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Team to Triple Size of Forensic Database of Mitochondrial DNA
September 18, 2023
The National Institute of Justice has awarded a team of researchers from Penn State $770,000 to sequence the mitochondrial genomes of 10,000 Pennsylvanians. This will more than triple the size of the existing database. read more
DNA Reveals Native American Ancestry, Leads to John Doe's Family
September 18, 2023
After a half-century, an unidentified man found in the Spokane River has been identified as Bruce Frank Sherman, a member of the Ojibwe Tribe from Deer River Minnesota. read more
Mummified Remains Found in 2000 Identified
September 18, 2023
The body was discovered on September 15, 2000, in Long Lake Regional Park in New Brighton. She had been outdoors for several months, resulting in the mummification of her remains. read more
Experts: Inappropriate for Officers to Take a Photo with Escaped Murderer After Catching Him
September 18, 2023
A group photo of about two dozen officers in tactical gear posing with escaped murderer Danelo Cavalcante minutes after his capture last week in southeastern Pennsylvania drew criticism from policing reform advocates and some members of the public. read more
The Growing Field of Firearms Audio Forensics
September 15, 2023
Can you match a gun that was allegedly used in a crime to an audio recording from the crime scene of a gun being fired. Robert Maher's initial reaction was, “I really don’t think that is possible.” read more
Suspect Arrested After Victim Asks to Reopen Cold Case
September 15, 2023
The case was reopened after the victim observed the 2015 press conference awarding the Fayetteville Police Department the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s FY2016 National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Grant. read more
Skeletonized Remains with Gunshot Wound Identified after 3 Years
September 15, 2023
They found a young man, mostly skeletonized, lying face-down. The PMI was estimated at 2 weeks to a month and the cause of death was determined to be a gunshot wound. read more
$31 Million in Grants for South Carolina Victims’ Services Groups
September 15, 2023
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced that groups that help crime victims across South Carolina will soon be getting more than $31 million in federal and state grants. read more
Professor Working on a Faster, More Effective Breathalyzer for THC
September 15, 2023
Emanuele Alves is developing a device that could offer results within minutes and reduce false positives. read more
Suspect Confesses to 1994 Murder Hours After Police Visit
September 13, 2023
In a series of unusual happenings, cold case detectives from the Fairfax County Police Department (Virginia) have obtained a full confession from the prime suspect in the brutal 1994 murder of a 37-year-old mother. read more
Genealogy Identifies Army Vet Shot to Death in 1996
September 13, 2023
The man's cause of death was determined to be a gunshot wound to the head. Despite investigators multiple attempts to identity the man, his identity remained a mystery. read more
Hawaiian Researchers Working to Identify Unmarked Burials
September 13, 2023
Work to identify unmarked burials—at the invitation of the Saint Damien Burial Council on Moloka?i—will be ramping up, thanks to a $168,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to the University of Hawai?i–West O?ahu. read more
Forensic Science Experts Offer Training, Insight for Rural Practitioners
September 13, 2023
Smaller agencies—like those in rural areas—don't have the resources to get the same level of training on emerging techniques and technologies as those agencies in urban areas. read more
Opioid 25x More Potent than Fentanyl Tied to 20 Overdose Deaths in U.S., UK
September 11, 2023
Recently acquired in vitro pharmacological data shows this emergent novel synthetic opioid—called N-pyrrolidino protonitazene (also protonitazepyne)—is 25x more potent than fentanyl. read more
Two New Identifications Of World Trade Center Victims
September 11, 2023
The man and woman are the 1,648th and 1,649th persons to be identified by the Office of Chief Medical Examiner using advanced DNA testing of remains recovered from the attack that took the lives of 2,753 people. read more
Genetic Genealogy Identifies Dead Suspect in 1978 Rape, Murder of 16-Year-Old
September 11, 2023
Although 1978 DNA testing abilities were limited compared with the testing abilities of today, the samples were believed to contain DNA. However, an analysis could not be completed due to technological limitations. read more
RCMP Releases Sketch of 1984 John Doe in Hopes of a Lead
September 11, 2023
While the cause of death is unknown, it was estimated to have occurred between 1964 and 1974. Police suspect that the remains were submerged in Kusawa Lake or the Takhini River for a period of time prior to discovery. read more
Canadian Study: Commercialization of Cannabis Linked to Increased Traffic Injuries
September 11, 2023
Annual rates of emergency department visits for cannabis-involved traffic injury increased by 475 percent over 13 years, according to a new study from The Ottawa Hospital. read more
CFSRE Secures New State-of-the-Art Facility Amid Like-minded Companies
September 11, 2023
In January, the CFSRE will move into a new state of the art facility in suburban Philadelphia that will accommodate the growing scope and scale of its mission to educate, train and conduct research. read more
DNA Links Chagga Man to Skull Pillaged by Germans 100 Years Ago
September 08, 2023
Scientists in Germany and Rwanda have genetically linked a roughly 120-year-old skull to a male living today. The deceased individual was a high-ranking advisor to Mangi Meli, the king of the Chagga people in the late-1800s. read more