Podcast
Questions and Answers
In forensic science, what is the primary significance of a forensic association, such as a fingerprint match or DNA profile?
In forensic science, what is the primary significance of a forensic association, such as a fingerprint match or DNA profile?
- Estimating the cost of damages incurred during the crime.
- Determining the emotional state of the victim.
- Establishing a timeline of events at the crime scene.
- Individualization, linking evidence uniquely to a source. (correct)
The Locard Exchange Principle states every contact leaves a trace. How does this principle primarily aid forensic investigations?
The Locard Exchange Principle states every contact leaves a trace. How does this principle primarily aid forensic investigations?
- By ensuring that all evidence is immediately visible to investigators.
- By providing a direct link between the victim and the perpetrator.
- By suggesting that investigators should focus on digital evidence first.
- By suggesting that any interaction can transfer trace evidence. (correct)
How does understanding livor mortis aid in a death investigation?
How does understanding livor mortis aid in a death investigation?
- It can pinpoint the exact time of death with high precision.
- It can identify the murder weapon based on skin discoloration.
- It reveals the cause of death by indicating internal injuries.
- It helps determine if a body has been moved after death. (correct)
Which of the following is the correct order of system shutdown after death, reflecting the body's transition from life to decomposition?
Which of the following is the correct order of system shutdown after death, reflecting the body's transition from life to decomposition?
Why is analyzing stomach content important in forensic investigations related to determining the time of death?
Why is analyzing stomach content important in forensic investigations related to determining the time of death?
How do environmental factors influence the accuracy of rigor, livor, and algor mortis in estimating the time of death?
How do environmental factors influence the accuracy of rigor, livor, and algor mortis in estimating the time of death?
When assessing a bloodstain pattern, which factor is most critical in determining the direction and angle of impact of the blood droplets?
When assessing a bloodstain pattern, which factor is most critical in determining the direction and angle of impact of the blood droplets?
What is the primary difference between a 'wipe' and a 'swipe' pattern in bloodstain analysis, and how does this distinction aid in crime scene reconstruction?
What is the primary difference between a 'wipe' and a 'swipe' pattern in bloodstain analysis, and how does this distinction aid in crime scene reconstruction?
In the context of forensic science, how does the concept of 'persistence' affect the interpretation of trace evidence found at a crime scene?
In the context of forensic science, how does the concept of 'persistence' affect the interpretation of trace evidence found at a crime scene?
What distinguishes 'class' characteristics from 'individual' characteristics in forensic evidence analysis, and why is this distinction crucial?
What distinguishes 'class' characteristics from 'individual' characteristics in forensic evidence analysis, and why is this distinction crucial?
What is the role of gas chromatography in forensic toxicology, and how does it aid in identifying unknown substances?
What is the role of gas chromatography in forensic toxicology, and how does it aid in identifying unknown substances?
In firearm identification, what is the significance of striations on a bullet, and how do they contribute to linking a bullet to a specific firearm?
In firearm identification, what is the significance of striations on a bullet, and how do they contribute to linking a bullet to a specific firearm?
When analyzing fingerprints, what is the role of Level 2 analysis, and what types of details are examined at this level?
When analyzing fingerprints, what is the role of Level 2 analysis, and what types of details are examined at this level?
How does an expert witness contribute to a court case, and what qualifications must they possess to provide credible testimony?
How does an expert witness contribute to a court case, and what qualifications must they possess to provide credible testimony?
What is the forensic diamond, and how does it help investigators understand the relationships between elements of a crime?
What is the forensic diamond, and how does it help investigators understand the relationships between elements of a crime?
Flashcards
Forensic science
Forensic science
Any science used in the court of law
Criminalistics
Criminalistics
The application of science to a crime scene
CSI Effect
CSI Effect
The demand for an unrealistic standard of evidence by the jury
Expert witness
Expert witness
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What do toxicologists analyze?
What do toxicologists analyze?
