Forensic Sciences Newsletter

Volume 1, Issue 3 Spring 2009

Chair’s Column: We’re Outta Here!!! The Spring 2009 semester We expect to move from has been a very exciting one. Samson Hall to the Mount Vernon Campus before the Inside this issue: In February, the Department, end of the summer. Dean in conjunction with the GW Peg Barratt of the Columbian Alumni Association, hosted a College of Arts and Sciences well-attended alumni recep- had suggested several new The Chair‘s 1 tion at the American Acad- locations, including the Uni- Column emy of Forensic Sciences versity’s Loudoun Campus at meeting in Denver. A number Ashburn and the Alexandria of current students and Dr. Walter Rowe, Chair, ―The Vern‖ 2 Campus near the King Street alumni presented papers at Metro and Amtrak stations. Forensic Sciences that meeting. Stephanie Houl- grave (who graduated in The Mount Vernon Campus Donors 2 May) probably set a record will be ideal for the Depart- for a professional conference. ment. Its Acheson Science She presented three research Center has a chemistry papers: one in the criminalis- teaching laboratory and a Alumni News 3 tics section and two in the biology teaching laboratory documents section. on the first floor. We will “We expect to share these with the chemis- move from Faculty News 4 On May 16th, the Department try and biological sciences held its annual reception for departments. Sampson Hall to its graduates in the State the Mount Plaza Hotel on F Street. Be- There is a large dry labora- tory on the bottom floor that Vernon Campus FS Mysteries 5 fore the graduates headed will become our instrument before the end Solved - Part 1 over to Funger Hall for the CCAS Celebration, we held laboratory. The large com- puter laboratory on the bot- of the summer” an informal hooding cere- Commencement: 10 mony in which each of the tom floor can be converted The Class of 2009 graduates was hooded by his later into a state-of-the-art Dr. Rowe or her faculty adviser. We computer forensics facility. hope in the future to make a The laboratory space in the formal hooding ceremony Acheson Science Center is part of the reception. currently underutilized so we Commencement was held on would not have to displace Sunday May 17th on the Na- any of the laboratory courses tional Mall in front of the U. S. that are currently taught Capitol. White House Chief of there. The basement of So- Staff Rahm Emanuel gave mers Hall has vacant office the commencement address. space that will be converted There is a collection of pho- into DNA teaching and re- tos of the departmental re- search laboratories, as well ception, the CCAS Celebra- as office space for the entire full-time faculty. The Class of 2009 tion and Commencement on the last page of the newslet- The Mount Vernon Campus Pelham Hall at Mount Vernon ter. has an underground parking campus Page 2 Forensic Sciences Newsletter

We’re Outta Here, con’t garage and a surface park- ment has decided (at long In the last newsletter, the ing lot. Because the campus last) to complete the FEPAC Department announced that it has undergraduate dormito- self-study with the intention of was recruiting a new chair at ries, the University runs applying for FEPAC accredi- the associate or full professor frequent shuttles between tation in the spring of 2010. level. The faculty search con- the Foggy Bottom and Mount tinues and we have inter- Vernon campuses. Alumni can help us with this viewed two promising candi- We’re project. Over the next several dates. A final decision will The Department is also up months we may contact you probably be made by the end for an academic program about your forensic science of June. Moving! review. Because the infor- employment history. We will mation that must be gath- also be asking for recommen- ered for an academic pro- dations about how our degree gram review overlaps with program could better prepare that needed for the self- graduates to work in the fo- study required for FEPAC rensic science field. accreditation, the Depart-

“The Vern”

In 1999, the university acquired the 23-acre Mount Vernon College for Women campus and renamed it The George Washington University at Mount Vernon College. Nicknamed "The Vern," students at this campus are the neighbors of the Embassy of Ger- many in Washington in the Foxhall area. The campus is served by a 24-hour shuttle service known as the "Vern Express." Students have access to the campus facilities, including the library, computer labs, swimming pool, tennis courts, and top-notch recreational facilities. The campus features wireless Internet access, along with catering services from the on-campus dining facility. Restaurants surround the campus within walking distance

Acheson Science Center Mount Vernon Shuttle runs 24 hrs. a day, connecting the campus to Foggy Bottom Donors Like every other educational institution in the country, The George Washington University has more demands for resources than it has revenues to meet them. The Department of Forensic Sciences appreciates donations from its graduates. Thanks to Michael Coble, MFS ‘97, PhD ‘04, Ksenia Nasielski, BA ‘03, MFS ‘06 , Charles Schwab Foundation (Employee Matching Gift Pro- gram) for contributing during the Spring Semester. See our website at www.gwu.edu/~forensic to learn how you too can help. Volume 1, Issue 3 Page 3

