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Genetic Genealogy Solves 1987 Homicide with Record Low Amount of DNA
The Wood homicide was considered high risk for FGG, considering that the only DNA sample available consisted of two tubes of dried blood. The original amount of DNA was unknown, and the condition of the sample was shown to be highly degraded, read more
State Forensics Lab Planned for Southeast Alabama
The Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences plans to open a new state laboratory in southeast Alabama that will conduct testing to help combat opioids and other drugs in the region. read more
California Appeals Court Affirms Scientific Community’s Acceptance of STRmix
The California Court of Appeals has affirmed a lower court decision in the murder conviction of Alvin Larry Davis, ruling that DNA evidence produced through the use of STRmix forensic software “is generally accepted as reliable by the relevant scientific community.” read more
Hospital's BoD Steps in to Save SANE Program after Loss of State Grant Funding
Baptist Health Foundation Hardin’s Board of Directors announced that it will provide $121,000 to keep Baptist Health Hardin’s Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE)/Forensic program fully operational despite first-time reductions in state grant funding. read more
Q&A: How Dental Tech Upgrades Can Help Victim Identification
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
Genetic Genealogy IDs Suspect in 1988 Neighbor Killing
This process was so exhaustive, nine family trees were constructed with nearly 1,300 people connected to Robertson either through blood or marriage. read more
Study Reports Error Rates for Bloodstain Pattern Analysis
The error rates from so called “black box” studies like this are critical for the courts to understand the limits of the testimony given by forensic experts. read more
Study: 'We are Coming Up Short’ in Juvenile Justice
A research team tested whether the system affected those it was charged with rehabilitating by following adolescents prior to and after sentencing. read more
Finding Digital Evidence in Wearable Tech
Special Feature
If wearables become essential equipment for a broader swath of the population, it stands to reason that law enforcement officers and digital forensic analysts will start finding wearables as they investigate crimes. read more
‘Drug Checking’ Could Become Common as Opioid Crisis Worsens
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
62 Years Later, 'Little Miss Nobody' is Identified
The Yavapai County Sheriff’s office said Tuesday the previously unidentified little girl whose burned remains were found over 60 years ago in the Arizona desert was 4-year-old Sharon Lee Gallegos of New Mexico. read more
Investigators Exhume Body of 1990 Homicide Victim in Hopes of Generating New Leads
At the Medical Examiner’s Office, the Sussex County Medical Examiner and a New Jersey State Police Anthropologist performed an examination and collected relevant evidence. read more
Non-profit to Help Las Vegas Police with Animal Abuse Cases
Hearts Alive Village has entered into a contract with Clark County to provide forensics veterinary medicine and care for animals who are suspected victims of abuse and neglect, the first non-profit to do so. read more
Counties that Rely on the Courts for Revenue Sentence More Women to Incarceration
In Washington state, many counties have supplemented their revenues through fines, such as traffic citations and court processing fees. Those counties have increased the rate at which they sentence women to jail. read more
Rape Victim Sues After DNA Used to Self-incriminate in Unrelated Case
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 ... read more