Learning Objectives
1 Define “Forensic Science”
2 Explain the limits of forensic science
3 Identify the types of forensic work
4 Describe Locard’s Exchange Principle
5 Differentiate Reconstruction & Re-enactment
1 2 Diverse subject
A forensic scientist cannot tackle all subjects
Specialists
3 Forensic Medicine vs Forensic Science
M.D. BS / BSc. DNA Forensic Fingerprinting Forensic Medicine Physical Science Drugs evidence Ballistics The body Documents
Living Dead
4 Forensic Scientist = Celebrity?
Chao Tze Pornthip Sir Bernard Cheng Rojanasunan Spilsbury
5 Murder Rates Worldwide
Per 100 000 population (reported)
6 Murder Rates Worldwide Washington D.C. U.K. 1.23 23.8 Singapore 0.51
U.S.A. 4.7
Honduras 71
Colombia 33
7 What is Forensic Science?
How did they know?
"Strong evidence”
Based upon forensic science
Scientific principles
1 What is Forensic Science?
Interpretation
Evidence
2 What is Forensic Science?
1 Interpretation of evidence
Found at crime scene
Physical objects or measurements
3 What is Forensic Science?
Interpretation
Evidence Reliability
4 What is Forensic Science?
2 Reliability of evidence
How evidence can be trusted
To what extent it can be trusted
DNA very reliable
5 What is Forensic Science?
Interpretation
Cannot be Evidence Reliability deduced
Can be deduced
6 What is Forensic Science?
3 Can / cannot be deduced from evidence
Some aspects beyond the power of forensic science
Limits of forensic science
7 Why Science?
Philosophy of all science
Newton
Observations Natural world / crime scene Experiments
8 Why Science?
Observations & Experiments
Theory Issac Newton
9 Scientists
Theory Scientific paper
Presentation at a conference
10 Forensic scientists
Theory Present theory in court
Expert Witness
Convince judge / jury
Wrong theory Send an innocent person to prison / death
11 Procedures in a case
Evidence from: Prosecution Experts, Verdict Witnesses, v.s. Defense Police
12 Verdict given by
Judge
Judges
13 Verdict given by
Judge
Jury
Local citizens
Abolished in some countries Jury
14 Presumption of Innocence
Innocent until proven guilty
Prosecution has to prove guilt
Defense does not have to prove innocence
Reasonable doubt
15 Presumption of Innocence
Innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt
16 Felicia Lee
17 September 2009
Randone called the emergency services
Felica Lee found dead
Sent for autopsy
18 Autopsy results
Over 300 “blunt force trauma wounds”
Randone charged
Murder
Torture
19 Trial
1 Prosecution
1 Torture: Kicked by Randone
Cause of death: 2 Asphyxia by smothering
20 Autopsy results
Blood chemistry
Felicia Lee’s blood contained gamma-hydroxybutarate (GHB)
21 Trial
1 2 3 Prosecution Defense Verdict
Expert witness 1 Torture: Kicked Not by Randone guilty Cause of death: Cause of death: 1 Seizure caused 2 Asphyxia by by GHB smothering
22 Verdict
Did defense prove Lee’s death was caused by a drug overdose?
No
Suggested a reasonable possibility
23 Walter Dinivan
1 Bournemouth, England, 1939
Walter Dinivan Wealthy
Skull crushed
Died without regaining consciousness
2 Problem
Only one witness
Dead
Had to rely on forensic evidence
3 Police found
1 2 3 Safe and Crumpled Cigarette pockets up brown butts on emptied paper bag the floor
Robbery Held murder Friends? weapon?
4 Investigation
Suspect
Joseph Williams Poor
Came into money From Walter Dinivan?
5 Few years ago
Discovery
Use saliva to determine blood type
True for most of the population
6 Using new technology
Cigarette Test the Saliva butts blood group
Rare Blood type AB
7 Investigation
Suspect
Blood Joseph group? Williams Poor
Came into money From Walter Dinivan?