Mount Vernon Campus

Chemistry Lab The Dry Lab

Computer Lab Eckles Memorial Library

Alumni News Student News

Tracie E. Smith,BA ‘03, MFS in her work environment. internship at the FBI that I was Jessica Nelson –CSI ‘08, CCE, ‘08 What she loves about the field able to secure through GW‖. received the J. Edgar of digital forensics is that every Hoover Scientific After graduation from GW, case is different, introducing Tracie was hired as a Com- new challenges with each piece Randy Schiefer graduated from Scholarship. It puter Forensic Examiner with carries a $25,000 of media she processes. She the Master Forensic Science the DEA. The laboratory proc- never stop learning. She feels award to be used for esses a wide variety of digital program in 1983. He is retired she is one of the few people further media and provides on-site from the US Air Force and is who can say that they love now the Academic Dean at ITT education imaging support to agents all what they do, and she is grate- over the country. Tracie says Technical Institute in Dayton, ful to GW for giving her this Ohio. that the environment has been opportunity. ―I would not be one that allows her to utilize here without the skills I learned the skills she learned at GW, in the High Technology Crime while furthering her education Investigation program, or the Page 4 Forensic Sciences Newsletter

Faculty News

Daniele Podini - Prof. Podini Academy of Forensic Sciences had two papers presented at in Denver in February. He had Eva Vincze - Professor Vincze the American Academy of Fo- two papers presented at the submitted a proposal to the rensic Sciences annual meeting American Academy of Forensic Technical Support Working in Denver: Sciences meeting in the Ques- Group. TSWG operates as a tioned Documents session: program element under the Daniele S. Podini, Joni Johnson Combating Terrorism Techni- and Ronald Lai, BS, Sabrina N. George Virgin and Walter F. cal Support Office (CTTSO). Walborn and Moses Rowe. ―Looking at How to Differ- Its interagency configuration S.Schanfield. ―Evaluation of the entiate Measurements Used to addresses technical challenges SNPlex Genotyping Test Printing on Documents.‖ to meet requirements across System for Screening Ancestry and the four pillars of combating Phenotype Informative SNPs.” Walter F. Rowe and Stephanie terrorism: antiterrorism, coun- Moore. ―Examination of Blue Gel terterrorism, intelligence sup- Megan E. Van Kirk, Alexandra Inks.” port, and consequence manage- McCary and Daniele S. Podini. ment. The $1.1 million dollar Professor Podini is ―Evolution and Molecular Basis of Professor Rowe also repre- proposal would allow us to working with Microvariant Alleles of the sented the Department at the develop a collaborative, 3D D21S11 Locus.‖ annual meeting of the Mid- virtual training environment in Professor Atlantic Association of Forensic which participants, collect, Ted Robinson - Professor Scientists in Hunt Valley, Mary- evaluate, analyze and exchange Schanfield to work Robinson co-presented with land. information, intelligence and out a design for a student Cristin Pohlig a paper digital data to improve their entitled "Casting Shoeprints in Moses S. Schanfield - Profes- competency to fight cyber- DNA teaching and Sawdust." at the Spring Chesa- sor Schanfield had a paper pre- crime and cyber-terrorism. peake Bay Division- sented at the annual meeting of research laboratory International Association for the American Academy of Fo- Dr. Vincze represented the to be built in the Identification Education Con- rensic Sciences: Department at the Armed ference in Virginia Beach VA, Forces Communications and Department's new March 29-April 3, A group of Daniele S. Podini, Joni Johnson Electronics Association GW students also presented a and Ronald Lai, BS, Sabrina N. (AFCEA) Solutions Series, facility on the Mock Crime Scene Workshop Walborn and Moses S. Schan- Inter-agency, Allied and Coali- Mount Vernon with Professor Robinson, field. ―Evaluation of the SNPlex tion Information Sharing Semi- where they staged a murder, Genotyping System for Screening nar. campus. seeded the crime scene with Ancestry and Phenotype Informa- evidence, and three teams of tive SNPs.” Dr. Vincze also represented four attendees each competed the Department at the Annual to see who could solve the Professor Schanfield presented American Society for Industrial crime first. Students working a paper at the annual American Security Scholarship Awards on the workshop included Association of Physical Anthro- dinner. Brendon Hooke ‗09 Brandon Farley, Alison Shap- pology meeting held in Chicago received two scholarships: One leigh, Liz Lyons, Ashley April 1-4: M.S. Schanfield, S. for academic excellence and Hanchar, Irene Liunoras, Daniel Miller, M. Mount, H.F. Polesky, one for his extensive commu- Sweitzer, Jackie Romero, Dan- R. Castro, H. Ehrlich, U. Eke, S. nity service. ielle Schulz and Felicia Truong. Mack, R.J. Mitchell, K. Melvin, M. H. Crawford. ―Evidence 62nd Annual At the end of the 2009 Spring supporting two centers of popula- Semester, Professor Robinson tion differentiation in East Asia: Scientific Meeting was promoted to Associate Siberia and SE Asia.” Professor. February 22-27, Professor Schanfield is working 2010 Walter Rowe - Professor with Professor Podini to work Rowe represented the Depart- out a design for a DNA teach- Seattle, Washington ment at the annual meetings of ing and research laboratory to the American Society for Test- be built in the Department's ing and Materials (ASTM) Com- new facility on the Mount mittee E30 and the American Vernon campus. Volume 1, Issue 1 Page 5

