Author Profile

Galveston County Medical Examiner’s Office Partners with Othram to ID Remains Found on Beach
July 31, 2020
The Galveston Police Department has not been able to establish an ID from fingerprints and the decedent doesn’t match any record for missing persons. read more
Sexual Lubricant Survey, Database Seek to Understand Needs of Forensic Community
July 29, 2020
The primary goal of the database is to provide the community with a resource for analyzing sexual lubricants in sexual assault cases. read more
Is it Hemp or Marijuana? Achieving Accurate THC, CBD Measurements
July 29, 2020
NIST has launched a program to help laboratories accurately measure key chemical compounds in marijuana, hemp and other cannabis products including oils, edibles, tinctures and balms. read more
AAFS Publishes New Probabilistic Genotyping Standard
July 29, 2020
This standard was produced through ASB's DNA Consensus Body and sets requirements to be used by laboratories for the validation of probabilistic genotyping systems related to interpreting autosomal STR results. read more
Skull Recovered from Mississippi River Bank
July 29, 2020
A human skull recovered from the Mississippi River bank in Natchez is being sent to the state crime lab for forensic analysis. read more
2,500-year-old DNA Confirms Existence of Amazon Warrior Women
July 29, 2020
According to cutting-edge DNA analysis, the body actually belongs to a female, confirming Herodotus’ 2,500-year-old accounts of the Amazons, previously considered mythical. read more
Bio-crime and COVID-19
July 27, 2020
The global harm caused through COVID-19 provides extortion and terrorist opportunities for those able to synthesize and release new potentially catastrophic viruses or claim they can do so. read more
Florida County's Sheriff's Office, Othram to Use Forensic Genealogy to ID Hiker Remains
July 27, 2020
Nearly two years ago, July 23rd, 2018, two hikers found a deceased male hiker in a tent at the Big Cypress National Preserve in Collier County, Florida. read more
No Honor Among Cyber Thieves
July 27, 2020
A backstabbing crime boss and thousands of people looking for free tutorials on hacking and identity theft were two findings of a study examining user activity on two online "carding forums," illegal sites that specialize in stolen credit card information. read more
Study: Legal Marijuana May be Slowing Reductions in Teen Marijuana Use
July 27, 2020
The longitudinal study of more than 230 teens and young adults finds that teens may be more likely to use marijuana following legalization than they otherwise would have been. read more
Bill Questions Proprietary Algorithms Used in Probabilistic Genotyping Software
July 27, 2020
A new bill brought forward by Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., is making the legality of using proprietary forensic software to unravel complex DNA mixtures just that—complex. read more
Forensic Grad Student's Unique Internship with Police Department
July 24, 2020
Her internship enables her to follow cases from start to finish, accompanying crime scene technicians and exploring topics such as ballistics, evidence processing, and computer crimes. read more
Study: Publicizing Police Killings of Unarmed Black People Causes Emotional Trauma
July 24, 2020
A majority of college students of color show symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder after watching social media videos of unarmed Black men being killed by police, a Rutgers study finds. read more
Study of U.S Mass Shootings, Firearms Homicides Suggests Two-pronged Policy Approach
July 24, 2020
The study found mass shootings occur disproportionately in states with higher levels of gun ownership, while rates of firearms homicides are higher in states with permissive concealed carry policies. read more
DNA Analysis Fails to ID 1944 Circus Fire Victims
July 24, 2020
Due to the condition of the remains, there was a high bacterial content that interfered with testing. Samples will be retained in the event that future techniques are developed that would be successful. read more
Two Security Breaches at GEDmatch Open All Users’ Profiles to Law Enforcement
July 23, 2020
On Sunday, July 19, GEDmatch experienced a security breach on one of the servers through an existing user account. The breach reset all user permissions, making all profiles visible to others for approximately 3 hours. read more
Forensic Pathologists in a Pandemic: Operational, Occupational and Legal Challenges
July 22, 2020
This paper discusses how the work of forensic pathologists dealing with deceased bodies has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic so far. read more
33-Year-Old Latent Prints, Cigarette Butts Key to Solving Cold Case Murder
July 22, 2020
At the time of the murder, agents collected cigarette butts from the crime scene, along with latent prints. A DNA profile was developed from one of the cigarette butts, however the case eventually went cold. read more
Students Present at INTERPOL Digital Forensics Expert Conference
July 22, 2020
The students presented their research recently as part of the virtual INTERPOL Digital Forensics Expert Group (DFEG) conference, sharing their findings with hundreds of industry professionals from around the globe. read more
Maryland University Launches Master of Science in Forensic Pattern Analysis Program
July 22, 2020
The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that there will be more than 2,400 positions in forensic science by 2028, an increase of 14% compared to the number of positions today. read more