8 Joseph Williams
Police followed him into a pub
Bought him beer Gave him cigarettes
Collected glasses & cigarette ends
Extracted saliva
Analyzed blood group
9 Investigation
Suspect AB Blood Joseph group? Williams Poor
Came into money From Walter Dinivan?
10 Investigation
Motive Reasonable evidence
Joseph Williams arrested, charged and taken to court
Police presented evidence
11 Defense
Saliva Cannot be used to determine blood group
Jury persuaded to disbelieve forensic evidence
Verdict Not guilty
12 After the trial
Williams went Confessed Drunk celebrating to a journalist
Published story after Williams’ death
13 Madam Jetkor Miang Singh
14 Singapore, 1996
Madam Singh Murdered
Stabbed in the neck
Evidence Cigarette butts
No technology Evidence stored away
15 Singapore, 2005
Cigarette Saliva DNA butts extracted extracted
Verdict: Evidence Zulkarnian Guilty presented Kemat
16 Court case
Have to show
1 Criminal action was committed
2 Intention to commit the criminal action
1 Limits of Forensic Science
Actus Reus Mens Rea
1 A guilty action A guilty mind 1 or intention Evidence from 2 crime scene 2 In someone’s head
2 Dick Cheney Frank Whittington
3 In Texas
Quail hunting trip
Dick Cheney fired at quail
Shot Frank Whittington by accident
4 Forensic Science
Could have shown that Dick Cheney shot Frank Whittington
Footprints in the ground
Fingerprints on the gun
Pellet from Frank Whittington
5 Forensic Science
Why did Dick Cheney do it?
Accident?
Motive?
6 Physical evidence only shows Actus Reus
7 Forensic Science
Tells you about Actus Reus
Does not tell you about Mens Rea
“Actus non facit reum nisi mens sit rea”
The act does not make a person guilty unless the mind is also guilty
8 What is Forensics?
Application of science to
Law
Criminal justice
Lady Justice
9 What is Forensics?
Analysis of evidence
Physical
Chemical
Biological Lady Justice
10 Forensic Science can...
Reconstruct past sequence of events
11 Forensic Science can...
Forensic evidence
Fibres Fingerprints Broken glass Hair Shoeprints Fibres Blood Paint flakes
12 Forensic Science can...
Reconstruct past sequence of events
Link a suspect to a crime scene
13 Deciding the charge
Koh Kailin Had a baby
Dumped the baby
Baby found
Mother was traced and investigated
14 Deciding the charge
Dead baby Murder?
Pathologist Very premature baby
Stillborn?
Murder charge reduced to a less serious charge
15 Bukit Merah, Singapore, 1972
Boy run over by a train
Suicide?
Accident?
Forensic medicine specialist Bukit Merah Inconsistent injuries train tracks
16 Blood spatter
Living body Pressurized arteries
Severed artery Blood will spurt out in considerable quantities
Dead body Arteries not pressurized
Lesser blood will spurt out
17 Blood spatter
Too little blood at the scene for a living body
Police investigation
Boy was murdered
Made to look like a suicide or accident
Murderer caught and convicted
18 Uses of Forensic Science
Art
1 Uses of Forensic Science
Art
1818 paint
Shakespeare (1564 – 1616)
William Shakespeare?