Forensic Science Solves History’s Mysteries – Part I

Instead of focusing on a single from both ends of the political no longer taught in West Ger- forensic case (as I did in the spectrum. The West German man schools (and unfamiliar to summer and fall 2008 newslet- Bundesarchiv eventually con- the original handwriting exam- ters), I am going to look at how ducted a careful analysis of the iners) and the forger had been forensic science has been em- diaries and branded them mod- able to insinuate many of his ployed to solve historical prob- ern fakes. The bindings con- other forged Hitler writings lems. These run the gamut tained polyester fibers, which among the supposedly known from the authenticity of the were not available until long Hitler writing samples. Hitler diaries to the question of after World War II; the pages what killed Napoleon and his of the notebooks contained an During the investigation of the Adolf Hitler soldiers in Russia; the problems optical brightener that was first Hitler Diaries and the subse- involve the use of document produced only in 1955. Either quent trials of the forger, Kon- examinations, firearm examina- one of these anachronistic rad Kujau, and the journalist, tion, forensic toxicology and features would be sufficient to Gerd Heidemann, who acted as DNA sequencing. conclude that the diaries were the conduit for Stern‘s money The motives for hoaxes. A good general rule (a substantial amount of which The Hitler Diaries and for testing the authenticity of a stuck to his fingers) there were the forgery were Other Forgeries questioned historical document allegations that the diaries were is that an anachronistic feature the product of an East German either to get In the early 1980s the West (be it paper, ink, style of hand- government ―forgery mill.‖ German newsmagazine Stern writing or content) renders the The motives for the forgery hard currency paid ten million marks to pur- document inauthentic. were either to get hard cur- chase sixty volumes of what rency from West Germany or from West was purported to be Adolf The question remains: How did to manipulate West German Hitler‘s handwritten diary – the historians and the hand- public opinion on the issue of Germany or to one that he had supposedly writing experts fail to spot the the deployment of new NATO kept during his years as forgery? The two historians missiles. Although Kujau had manipulate West Reichschancellor. Initially, the initially consulted were also grown up in East Germany, the German public historical content of the vol- allowed only the most cursory notion of an East German gov- umes was examined by two opportunity to examine the ernment forgery plot was dis- opinion on the historians of the Third Reich diaries and they could only missed by most of the media as (noted British historian Hugh judge authenticity by the accu- Cold War paranoia. Then in issue of the Trevor-Roper and Prof. racy of the statements made in 2002 Gerd Heidemann‘s East Gerhard Weinberg). The the diaries. There were no German intelligence service file deployment of handwriting in the volumes was glaring historical errors. In- became available: he had been also compared to supposedly deed, had the diaries proven to recruited by the Stasi in 1953. new NATO known samples of Hitler‘s be authentic they would have He had apparently only become handwriting by three different added little to our understand- an inactive agent in Stasi‘s eyes missiles. handwriting examiners. These ing of World War II; they con- after his conviction in the Dia- initial assessments were hur- tained no startling revelations. ries case. ried because the publishers of The Bundesarchiv examination Stern were anxious to protect of the content of the diaries Ink dating has come up in the their scoop. Other than the identified the specific published examination of many other obvious cheapness of the note- sources that the forger had historical documents. In the books in which the diaries relied upon. The forger had 1920s a young woman named were written (certainly incon- repeated the mistakes of the Dorothy Minor made public a sistent with the stature of the published sources: he had mis- collection of documents relat- leader of Nazi Germany) there dated the passage of a law re- ing to the early life of Abraham were no features that indicated lated to German agriculture Lincoln. The collection con- that the diaries were hoaxes. and he had misread a congratu- sisted of books with marginal And indeed the initial evalua- latory telegram as being to notes supposedly written by tions came down on the side of Hitler rather than from Hitler. Lincoln (a practice not found in authenticity. However, once The handwriting comparisons books from Lincoln‘s library), the existence of the diaries were compromised by two letters between Lincoln and became widely known, charges facts: the handwriting was in a A page from Hitler‘s that they were forgeries flew style of German orthography (cont‘ on next page) alleged diary Page 6 Forensic Sciences Newsletter