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Key to Forensic Science
Key to Forensic Science
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Locard Exchange Principle
Locard Exchange Principle
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Forensic diamond
Forensic diamond
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Manner of death
Manner of death
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Nature of death
Nature of death
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Rigor mortis
Rigor mortis
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Livor mortis
Livor mortis
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Algor mortis
Algor mortis
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Class
Class
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Individualization
Individualization
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Study Notes
- Forensic science is any science used in the court of law
- Criminalistics is the application of science to a crime scene
- The CSI Effect describes the demand for an unrealistic standard of evidence by the jury
- Penny Parker, 15, went missing in 1977 while on her paper route. She was found dead 3 days later. In 2002, DNA from Don Jenning's daughter solved the case
- STR DNA profiling was the forensic technique used to solve Penny Parker's murder
- An expert witness is someone who has knowledge, skill, education, experience, or training in a specialized field
- Toxicologists analyze blood, tissue, urine, and tissue for narcotics
- The significance of a forensic association is the key to forensic science through individualization
- Locard's Exchange Principle states that every contact leaves a trace
- The forensic diamond is a visual representation of the connection between victim, suspect, evidence, and crime scene
- Manner of death is the disease or injury (physical condition) that results in death
- Nature of death explains how the cause of death arose
- Rigor mortis is the process of relaxation, stiffening, and then relaxation again of the muscles that occurs after death
- The time estimates for rigor mortis is onset: immediate, Manifest: 1-6 hours, Maximum: 6-24 hours, Diminishes: 12-36 hours
- During rigor mortis, muscles continue to metabolize glycogen until ATP locks down muscle fibers until it breaks down
- Livor mortis is when blood settles to the lowest part of the body
- Livor mortis is useful in determining if a body has been repositioned after death
- Algor mortis is the cooling of the body after death
- Rigor, livor, and algor mortis are poor indicators for time of death because body makeups, environmental factors, clothing, victim size, and activity prior to death can affect these processes
- The order of shutdown after death is the respiratory system, circulatory system, central nervous system, and cellular metabolic pathways which leads to cell death/decomposition
- Decomposition starts internally
- Stomach content is important, because, the degree of digestion can estimate time of death
- Vitreous potassium is intracellular fluid in the eye
- Autolysis is a natural process by which digestive enzymes within the body cell break down carbs/protein
- Purification is the major component of decomposition, which is the breakdown of proteins due to bacterial/fungal activity
- There were 4 victims in the Yosemite murder case
- Casey Stainer was the Yosemite murderer
- The triers-of-fact in court are the judge and jury
- Real evidence is recovered from a crime scene
- Demonstrated evidence is created later
- Conditions that affect transfer of evidence include the pressure applied during contact, number of contacts, how easily the item transfers, form of evidence, and how much of the item is involved in the crime scene
- Persistence is the principle that after transfer evidence will remain until it transfers, degrades, or is collected as evidence
- Identity is the examination of the chemical/physical properties of an object (categorization to a group e.g. shoe)
- Class is a flexible definition used to further subcategorize within a group (e.g. children's shoe)
- Individualization is when an object classifies into a group with only one member (itself, e.g. Matt Wood's shoe)
- Known evidence comes from a defined source
- Questioned evidence is evidence where the original source is unknown
- A false positive is a test result which incorrectly indicates that a particular condition or attribute is present (negative control)
- A false negative is a test result which incorrectly indicates that a particular condition or attribute is absent (positive control)
- Type 1 error is a false positive, negative control
- Type 2 error is a false negative, positive control
- The three classes of bloodstains are passive/gravity, spattered, and altered
- A wipe stain (altered) is created when a clean object moves through wet bloodstain
- Skeletonized stains (altered) are bloodstains that consist of a darkened outer peripheral rim with the central portion smeared (wipe)
- A swipe (altered) is the transfer of blood onto a target by a moving object that is blood-stained
- A void (altered) is the absence of blood in an otherwise continuous bloodstain pattern that suggests an intermediate target
- The angle, distance, speed, and surface affect the shape of a blood drop