2 Uses of Forensic Science
Art
Archaeology Reconstruct past events
Sport Drug tests
International politics
3 Uses of Forensic Science
Art
Archaeology
Sport
International politics
Bosnian conflict Bosnian conflict
4 Uses of Forensic Science
Art
Archaeology
Sport
International politics
Disasters 2004 tsunami
5 Forensic Science
About 100 years old
Being done in fiction books before being done in reality
6 Fictional character created by Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle
7 Arthur Conan-Doyle
Eye doctor
Wrote stories to pass time
Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle
8 Edmond Locard (1877 – 1966)
9 Locard’s Exchange Principle
“Wherever he steps, whatever he touches, whatever he leaves, even unconsciously, will serve as a silent witness against him. Not only his fingerprints or his footprints, but his hair, the fibers from his clothes, the glass he breaks, the tool mark he leaves, the paint he scratches, the blood or semen he deposits or collects. All of these and more, bear mute witness against him. This is evidence that does not forget. It is not confused by the excitement of the moment. It is not absent because human witnesses are. It is factual evidence. Physical evidence cannot be wrong, it cannot perjure itself, it cannot be wholly absent. Only human failure to find it, study and understand it, can diminish its value.” Professor Edmond Locard (1877-1966)
10 Locard’s Exchange Principle
“Wherever he steps, whatever he touches, whatever he leaves, even unconsciously, will serve as a silent witness against him. Not only his fingerprints or his footprints, but his hair, the fibers from his clothes, the glass he breaks, the tool mark he leaves, the paint he scratches, the blood or semen he deposits or collects. All of these and more, bear mute witness against him. This is evidence that does not forget. It is not confused by the excitement of the moment. It is not absent because human witnesses are. It is factual evidence. Physical evidence cannot be wrong, it cannot perjure itself, it cannot be wholly absent. Only human failure to find it, study and understand it, can diminish its value.” Professor Edmond Locard (1877-1966)
11 “Every contact leaves a trace”
Edmond Locard (1877 – 1966)
12 Locard’s Exchange Principle
“Wherever he steps, whatever he touches, whatever he leaves, even unconsciously, will serve as a silent witness against him. Not only his fingerprints or his footprints, but his hair, the fibers from his clothes, the glass he breaks, the tool mark he leaves, the paint he scratches, the blood or semen he deposits or collects. All of these and more, bear mute witness against him. This is evidence that does not forget. It is not confused by the excitement of the moment. It is not absent because human witnesses are. It is factual evidence. Physical evidence cannot be wrong, it cannot perjure itself, it cannot be wholly absent. Only human failure to find it, study and understand it, can diminish its value.” Professor Edmond Locard (1877-1966)
13 Obvious traces
Some traces are more obvious than others
London, 2007
A burglar left his false teeth behind False teeth
14 Elliott’s Builders Merchants
15 Obvious traces
More than one way to leave fingerprints behind…
Elliott’s Builders Merchants
16 Obvious traces
Diesel in Attached razor wire Stolen backyard to the back wall
Culprit was Hospitals Severed arrested & contacted finger found convicted
17 Roberto Calvi
1 Murder or suicide?
Banco Ambrosiano
“God’s banker”
U.S. $1.2 billion missing Roberto Calvi
2 Murder or suicide?
11 June
Disappeared from Milan
19 June
Hanged under Blackfriars Bridge Roberto Calvi
3 Blackfriars Bridge
4 Roberto Calvi
Got a false passport
Shaved his moustache
Adopted a false name
Escaped to London
5 Police
Roberto Calvi
Unable to answer for the missing money
Unable to escape
Committed suicide
6 Roberto Calvi’s Son
Was convinced that Roberto Calvi did not commit suicide
Inquest Suicide
Second inquest
7 Police
1 Bricks in suit pocket For drowning
2 U.S. $14 000 in wallet
3 False passport Opportunity to travel
4 Bags packed Going to travel?
1 Neck not broken
2 No drugs in blood
3 No signs of a struggle
4 No water in lungs Not drowned
5 Watch stopped at 1:52 am Time of hanging
9 Murder or suicide?
Blackfriars Bridge under maintenance
Surrounded by yellow painted scaffolding
Climbing up and down the scaffolding
Get yellow paint flakes and rust marks on clothes or body
10 Forensics
1 No paint flakes
2 No rust marks
Roberto Calvi did not climb down
May have been raised up to scaffolding
11 Questions
1 Why a rope and bricks?
2 Where did he get the rope?
3 Why no paint flakes on him?
4 Why choose a cold river and not the hotel?
5 How did he travel from hotel to bridge?
12 13 Questions
Not a suicide
Likely to have been murdered
Not sufficient evidence to convict anyone
Who killed Roberto Calvi?