Forensic Science Solves History’s Mysteries – Part I (cont’) Ann Rutledge, the young River between New Salem and was the destruction of the woman who was supposedly Springfield). command of Captain William J. the love of Lincoln‘s life, a diary Fetterman in 1866, in what is kept by Matilda Cameron, a Custer and Fetterman: now northern Wyoming. Fet- mutual friend of Lincoln and Two Disasters terman, two other officers, two Rutledge, and notes or memo- civilian employees of the Army randa added to the collection Battlefield archaeology is a and seventy-six enlisted men by Sally Calhoun, a second subcategory of historical ar- had been ambushed and killed mutual friend of Lincoln and chaeology. It uses archaeologi- by a combined force of Sioux, Rutledge to whom the collec- cal artifacts to identify troop Cheyenne and Arapahoe. The General George Custer tion was supposedly entrusted. positions and to reconstruct entire fight had lasted under an The authenticity of the Minor troop movements. In the hour. Unlike the Battle of the Collection (as it came to be 1980s Dr. Douglas Scott, then Little Bighorn there are no called) was vouched for by no an archaeologist with the Na- grave markers to indicate pos- less of a Lincoln authority than tional Park Service, applied the sible troop positions: The re- Carl Sandburg. The Atlantic techniques of forensic firearms mains of Fetterman and his Monthly obtained the publica- examination to fired bullets and men were hastily removed tion rights to the collection and cartridges recovered from the from the battlefield immedi- One of my published a series of articles on Little Bighorn battlefield. The ately after the action. In 2004 it. A young historian named soft lead bullets did not reveal and 2006, a private archaeology graduate Paul Angle made his reputation much beyond the caliber of consulting firm undertook the as a Lincoln scholar by chal- weapon in which they had been mapping and recovery of sur- students at the lenging the authenticity of the fired; they were heavily oxi- face artifacts from the Fetter- Minor Collection in toto. A dized and little microscopic man battlefield. The search of Department of more in-depth analysis of the detail could be seen. Using the field produced expended Minor Collection revealed that firing pin impressions Scott was bullets and cartridges, fired Forensic some of the writings were in able to track the movement of percussion caps and miscellane- green ink, a color not available a single-shot Springfield .45 ous pieces of militaria. One of Sciences and I in common writing inks until caliber carbine over the battle- my graduate students at the the production of aniline dyes field. The most significant of Department of Forensic Sci- undertook the in the 1870s. The paper on Scott‘s findings, however, was ences and I undertook the which many of the documents the large number of repeating examination of the fired bullets examination of was written resembled the rifles (mainly .44 Henry and and cartridge cases. We were flyleaves in old books – not the Winchester repeating rifles) able to identify three sets of the fired bullets common writing papers of the that were used by the Sioux fired .52 caliber Spencer car- early 1800s. Even if the and Cheyenne warriors in the bine cartridges that were fired and cartridge anomalies of the ink and paper 1876 battle. By comparing in the same weapons. The .52 could be explained away, the firing pin impressions on the caliber Spencer carbine was a cases. handwriting and the style and fired .44 caliber cartridges repeating firearm with a re- content of the writings raised a Scott could establish the mini- movable tubular magazine. lot of red flags. The punctua- mum number of repeating rifles Capable of a rate of fire of tion of the Lincoln letters did represented by the assemblage fourteen rounds a minute, the not match authentic Lincoln of expended cartridges. The Spencer had been widely issued letters from the same period Sioux and Cheyenne warriors to Union mounted units during (or any other period, for that had over a hundred repeating the Civil War, and it would matter). Nor did the syntax rifles. On a battlefield seamed continue to be issued to US and general tone of the letters by brush-choked gullies the troops until it was supplanted match Lincoln‘s writing style. Indians would have been able by the 1873 Springfield carbine. There was compelling evidence to work up close to the posi- According to historical sources, that neither Matilda Cameron tions of Custer‘s troopers and Fetterman‘s force had fifty nor Sally Calhoun existed. subject them to a devastating Spencer carbines. As in the Their names did not appear in volume of small arms fire. case of the Battle of the Little family records and the diary Bighorn, the markings on the Spencer cartridges with and memoranda contain geo- Prior to the defeat of Custer expended cartridges were percussion slide marks graphical and historical impossi- and the Seventh Cavalry the used to establish the minimum bilities (such as a steamboat greatest defeat inflicted on the number of Spencer carbines line operating on the Sangamon US Army by the Plains Indians Volume 1, Issue 1 Page 7

