have not ruled out the possibility that the skeletal remains belonging to victims of a crime. read more
Police Turn to Public to Help ID Victim of Green River Killer
April 05, 2021
She is currently known only as Bones-17. Detectives with the King County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit, and forensic anthropologist Katherine Taylor, need help to determine her true identity. read more
Ancient Coins May Solve Mystery of Murderous 1600s Pirate
April 05, 2021
The villain in this tale: a murderous English pirate who became the world’s most-wanted criminal after plundering a ship carrying Muslim pilgrims home to India from Mecca, then eluded capture by posing as a slave trader. read more
EXCLUSIVE: NamUs Announces New Contractor, Sub-Contractor
April 02, 2021
A new contract to manage the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) was awarded on March 31, 2021 to North Carolina-based Research Triangle Institute (RTI) International. read more
ID Nimbus Presto with PrepFiler BTA
April 01, 2021
With rapid, hands-free processing and high-quality yields of even the most challenging samples, forensic labs can enjoy faster turnaround times with lasting confidence in results. The compact ID NIMBUS Presto System combines the Thermo Scientific KingFisher Presto Purification System on the Hamilton Microlab NIMBUS liquid handling workstation. The system is specifically scripted for use with the Applied Biosystems PrepFiler Automated Forensic DNA Extraction Kit. read more
DC Forensic Lab Under Investigation Regarding Ballistics Casework
March 31, 2021
The Firearms Examination Unit at the D.C. Department of Forensic Sciences should immediately cease casework and a comprehensive evaluation of the competence of all current examiners should be performed, according to an audit. read more
Child Abuse or Accident? Bringing Science to Forensic Investigations
March 31, 2021
A pediatrician and the bioengineer have been working together to develop a system for detecting tell-tale bruising in infants. read more
Study Provides First Evidence of DNA Collection from Air
March 31, 2021
The research team showed that airDNA sampling could successfully detect mole-rat DNA within the animal’s housing and from the room itself. The scientists also found human DNA in the air samples. read more
Grace Doe ID'ed After 30 Years
March 31, 2021
In December 1990, a couple walking on a rural road in Southwest Missouri discovered the decomposed remains of a young woman. She had been hog-tied and dumped next to an abandoned farmhouse. read more