14 Buck Ruxton & the Jigsaw Murders
1 Moffat, Scotland, 1935 Moffat
Packages found in river
Numerous body parts wrapped in newspaper
2 Questions
1 How many bodies?
Two female bodies
2 Who were they?
Newspaper wrappings
3 Answers Moffat
Special edition of Morecombe newspaper
Police contacted
“Mrs.” Ruxton Morecomb & her maid e
4 Skeletal remains Face mutilated Flesh and distinguishing features removed
How to identify the body?
Fingers removed
5 Identifying the bodies
Photographs of the women
Look at the angles the women posed in
6 Identifying the bodies
Superimposed the two photos
Bodies proved to be Mrs. Ruxton & her maid
Buck Ruxton arrested
7 Other evidence
Bloodstains in the Ruxton house
Ruxton claimed innocence
Jury did not believe claim
Convicted of murder Buck Ruxton
8 Other evidence
Controversial case
Photographs not good enough as evidence?
Buck Ruxton confessed
Validated technique Buck Ruxton
9 Around the World
1910 Lyon, France
Set up by Edmond Locard
1915 Germany
1923 Austria
U.S.A. (L.A.P.D.)
1 Around the World
1925 Holland
Finland
Sweden
1932 U.S.A. (F.B.I.)
1935 U.K. (Scotland Yard)
2 In Singapore
Chao Tze Cheng Pathology lab
1960s
1929 Chemical analysis service
Straits Settlements Police
Now all part of the Health Sciences Authority
3 Physical Science Unit Voiceprint Polygraph DNA Lab Firearms Unit Latent Prints Biology Unit Documents Unit Photography Unit Forensic Science Laboratories
Forensic Engineering Psychiatric profiling Forensic Geology Forensic Anthropology Forensic Odontology
Forensic Entomology Toxicology Computer & Electronic Facial Reconstruction Forensics 4 Physical Science Unit
Chemical and physical analysis
Chemical tests, spectroscopy, microscopy, drugs, material fragments, explosives
Biology Unit
Biological samples
Hair, plants
5 DNA Lab
Essential
DNA analysis services
Firearms Unit
Guns, bullets, cartridge cases, firearm damage
6 Documents Unit
Determine faked or forged documents
Analysis of handwriting, prints, paper, ink
Photography Unit
Recording & presenting of evidence
Determine real & fake photographs
7 8 Photography Unit
Discontinuous 1 black line
Not genuine? Different angle 2 of shadows
Pixels are 3 mis-matched
9 Photography Unit
“Surgeon’s” photograph
Loch Ness Monster?
Genuine photo
Loch Ness Monster? Model monster
10 Toxicology
Drugs and poisons in body fluids and organs
Fingerprinting
Visible and latent prints
Polygraph
Can we scientifically detect a lie?
11 Voiceprint analysis
Proving that a voice belongs to a particular person
Audio recordings of his voice? Osama bin Laden
12 Voiceprint analysis
Clifford Irving claimed to possess Howard Hughes’ authorised biography
Denied by Hughes
Teleconference
Recordings compared Howard Irving convicted of fraud Hughes
13 Psychiatric Profiling
What can we tell about the criminal from the way they commit the crime?
Computer Forensics
Retrieving deleted data
Following of electronic trail
14 Forensic Engineering
Minneapolis I-35 bridge collapse
Why?
Corrosive effect of pigeon droppings?