Forensic Science Solves History’s Mysteries – Part I (cont’) represented by the expended carcinoma that covered 4/5 of to produce toxic mercury cya- cartridges: Fetterman‘s men the stomach lining. The official nide. Of course, there is no had over sixty Spencer car- verdict was that Napoleon died physical evidence to substanti- bines. The firepower of the of stomach cancer. There ate this scenario. Spencer carbines proved insuf- matters stood until 1955, when ficient to prevent the Indians the memoirs of Louis Mar- A team of toxicologists and from overrunning Fetterman‘s chand, Napoleon‘s valet, were forensic pathologists have de- men. The impression of some published. After reading Mar- veloped another theory of the of the US Army officers who chand‘s description of Napo- cause of Napoleon‘s death in reached the field after the war- leon‘s final illness, Sten For- which arsenic poisoning (either riors withdrew was that Fetter- shufvud, a dentist and amateur deliberate or accidental) con- Napoleon Bonaparte man‘s force was only over- Napoleon scholar, concluded tributed to the cause of death whelmed after its ammunition that Napoleon had been the but was not the immediate was exhausted. victim of arsenic poisoning. cause. It is known that arsenic Arsenic was especially favored interferes with some ion chan- th th What Killed Napoleon … in the 18 and 19 Centuries nels in heart muscle. Accord- An argument and his Grande Armée? as a poison because it was ing to this theory, arsenic readily available and because brought on a fatal cardiac ar- The Fetterman and Custer prior to the development of rhythmia. Other medications advanced battles were tiny on the scale the Marsh Test it was unde- given to Napoleon could have of the battles of the so-called tectable in human tissues. contributed to the induction of against gastric Napoleonic wars. These wars Forshuvud was able to have a a fatal arrhythmia. Calomel began with the French Revolu- sample of Napoleon‘s hair ana- causes diarrhea, which could cancer as a tion and only ended with the lyzed by neutron activation lead to potassium loss. Napo- defeat of Napoleon at Water- analysis at the Harwell Nuclear leon also took tartar emetic cause of death loo in 1815. Several million Research Laboratory. In 1961 (antimony potassium tartrate) European soldiers and civilians Forshuvud and the Harwell and quinine. Both antimony is Napoleon’s died and most of the continent researchers reported in Nature and quinine bind inside potas- was ravaged economically. that Napoleon‘s hair contained sium ion channels in muscle apparent Napoleon Bonaparte, who elevated levels of arsenic cells. corpulence at many regarded as primarily (elevated compared to modern responsible for this devastation, hair samples). Forshuvud laid An argument advanced against was ultimately exiled to St. out his thesis of arsenic poison- gastric cancer as a cause of the time of his Helena, a tiny island in the ing at greater length in his 1962 death is Napoleon‘s apparent death. South Atlantic. He died there book, Who Killed Napoleon? corpulence at the time of his on May 5, 1821. Shortly before death. (This is also an argu- his death, the British govern- In 1995, Forshuvud collabo- ment against chronic arsenic ment had come under criticism rated with Ben Weider on a poisoning, but somehow for in Parliament and in the British book entitled Assassination at St. the arsenic poisoning conspir- press for its harsh treatment of Helena Revisited, which laid out acy theorists it only counts him. There were even rumors an more elaborate scenario in against gastric cancer as a cause of plots to rescue Napoleon which chronic arsenic poison- of death.) In 2005, Swiss re- and transport him to South ing was used to weaken Napo- searchers reported their calcu- America, where he could es- leon in preparation for acute lation of Napoleon‘s body mass tablish a new empire. poisoning with a combination index (BMI) from the waist of calomel (HgCl) and orgeat, measurements of twelve pairs In the four months before his an orange-flavored drink that of his trousers (four from the death Napoleon‘s health had contained oil of bitter almonds. 1800-1815 period and the rest deteriorated with bouts of The team of English physicians from 1815 to the time of his abdominal pain, constipation who oversaw Napoleon‘s care death). These data showed and intense thirst. The day prescribed (over Antom- that Napoleon had experienced after his death, Napoleon‘s marchi‘s violent objections) a significant weight loss in the personal physician Francesco much larger than normal dose seven months prior to his Antommarchi conducted an of calomel the day before his death. Moreover, Napoleon‘s autopsy while five English physi- death. According to Forshuvud estimated BMI at death Napoleon‘s deathbed as cians watched. The necropsy and Weider, the calomel and revealed an ulcerating gastric oil of bitter almonds interacted (cont’ on next page) depicted in Life Magazine Page 8 Forensic Sciences Newsletter

