We don't intentionally neglect our self-care, but multitasking becomes a routine that can lead to burnout among forensic scientists. Stress has become normalized for the forensic science community, and it's compromising the mental and physical health of women who have a difficult time saying no.
read more
Forensic scientists play a critical role in our criminal justice system. The stakes aren’t just missing a deadline, rather, it comes down to life and death. The takeaways from these described cases highlight critical lessons on the accuracy of forensic DNA analysis.
read more
Nearly 35 years ago, the remains of a young woman were found on the Publicker Distiller property in an underground pump house. Thanks to the use of forensic genealogy and investigative work, Lisa Todd, who was 17-years old and six months pregnant, has been identified.
read more
When she was found, it was determined that Denton had been shot at least once in the head. This case is still considered to be open and further investigations are underway into this murder.
read more
The Senate Public Safety Committee approved legislation that will require the addition of a new online portal to California’s existing rape kit tracking system to allow survivors of sexual assault to anonymously and electronically track and receive updates regarding the status, location and information regarding their rape kit.
read more
The department obtained a DNA sample from the initial crime scene. This sample was submitted for analysis, however, no match was obtained due to limitations in technology at the time.
read more
Researchers analyzed trends in global legal wildlife trade from 1997 to 2016, and revealed that legal wildlife trade averaged $220 billion per year over this period.
read more
As a forensic scientist, how many times have you been frustrated by evidence collected from a crime scene? Be it why or how a sample was collected, decisions made at the crime scene—without a forensic scientist present—are irreversible and end up altering the course of the case.
read more
A criminal defense lawyer claims that officials have withheld information that could reveal “systemic failures” at the state police forensic lab and has filed a lawsuit against Maine for the release of those documents.
read more
Lori Nesson, an honors student at Columbus’ Eastmoor High School, was found deceased on Sept. 28, 1974, on the west side of Reynoldsburg. She had last been seen after a school football game the night before. Constrained by the technology available at the time, the case grew cold.
read more