Design fault of bridge Minneapolis I-35 bridge
Using insects to provide information
Forensic Geology
Soil analysis
Mineral content
16 Forensic Anthropology
Analysis of skeletal remains
Skeletal remains
When people die in remote places
Only found after the body has decomposed
17 Abbeville, 2011
Human skeleton found in an old chimney
Identified as Schexnider
Disappeared in 1984 Joseph Schexnider No other evidence
18 Facial Reconstruction
Take skull and rebuild flesh
See how person looked like when they were alive
19 Facial Reconstruction
Skeleton found
Reconstructed face shown on TV
Victim recognized immediately Karen Price
20 Facial Reconstruction
Killed in 1987
15 years before he was identified
Difficult to tell age Alexander Fallon
21 Facial Reconstruction
Used modelling clay
Now done electronically
22 Forensic Odontology
Using teeth to provide information
1 Identification of victim remains
2 Identification of criminals
23 Forensic Odontology
Ted Bundy
Bite mark on victim
Comparison to his teeth impressions
Convicted & executed
24 Acid Bath Haigh
25 J. G. Haigh
“Acid Bath Haigh”
Killed 9 people
J. G. Haigh
26 J. G. Haigh
“Acid Bath Haigh”
Killed 9 people
Olive Durand-Deacon
Olive Durand- Led to his capture Deacon
27 J. G. Haigh
Had a countryside shed
Lured Mrs. Durand-Deacon there with talk of investments
No conviction for a crime without a body?
28 J. G. Haigh
Misunderstood the concept
Must be the body of evidence to prove the occurrence of a crime
Haigh: “No murder charge without a real body”
29 J. G. Haigh
Destroyed victims’ bodies
Dissolved them in sulfuric acid
30 Evidence of murder
1 Gall-stones
2 False teeth Individualised
Dental records
31 Identification & Individualisation
Identification
1 What is it? Looking at it
Chemical or biological tests
1 Identification & Individualisation
Identification
1 What is it?
2 Classification? Class characteristics
2 Identification & Individualisation
Identification 1 What brand?
E.g. A shoe 2 What type?
Men’s or 3 ladies’shoe?
3 Identification & Individualisation
Identification
1 What kind of fibre?
E.g. A shoe
Cotton, E.g. A fibre wool, nylon?
4 Identification & Individualisation
Identification
1 What kind of bullet? E.g. A shoe 2 What calibre bullet? E.g. A fibre
E.g. A bullet
5 Identification & Individualisation
Identification Individualisation
1 What is it? 1 Narrowing class to one
2 Classification?
6
Identification & Individualisation
E.g. A shoe Identify shoe brand
Identify whose shoe it is
Not always possible to do so
7 Identification & Individualisation
Individualisation
Who is the E.g. Clothing 1 manufacturer?
8 Identification & Individualisation
Individualisation
1 Serial number? E.g. Clothing
E.g. Tool 2 Fingerprints?
9 Identification & Individualisation
Individualisation
Trace elements E.g. Clothing 1 or impurities? E.g. Tool
E.g. Of chemical origin
10 Identification & Individualisation
Individualisation
1 Blood type? E.g. Clothing 2 DNA analysis E.g. Tool
E.g. Of chemical origin
E.g. Biological samples 11 Comparison leading to Association
Forensic evidence
Fibres Fingerprints Broken glass Hair Shoeprints Fibres Blood Paint
12 Reconstruction & Re-enactment
Reconstruction Re-enactment
Understanding 1 Part of reconstruction 1 past events Re-do one of 2 the events
13 July 2005 London Bombings
14 2005 London Bombings
July 7 bombings
4 bombs exploded on public transport
52 people killed After the bombing
15 2005 London Bombings
July 21 Failed repeat bombing
Terrorists arrested
Abandoned bomb found
16 2005 London Bombings
Abandoned bomb found
How the bombs 1 were constructed Detonator
What the bombs 2 Home made were made of explosive
17 Bombers
Four attempted to detonate their bombs
One abandoned his bomb
18 Bombers
Numerous forensic and CCTV evidence
Defense Cannot claim those people were not the bombers
Motive Hoax bombs
19 Mens Rea
What was their intention?
Use forensic science to determine if bombs were
Built for hoaxes?
Built to cause destruction?