Forensic Science Solves History’s Mysteries – Part I (cont’) fell within the range of BMI the case for the deliberate would be expected for military living, for there death determined for forty-seven poisoning of Napoleon must personnel); most were male held sway supreme. The male victims of gastric cancer. be ruled ‗not proven.‘ This but there were some females few who still breathed episode illustrates the hazard as well (presumably wives or complained that for a We now know a lot more of applying a new technology other camp followers). The long time they had been about arsenic in hair, about (in this case neutron activation dental health was good com- without beds, even arsenic in Napoleon‘s hair and analysis) to a forensic problem pared to contemporaneous without straw, and about 18th and 19th Century without adequate background civilian populations. The skele- almost deserted. The sources of arsenic exposures. research. Since the 1960s, tal remains were examined for courts, the passages, For example, there is no reli- Forshuvud and Weider have evidence of trauma, especially and even the apart- able method for distinguishing leveled serious charges against foot fractures. The absence of ments were filled with arsenic incorporated into hair members of Napoleon‘s entou- foot fractures led the physical heaps of dead bodies; from the bloodstream from rage and against the British anthropologist who examined they were so many external arsenic contamination. government based on the flim- the remains to conclude that charnel houses of infec- External contamination can siest of evidence. most of the dead were new tion. penetrate the hair and resist recruits, not the veterans that attempts to remove it. Arsenic Even a cursory reading of For- supposedly comprised Napo- After a brief defense against concentrations vary significantly shuvud‘s books and articles leon Grande Armée. the approaching Russian from hair to hair on the same reveals that he is a perfervid army, the remnants of the head and along a hair in unpre- admirer of Napoleon who Napoleon‘s army had passed French army abandoned dictable ways. There is only an views his supposed assassina- through Vilnius on its march on Vilnius in complete disar- approximate correlation be- tion as an especially heinous Moscow. When Napoleon was ray. A vast park of artillery, tween arsenic levels in hair and act. A discovery in 2001 in forced to retreat he hoped that ammunition wagons and the degree of exposure to Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, his decimated army could rally baggage was simply aban- arsenic. In the case of Napo- forcefully reminded the world at Vilnius, where there was doned. A few days later, leon‘s hair, examinations of hair why some governments and shelter, food and other sup- the survivors struggled samples taken over an ex- private citizens might have plies. Napoleon himself left across the River Nieman, tended period of time considered the killing of Napo- the army before it reached where Napoleon had begun (including locks of hair taken leon a moral act. Construction Vilnius in order to return to the invasion of Russia five when he was a small child and workers uncovered mass Paris. The Grande Armée was months before. Survivors when he was in exile on Elba) graves on the site of a Soviet not able to hold on the Vilnius. reflected on the ruin that have revealed arsenic levels army barracks. Were these One of Napoleon‘s staff offi- had befallen Napoleon and several times greater than victims of Stalinist terror? The cers estimated that in the four his troops: those seen in modern Euro- KGB (and its earlier incarnation days before the army reached pean and American popula- the NKVD) had deported over Vilnius on December 9, 1812, Finally, in the room of tions. In the 18th and 19th Cen- a quarter of a million Lithuani- half of its 80,000 men had died. these innumerable war- turies, the potential sources of ans. Were the bodies Jewish Instead of succor, the French riors, of their four hun- arsenic exposure were wide- victims of the Nazis? The Ge- soldiers encountered mindless dred thousand com- spread: arsenic was found in stapo and SS had killed over red tape: rades, who had been so rodenticides, insecticides, face 200,000 Lithuanian Jews during There had been collected often their partners in powders, hair powders, cloth- World War II and not all the there sufficient flour and victory, and who had ing dyes, tonics and green pig- burial sites are now known. bread to last for forty days, dashed forward with ments used in wallpapers. However, artifacts recovered and butcher's meat for thirty such joy and pride into Tests of locks of hairs from from the grave included early -six days, for one hundred the territory of Russia, lockets and funeral wreaths 19th Century French coins as thousand men. Not a single they saw issuing from from Glasgow dating from well as fragments of early 19th commander ventured to step these pale and frozen 1790 to 1849 found some arse- Century French military uni- forward and give orders for deserts, only a thousand nic concentrations more than forms and accouterments. distributing these provisions infantry and horsemen double the highest found in to all that came for them. still under arms, nine Napoleon‘s hair. The first grave excavated con- cannon, and twenty tained 717 bodies at a density Even basic shelter was denied thousand miserable Given that we cannot establish of seven bodies per square them: wretches covered with th a ‗normal‘ arsenic level for 18 meter. The entire mass grave rags…. th and 19 Century populations, was estimated to contain 2000 At the barracks and the hos- rule out external contamination to 3000 bodies. Most of the pitals they were equally re- Forensic scientists have of Napoleon‘s hair or exclude dead were young (between the -pused, but not by the applied DNA amplification accidental exposure to arsenic, ages of fifteen and twenty, as and sequencing methods to Volume 1, Issue 1 Page 9

