Author Profile

FBI Pilots Rapid DNA at Booking Stations, ID’s Challenges for Crime Scenes
September 15, 2020
The FBI conducted Rapid DNA booking station pilot programs in four states and turned the lessons learned into a Standards and Procedure document approved by the FBI director last month. read more
Authorities Find Bones in Illinois After Serial Killer Reveals Location to Podcast Host
September 14, 2020
Authorities are analyzing bones found in Illinois to determine if they are the remains of a woman whom a convicted serial killer imprisoned in Ohio claims he killed about 15 years ago. read more
Utah Clears Rape Kit Backlog, Leaders Expect Further Reform
September 14, 2020
Officials in Utah announced that the state has eliminated its sexual assault kit backlog five years after reporting more than 2,000 were untested. read more
Independent Auditor to Review Cincinnati Police's DNA-based Homicide Cases
September 14, 2020
The New York-based Innocence Project and Cincinnati law firm Gerhardstein & Branch have negotiated a settlement with the City of Cincinnati for an unprecedented audit of Cincinnati Police Department’s (CPD) DNA-based homicide cases. read more
Genetic Genealogy Think Tank Proposes a Streamlined Approach for the Future
September 14, 2020
Investigative genetic genealogy (IGG) has officially outgrown its box, and a new team of experts is ready to work with the forensic community to advance IGG from the “OMG Era” to the “Investigative Intelligence Era.” read more
Team Develops Liquid Crystals for Forgery, Counterfeiting Prevention
September 14, 2020
A research team in Korea has developed a material that may potentially replace color shifting ink in prevention of forgery of bank notes, ID cards, and so on. read more
Researchers Pull eDNA From 0.2 Grams of Sediment
September 11, 2020
Researchers have developed a new technique to tease ancient DNA from soil, pulling the genomes of hundreds of animals and thousands of plants—many of them long extinct—from less than a gram of sediment. read more
Using Plants’ Spectral Signal to Detect Human Remains
September 11, 2020
Imagine: researchers deploy a drone that has been configured to scan plants for specific fluorescence or reflectance signals that indicate human remains. In less than an hour, the wide-searching drone has detected an uncommon signal, pointing the forensic team right to the cadaver. read more
Smithosonian's David Hunt Honored for Help Finding Missing Children
September 11, 2020
David Hunt voluntarily shares his skills, experience and enthusiasm for teaching with the dedicated team at National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). read more
Latent Fingerprint Specialist Breaks Open 20-Year-Old Sexual Assault Case
September 11, 2020
DNA, fingerprints, a silver gun and a bizarre Facebook tirade led them to a man suspected of sexually attacking a woman nearly 20 years ago, Tampa police said. read more
FBI Approves Thermo Fisher Scientific’s Rapid DNA Solution for National DNA Index System
September 11, 2020
The U.S. FBI has approved Thermo Fisher Scientific’s Applied Biosystems RapidHIT ID System for use by accredited forensic DNA laboratories to process DNA reference samples and search resulting profiles against the U.S. National DNA Index System (NDIS) CODIS database without manual interpretation and review. read more
Bringing 911 to the Next Generation
September 09, 2020
In the last two decades, mobile communications has expanded to include text, video, and a myriad of other applications. It makes sense that emergency communications systems such as Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG911) would expand to adopt the same technologies. read more
Forensic Genomics Journal Accepting First Submissions, Editor Says the ‘Time is Right’
September 09, 2020
Forensic Genomics, a new peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., is now open for submissions, welcoming research and knowledge from multiple disciplines, professions, methodologies and paradigms. read more
Hot Desert, Cold Cases Series Investigates Murder of Couple
September 09, 2020
"This is a case that haunts me," Lieutenant Lois Weiss said. "It still makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up." read more
The Oldest Neanderthal DNA of Central-eastern Europe
September 09, 2020
Neanderthal remains associated with the Micoquian cultural tradition are very few and genetic information has only been extracted from samples of Germany, Northern Caucasus and Altai. read more
Sexual Assault Kit Task Force in Cleveand Eclipses 800 Defendants Indicted
September 09, 2020
The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office Sexual Assault Kit Task Force has eclipsed 800 defendants indicted, the highest number of any SAKTF in the country, since its commencement in 2013. read more
NYC’s New Sex Crimes Chief is a Forensic Nurse
September 07, 2020
The new head of New York City’s sex crimes unit is not only a veteran police investigator, but also a forensic nurse who has conducted the physical exams and evidence collection vital to solving such cases. read more
Microsoft’s 'Defending Democracy Program' Takes New Steps to Combat Deepfakes
September 07, 2020
Microsoft has announced two new technologies to combat disinformation, new work to help educate the public about the problem, and partnerships to help advance these technologies and educational efforts quickly. read more
Florida International University Launches Digital Forensics Professional Program
September 07, 2020
FIU recently sat down with Matt Ruddell to learn more about digital forensics, the university's new Digital Forensics Professional Program and his role at FIU. read more
Skull Found in June Linked to Partial Remains Found in February
September 07, 2020
Dental records have helped confirm the identification of a skull found in June, and linked it to partial remains found in February that were identified through DNA as Garrett Wilson. read more