20 Mens Rea
Reconstructed bomb
Re-enactment of explosion
Not a hoax
Intention to cause death and destruction
21 “Brides in the Bath”
22 George Smith
1 Marry women
2 Steal their money
3 Murder them
George Smith
23 Smith’s wives
Died the same way Took a bath
Had an epileptic fit
Drowned
No sign of struggle Bathtub or bruising
24 “Brides in the Bath”
Married seven women
Three died
Question Drowned accidentally?
Murdered?
25 “Brides in the Bath”
If murder by drowning
Should have a violent struggle
Leaves a lot of bruising
No signs of bruising
26 Sir Bernard Spilsbury
Re-enactment Female divers
Pull their feet
Heads went underwater
Unconscious
No struggle
27 Gareth Williams
28 Gareth Williams
Cryptographer working for British Intelligence
Found in his apartment in August 2010
Dead for 9 days Gareth Williams
29 Investigation found
1 No signs of a struggle
2 No traces of poisoning
3 No sign of asphyxiation
30 Evidence
Body found 1 in sports bag
81 x 48 cm
Padlocked on 2 the outside
3 In the bath Sports bag 31 Gareth Williams
Question Locked by someone else?
Re-enactment
Yoga experts unable to lock and padlock ownself from the outside
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkirbdxzkq8
32 The Woodchipper Murder
1 The Woodchipper Murder
Married
Helle Crafts Richard Crafts
2 The Woodchipper Murder
Married
Hired P.I. 1 Guns Had trouble 2 Machinery with money 3 Travel
3 1986 P.I. contacted Helle dropped off at home the police
Nov 18th Dec 1st
Nov 19th
Only Richard answers the phone
Richard sent the children to his sister’s house
4 Police investigation
1 Richard: “wife disappeared” Passed a lie detector test 2 Carpet fragments No blood
3 Strange purchases Chainsaw
Freezer
Woodchipper
5 Christmas Day 1986
Crafts’ house searched
1 Bloodstains on mattress Matched Helle’s blood type (O+)
Witness placed wood-chipper at Lake Zoar
1 Searched river bank Human hair
Letters 6 Search of the lake
Reservoir with a dam
Water level lowered to facilitate search
Lake Zoar
7 Search of the lake
1 Chainsaw
Human tissue
Human hair
Blue clothing fibres
Serial number restored Richard
8 Search of the lake
1 Chainsaw
2 2660 strands of bleached hair Helle’s hair color 3 69 slivers of human bone O+
4 5 droplets of human blood
5 2 teeth One proved to be Helle’s
9 Search of the lake
6 A truncated piece of human skull
7 3 oz human tissue
8 A portion of a human finger
9 1 human fingernail
10 1 portion of human toe nail
10 January 1987
Evidence of murder of Helle Crafts
Richard Crafts arrested
Bail posted at $750 000
How did Richard Crafts kill his wife?
11 Reconstruction of events
Police assumption
1 Helle beaten to death on early Nov 19th?
2 Body preserved in freezer
12 Richard Craft’s murder plan
Made up a story about Lake Zoar electricity problems
Sent children to sister’s house in Westport
Returned to Newtown to dispose of Helle’s body
13 Reconstruction of events
Police assumption
1 Helle beaten to death on early Nov 19th?
2 Body preserved in freezer
3 Used chainsaw to cut up Helle’s body
4 Ran Helle’s body parts through woodchipper
14 Re-enactment
Effect of woodchipper on a human body?
Used a pig carcass
Put it through a woodchipper
15 Re-enactment
16 Re-enactment
Pig remains
Consistent with human remains found in lake
17 Network of Evidence
hair tissue fibres (rug) rental (serial number restored)
hair, tissue body parts, rental tooth
witness
Richard Crafts sentenced to 50 years in prison 18 Summary
1 Types of forensic work
2 Comparison leading to Association
3 Reconstruction & Re-enactment
4 Locard’s Principle:
“Every contact leaves a trace”
19