- The no body homicide case in YOLO county was solved by calculating the amount of blood lost using the bloodstains under the carpet
- Common methods for personal identification include knowledge based, token, and biometric
- The first principle of fingerprint analysis is that no two fingerprints have been found to be the same
- The second principle of fingerprint analysis is that fingerprints will remain the same over a lifetime
- The third principle of fingerprint analysis is that fingerprints have general ridge patterns that allow them to be classified (minutiae)
- The three classes of fingerprints are loop, arch, and whorl
- The least common class of fingerprint is the arch
- A latent fingerprint is an invisible print made by the deposit of oil/perspiration
- A plastic fingerprint is a fingerprint impressed into soft surfaces
- A visible/patent fingerprint is a fingerprint made by the deposit of a visible material
- IAFIS is an integrated automated fingerprint system, a database to compare fingerprints
- Level 1 fingerprint analysis involves pattern configuration and ridge flow
- Level 2 fingerprint analysis involves minutiae and combinations
- Level 3 fingerprint analysis is all attributes combined
- Striations are marks present on a bullet
- Breech face marks, firing pin impressions are marks present on a bullet cartridge
- Firearm identification is based on manufacturing results in random imperfections so that no two barrels in a gun are alike
- Paint chips, plant material (hackberry), liver mortis in calf, and upside-down socks trace evidence was used to determine that the hanging case was not a suicide
- Gas chromatography separates mixtures into individual chemicals
- Headspace analysis measures the chemicals volatilized in the air above a sample
- Blood is a direct measurement of BAC
- Retrograde extrapolation is the rate at which alcohol is metabolized in the body
- The three classifications of poisons are elemental, small molecule, and protein
- VX nerve gas was the chemical used to poison Kim-Jong Nam
- The three stages of hair growth are anagen, catagen, and telogen
- The hair shaft is made up of the cuticle, cortex, and medulla
- The follicular tab part of hair is full of DNA
- The only use of the analysis of the morphology of hair is exclusion
- Microscopy can provide comparison of features such as distribution, color, and shape of pigment granules (hair)
- A compound microscope passes light through the sample, while a stereoscopic microscope reflects light off the sample/offers greater working distance
- A microspectrophotometer is used for analyze the comparison between matter and light (CHEMICAL ANALYSIS)
- A scanning electron microscope (SEM) uses electrons
- The proper way to collect biological evidence at a crime scene is to document thoroughly, package items separately after allowing them to air dry, use paper, and document the chain of custody
- Biological evidence is stored frozen in paper bags
- ALS stands for Alternative Light Source
- In situ documentation is documenting evidence where it exists
- Ex situ documentation is documenting evidence before beginning analysis
- The Kastle-Meyer (presumptive) test tests for the presence of blood (peroxidase activity)
- Kastle-Meyer reagent and hydrogen peroxide are the chemicals involved in the Kastle-Meyer test
- Heterozygous genes mean that an organism has two different alleles of a gene
- Homozygous genes mean that an organism has two of the same alleles of a gene
- CODIS is the FBI DNA database
- The Colin Pitchfork case was significant, because, it was the first time DNA polymorphisms was used to convict somebody
- STR analysis was the analysis technique used in the Qunisha Thomas case
- VNTRs requires a lot of sample and labor intensive
- STRs takes very little sample because it can be amplified using PCR
- The product rule is used in forensic DNA to determine the likelihood of that profile in the world population
- STR is the instrument used to amplify DNA
- ABO blood typing analysis provides exclusion in the forensic context
- Oleandrin is the toxin found in oleander, and affects sodium/potassium level in the body (HEART)
- All parts of the oleander are toxic
- Clinical signs of oleander poisoning include Diarrhea, depression, anxiety, excess salivation, heart arrhythmias, kidney failure
- Liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry are the analytic instruments used in detecting toxins
- Blue-green algae are a type of bacteria called Cyanobacteria
- Microcystin is a toxin produced by microcystin algae
- Microcystin inhibits enzyme activity which causes hepatic hemorrhage/necrosis to the liver
- Melamine/cyanuric acid were the two chemicals combined that caused renal failure in the pet food recall of 2007
- A coroner is an expert in taking apart bodies/is appointed while a medical examiner has a medical degree
- Abrasions are scrapes (premortem: dark red, postmortem: pale yellow)
- Contusions are bruises/bleeding under the skin (can take a while to show up)
- Death certificates provide Legal/epidemiological uses
- Types of death that require investigation include Sudden, violent, public health risks, illicit drug use, physician not present, environmental, pregnancy, therapy, operation, and in captivity
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