Michelle Taylor

Editor-in-Chief

Forensic

Michelle Taylor has worked on the Forensic brand since 2016. Well established in the industry, Michelle has attended dozens of scientific conferences and conducted interviews with key opinion leaders, including multiple Nobel Prize winners and award-winning forensic scientists. Michelle enjoys writing about investigative forensic genetic genealogy, novel psychoactive substances, next-generation sequencing, sexual assault kits and more. Michelle received her BA in journalism from Elon University in North Carolina. Michelle can be reached at [email protected] Michelle can be reached at [email protected]

2022’s DNA Hit of the Year Program Reflects on Database Loopholes
May 13, 2022
“Sarah’s case could have been solved decades earlier if Washington state had stronger DNA policies in place. Why aren’t they in place? Shouldn’t the state do what they can to utilize the full potential of DNA to solve crime, prevent crime and exonerate the innocent?” read more
AI Uses Historical Examples to ID Possible Corrupt Cops
May 11, 2022
Researchers used insights from three known cases of police corruption to create a statistical model to identify possible crews of officers engaging in misconduct and criminal behavior. read more
New York Court Shuts Down Familial DNA Matching
May 09, 2022
Just a year and a half after Bronx investigators used familial DNA for the first time to arrest a man for the 1999 rape and murder of a 13-year-old girl, an appeals court halted the use of the technique. read more
Chicago Police Launch Video Series on Cold Case Homicides
May 06, 2022
Each episode will focus on a cold case killing, and will feature testimonials from the victim’s family members as well as a CPD detective who recounts the specifics of the case. read more
John Ramsey Slams Local Police, Wants Daughter’s Case Moved Out of Boulder
May 04, 2022
After criticizing the Boulder (Colorado) Police Department (BPD) of “pride” and “ego,” John Ramsey, father of JonBenet Ramsey, threw his support behind a petition that asks the governor of Colorado to take the case out of the hands of BPD. read more
ICYMI: Emergent Synthetic Stimulant Replacing Drug Sold as Ecstasy, Molly
May 02, 2022
N,N-Dimethylpentylone was first identified in toxicology samples in the U.S. in late-2021. To date, N,N-dimethylpentylone has been identified in 32 toxicology cases, including 26 postmortem. read more
Shifting Attention to the Nation’s Sexual Assault Epidemic
April 29, 2022
In recognition of the end of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, let’s take a look at some recent sexual assault news and investigations. read more
Study: Firearms Now Number 1 Cause of Death for Children
April 25, 2022
In the U.S., gun violence now kills more children under 19 than any other cause. According to the study data, gun-related deaths in children surpassed deaths caused by motor vehicle collisions beginning in 2019. read more
The Fifth Victim of the Happy Face Killer Finally Gets Her Name Back
April 20, 2022
On April 13, 2022—29 years after her murder— the DNA Doe Project (DDP) and cold case detectives at the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Department identified the once-unknown woman as Patricia Skiple. read more
Study: Muscled Bodies Do Not Bias Eyewitness Identification
April 18, 2022
There has been story after story of how DNA found on a murder weapon or at the scene of the crime proves the innocence of an incarcerated person. Those stories typically have a common thread: the guilty verdict hinged on an eyewitness account. read more
Study Confirms Success of Geoelectrical Methods in Search for Hidden Graves
April 13, 2022
Doro and his team worked to validate a method based on electrical resistivity, a measure of how strongly a material opposes the flow of electric current, in combination with ground-penetrating radar. read more
Nasal Naloxone Not as Effective as Injected, But Key to Friend Overdose Rescue
April 11, 2022
The researchers’ study of 201 patients is the world's first trial of a commercially available and medically approved nasal naloxone spray in real cases of heroin overdose. read more
Genealogy Helps ID Once-escaped Convict as I-65 Killer
April 06, 2022
Through the use of genetic genealogy, well-preserved evidence, and the unending cooperation of the sole surviving victim, the Indiana State Police (ISP) have now linked an Iowa man to the murder of three motel clerks and the sexual assault of a fourth in Indiana and Kentucky from 1987 through 1990. read more
83 Bipartisan Representatives Ask for Clemency in Lucio Case
April 04, 2022
“She was convicted based on discredited forensics and the testimony of a medical examiner who didn’t follow protocol and put another innocent person in prison just two months after.” read more
EXCLUSIVE: Brand New Deterministic Software Can Deconvolute a DNA Mixture in Seconds
March 29, 2022
In groundbreaking work that has the potential to completely upend forensic DNA analysis, a particle physicist has developed technology that can deconvolute a DNA mixture of up to 8 people in less than one minute—in a deterministic manner. read more
Study: Blow Flies can be Used to Detect Chemical Warfare Agents
March 28, 2022
In the midst of a war in Europe, forensic and chemical researchers at Indiana University (IUPUI) have discovered another way to utilize blow flies—as chemical sensors with a focus on the detection of chemical warfare agents. read more
Indiana Passes Bill Requiring Biological Evidence Preservation
March 23, 2022
Before last week, Indiana was one of only 15 states in the U.S. without an evidence preservation law, leaving the decision on how long to preserve biological evidence completely up to law enforcement agencies, court clerks, hospitals and more. read more
Q&A: How Dental Tech Upgrades Can Help Victim Identification
March 21, 2022
Forensic odontologist Line Staun Larsen recently received a grant worth 2 million in Danish Krone—about $300,000 USD—to examine whether 3D data from dental records can make the identification of victims more effective, especially those involved in major or mass disasters. read more
‘Drug Checking’ Could Become Common as Opioid Crisis Worsens
March 16, 2022
Rapid detection strips fall into the broader category of “drug checking,” which uses simple identification methods to tell drug users exactly what is in the drugs they plan to take. read more
Rape Victim Sues After DNA Used to Self-incriminate in Unrelated Case
March 14, 2022
The woman whose DNA from a sexual assault kit was used by San Francisco police to arrest her in an unrelated property crime six years later plans to sue the city. Three days earlier, San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin and California State Senator Scott Wiener announced legislation to ensure this invasion of privacy never occurs again. read more