Forensic Science Solves History’s Mysteries – Part I (cont’) the identification of pathogens almost inevitable. Jones DEH, Ledingham KWD. Genta RM. Napoleon that might be used in biological Arsenic In Napoleon Wallpa- Bonaparte's gastric cancer: weapons of mass destruction. Part II of this article will focus per. Nature. 1982;299 a clinicopathologic A database of DNA sequences more narrowly on the applica- (5884):626-7. approach to staging, of various strains of pathogens tion of human DNA profiling to 3):204-6. pathogenesis, and etiology. such as Bacillus anthracis has historical problems. Nature Clinical Practice been established. The French Kintz P, Goulle JP, Fornes P, Gastroenterology & and Lithuanian teams who re- by Walter Rowe Ludes B. A new series of hair Hepatology. 2007 Jan;4(1):52 covered the remains of the analyses from Napoleon con- -7. French soldiers from the mass Further Reading: firms chronic exposure to arse- graves in Vilnius wanted to nic. Journal of Analytical Toxicol- Mari F, Bertol E, Fineschi V, look for evidence of diseases Budowle B, Johnson MD, Fra- ogy. 2002 Nov-Dec;26(8):584- Karch SB. Channelling the such as typhus. Typhus is ser CM, Leighton TJ, Murch RS, 5. Emperor: what really killed spread by human body lice and Chakraborty R. Genetic analy- Napoleon? Journal of the the DNA of Rickettsia prowaze- sis and attribution of microbial Leslie ACD, Smith H. Bona- Royal Society of Medicine. kii can be found in human den- forensics evidence. Critical Re- parte, Napoleon Exposure To 2004 Aug;97(8):397-9. tal pulp. The researchers con- views in Microbiology. 2005;31 Arsenic During 1816. Archives ducted what can only be called (4):233-54. of Toxicology. 1978;41(2):163-7. Palubeckaite Z, Jankauskas a Homeric research effort. A R, Ardagna Y, Macia Y, couple kilograms of soil from Budowle B, Murch R, Chak- Lewin PK, Hancock RGV, Rigeade C, Signoli M, et al. the grave were examined for raborty R. Microbial forensics: Voynovich P. Bonaparte, Napo- Dental status of Napoleon's fragments of body lice. The the next forensic challenge. leon No Evidence Of Chronic Great Army's (1812) mass protocol for isolating lice frag- International Journal of Legal Arsenic Poisoning. Nature. burial of soldiers in Vilnius: ments involved first mixing the Medicine. 2005 Nov;119(6):317- 1982;299(5884):627-8. Childhood peculiarities and soil with kerosene and then 30. adult dietary habits. Interna- adding cold water; the lice Lin XL, Alber D, Henkelmann tional Journal of Osteoarchae- fragments were recovered Chevallier P, Ricordel I, Meyer R. Elemental contents in Napo- ology. 2006 Jul-Aug;16 from the water: kerosene in- G. Trace element determina- leon's hair cut before and after (4):355-65. terface. Fragments of five hu- tion in hair by synchrotron x- his death: did Napoleon die of man body lice were recovered. ray fluorescence analysis: appli- arsenic poisoning? Analytical and Pattnaik P, Jana AM. Micro- ‗Suicide PCR‘ was applied to cation to the hair of Napoleon Bioanalytical Chemistry. 