Author Profile

Private Equity Firm to Acquire Ancestry for Nearly $5 Billion
August 18, 2020
Earlier this month, private equity funds managed by Blackstone reached a definitive agreement to acquire Ancestry from Silver Lake, GIC, Spectrum Equity, Permira, and other equity holders for a total enterprise value of $4.7 billion. read more
FEMA Gives Nearly $8 M to the Puerto Rico Forensic Science Institute to Repair Damage
August 17, 2020
Puerto Rico’s recovery from Hurricane María continues with FEMA’s obligation of over $7.6 million for the Forensic Science Institute, known as the ICF in Spanish. read more
'Jigsaw Puzzle’ Software Developed by Archaeologists Could be Used on Modern Crime Scenes
August 17, 2020
Software pioneered by the University of Bradford and used to piece together bone fragments from one of the UK’s oldest archaeological sites could be used on modern crime scenes. read more
Researchers One Step Closer to Bomb-sniffing Cyborg Locusts
August 17, 2020
If you want to enhance a locust to be used as a bomb-sniffing bug, there are a few technical challenges that need solving before sending it into the field. For that matter, can locusts even smell explosives? read more
Serial Rape Cases From 1991, 1992, Solved by Identifinders
August 17, 2020
Young was identified using investigative genetic genealogy funded through a $1.2 M grant to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office by the Bureau of Justice Assistance Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) program. read more
Shooting Reconstruction and Response Time Considerations: A Brief Literature Review
August 17, 2020
Shooting incidents are dynamic and occur quick. They are rooted just as deeply in neuropsychology as they are in ballistic physics, more specifically in the actions of mental chronometry. read more
Austin to Remove Forensics Lab from Police Oversight
August 14, 2020
The City of Austin has chosen to remove the troubled forensics laboratory from under the control of the Austin Police Department as part of its City-Community Reimagining Task Force. read more
Research Explains How Innocent People’s Clothing Fibers End Up at Crime Scenes
August 14, 2020
Establishing textile fiber links is only half the battle for forensic scientists working on criminal cases. What is equally, if not more, important, is to work out how the fibers actually got there in the first place. read more
Body Found in Lake in 1994 Has Finally Been Identified
August 14, 2020
Usually, one match is not enough to point to a single person. However, this match had included another clue in their public database profile. read more
DOJ Awards Over $1 M in Forensic Grants to Aid Wyoming Investigators
August 14, 2020
The Department of Justice has awarded more than $1 million in forensic grants to help Wyoming officials protect citizens from dangerous drugs, sexual perpetrators and violent criminals. read more
Police, Strike Force Aim to Dispose of 300 Guns in Utah
August 14, 2020
Two law enforcement agencies in Utah are looking to dispose of more than 300 guns accumulating in evidence storage that either went unclaimed or are no longer needed in criminal investigations. read more
Anthropologists Rip Ancestry Estimates as Unscientific, Racist
August 12, 2020
In a letter addressed to the forensic anthropology community, two university anthropologists call for an immediate moratorium on the use of morphoscopic cranial traits in the estimation of ancestry, claiming the traits are not grounded in science and only serve to promote the debunked biological race concept. read more
ISP Further Reduces Backlog by 30%
August 12, 2020
During FY20, biology submissions were up by 9% from the previous fiscal year, and ISP completed nearly 16,000 biology assignments within the laboratory system, reducing that backlog by at least 30%. read more
Veterinary Pathologist Tapped to Lead Penn State's Forensic Science Program
August 12, 2020
Jason Brooks has advanced training in forensic pathology and crime scene analysis, and he routinely assists law enforcement with animal cruelty investigations. read more
Police ID Teen’s Remains Found in Virginia Landfill in 1986
August 12, 2020
Using a DNA sample extracted by DNA Labs International, Parabon produced Snapshot trait predictions for the unknown woman. read more
Cyber Forensics Student: The World Needs Women in Cybersecurity
August 12, 2020
Yansi Keim, a cyber forensics doctoral student at Purdue, shares her best advice, including her own professional cybersecurity recommendations and personal advice from her uncle. read more
New Stats Model Strengthens Accuracy of Footwear Evidence
August 10, 2020
The researchers found their models more successfully fit the location of accidentals on shoes than current models—and it did so quicker. read more
Australia Launches First National DNA Program to Name Unidentified Human Remains
August 10, 2020
The National DNA Program for Unidentified and Missing Persons will harness modern forensic techniques to allow the advanced DNA profiling and matching of unidentified human remains and missing persons. read more
DNA Evidence Leads to Arrest of Woman for Her Baby’s 1988 Killing
August 10, 2020
A California woman has been arrested in the death of her newborn boy 32 years ago in the Bay Area, in a case that was solved decades later because of genetic genealogy. read more
Problem Gambling and Crime Appear Co-symptomatic, Not Causal
August 10, 2020
New research from a University at Buffalo sociologist is providing valuable insight into better understanding the association between criminal behaviors and problem gambling. read more