2004 bial forensics: Applications the lice fragments and to the I. X-Ray Spectrometry. 2006 Mar May;379(2):218-20. in bioterrorism. Environ- dental pulp of seventy-two -Apr;35(2):125-30. mental Forensics. 2005 Jun;6 unerupted teeth from thirty- Lin XL, Henkelmann R. Con- (2):197-204. five skeletons. ‗Suicide PCR‘ is Ecker DJ, Sampath RA, Willett tents of arsenic, mercury and so called because the primers P, Samant V, Massire C, Hall other trace elements in Napo- Raoult D, Dutour O, Hou- used in the DNA amplification TA, et al. The Microbial leon's hair determined by hamdi L, Jankauskas R, are used only once to prevent Rosetta Stone database: A INAA using the k(0)-method. Fournier PE, Ardagna Y, et problems with contamination: common structure for micro- Journal of Radioanalytical and al. Evidence for louse- The primers had never been bial biosecurity threat agents. Nuclear Chemistry. 2003;257 transmitted diseases in used in the laboratory before Journal of Forensic Sciences. 2005 (3):615-20. soldiers of Napoleon's and would never be used again. Nov;50(6):1380-5. Grand Army in Vilnius. DNA from Bartonella quintana, Lobell JA. Digging Napoleon's Journal of Infectious Diseases. the lice-borne agent that causes Hari K, Goates A, Jain R, Tow- dead (Mass grave of soldiers 2006 Jan;193(1):112-20. trench fever, was identified in ers A, Harpin V, Robertson J, from the Grande Armee, Si- three of the lice. DNA from B. et al. The Microbial Rosetta aures Miestelis section of Vil- Shamberger RJ. Validity of quintana was also found in the Stone: a database system for nius, Lithuania). Archaeology. hair mineral testing. Biologi- dental pulp from seven skele- tracking infectious microorgan- 2002 Sep-Oct;55(5):40-+. cal Trace Element Research. tons; DNA from R. prowazekii isms. International Journal of 2002 Sum;87(1-3):1-28. was found in three other re- Legal Medicine. 2009 Jan;123 Lugli A, Lugli AK, Horcic M. mains. Disease clearly played a (1):65-9. Napoleon's autopsy: New per- role, along with hypothermia spectives. Human Pathology. and starvation, in the destruc- Hindmarsh JT, Savory J. The 2005 Apr;36(4):320-4. tion of Napoleon‘s army. The Death of Napoleon, Cancer or (4):355-65. immense loss on men and ma- Arsenic? Clinical Chemistry. 2008 teriel in Russia made Napo- Dec;54(12):2092-3. Lugli A, Zlobec I, Singer G, leon‘s defeats in 1814 and 1815 Lugli AK, Terracciano LM, Congratulations to the Class of 2009!

THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY

Forensic Sciences Department Sampson Hall 2036 H Street, N.W. Washington, D.C.

Phone: 202-994-7319 Fax: 202-994-7397 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.gwu.edu/~forensic

Photography Credits: Ted Robinson—pg. 2,3,6

Professor‘s Gate—pg. 4 GW archives

AAFS Logo—pg. 4 www.aafs.org

Adolf Hitler—pg. 5 www.holocost-history.org

Hitler‘s diary—pg. 5 www.trutv/...scams/ hitler_diaries

GWU Commencement Photo Gallery –pg.6

General George Custer—pg. 6 www.sonofsouth.net

Napoleon Bonaparte—pg.7 Not even a little rain www.historyofwar.org Napoleon‘s Deathbed—pg.7 could dampen the LIFE Magazine GW spirit!