University of Rhode Island DigitalCommons@URI Senior Honors Projects Honors Program at the University of Rhode Island 2007 Forensics: Crime Scene Investigation Case Closed Christina Parente University of Rhode Island Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.uri.edu/srhonorsprog Part of the Evidence Commons, and the Laboratory and Basic Science Research Commons Recommended Citation Parente, Christina, "Forensics: Crime Scene Investigation Case Closed" (2007). Senior Honors Projects. Paper 64. http://digitalcommons.uri.edu/srhonorsprog/64http://digitalcommons.uri.edu/srhonorsprog/64 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Honors Program at the University of Rhode Island at DigitalCommons@URI. It has been accepted for inclusion in Senior Honors Projects by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@URI. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Forensics:Forensics: CrimeCrime SceneScene InvestigationInvestigation CASECASE CLOSEDCLOSED CSICSI atat URIURI ChristinaChristina ParenteParente CSICSI @@ URIURI WhatWhat exactlyexactly isis forensics?forensics? Forensics is the application of a broad spectrum of sciences to answer questions of interest in the legal system. A field comprised of many disciplines CSICSI @@ URIURI ExampleExample SubSub--divisionsdivisions PathologistPathologist:: MedicalMedical examinersexaminers AnthropologyAnthropology:: IdentificationIdentification ofof remainsremains EntomologyEntomology:: DecompositionDecomposition inin relationrelation toto insectsinsects OdontologyOdontology:: ToothTooth enamelenamel asas identificationidentification CSICSI @@ URIURI BasicBasic Stages:Stages: CrimeCrime SceneScene SearchSearch ApproachApproach thethe scenescene SecureSecure && ProtectProtect thethe scenescene InitiateInitiate preliminarypreliminary surveysurvey EvaluateEvaluate physicalphysical evidenceevidence possibilitiespossibilities PreparePrepare narrativenarrative descriptiondescription DepictDepict scenescene photographically/videophotographically/video PreparePrepare diagramdiagram // sketchsketch thethe scenescene CSICSI @@ URIURI BasicBasic StagesStages Continued:Continued: ConductConduct detaileddetailed searchsearch RecordRecord andand collectcollect physicalphysical evidenceevidence ConductConduct finalfinal surveysurvey ReleaseRelease CrimeCrime SceneScene CSICSI @@ URIURI PhysicalPhysical EvidenceEvidence AnalysisAnalysis IsIs concernedconcerned withwith thethe recognition,recognition, identification,identification, comparison,comparison, individualization,individualization, interpretationinterpretation andand reconstructionreconstruction ofof evidence.evidence. CSICSI @@ URIURI PhysicalPhysical evidenceevidence examinationexamination cancan :: LinkLink aa suspectsuspect withwith thethe victimvictim LinkLink aa personperson toto aa crimecrime scenescene LinkLink anan objectobject toto aa crimecrime DisproveDisprove oror supportsupport witnesswitness testimonytestimony IdentifyIdentify aa personperson AidAid inin thethe ReconstructionReconstruction ofof aa crimecrime CSICSI @@ URIURI ProjectProject ObjectivesObjectives BreakingBreaking forensicsforensics downdown intointo aa sciencescience concentratingconcentrating onon >Fingerprints>Fingerprints >DNA>DNA TypingTyping CSICSI @@ URIURI FingerprintFingerprint ClassificationClassification ThreeThree basicbasic patternspatterns 1. ArchArch 2. LoopLoop 3. WhorlWhorl CSICSI @@ URIURI Fingerprints…its all in the touch Age old technique beginning in 1892 First forensic discipline of professional certification Remains the most commonly used forensic evidence worldwide Outperforms any other identification system CSICSI @@ URIURI CSICSI @@ URIURI ““EveryEvery ContactContact LeavesLeaves aa Trace”Trace” (Locard) Latent: Accidental impression hidden from the naked eye Patent: Impression seen through the transference of materials Plastic: Impression deposited into a material LATENTLATENT PRINTSPRINTS Not everything is as it seems… CSICSI @@ URIURI MethodsMethods ofof ObtainingObtaining PrintsPrints TapeTape:: LiftingLifting PowderPowder:: MagneticMagnetic FumingFuming:: CyanacrylateCyanacrylate CSICSI @@ URIURI FingerFinger FactsFacts NoNo twotwo fingerprintsfingerprints havehave everever beenbeen foundfound toto bebe identicalidentical betweenbetween individualsindividuals ThereThere areare overover 4040 millionmillion tenten digitdigit printprint cardscards inin thethe criminalcriminal datadata basebase DataData basebase IAFISIAFIS ThisThis isis 20x20x thethe amountamount ofof DNADNA filesfiles CSICSI @@ URIURI DNADNA TypingTyping (deoxyribonucleic acid) Began in 1986 in Britain Genetic calling card or architectural blueprint Found within blood, hair, bone, semen, tissue, tooth pulp, and saliva Relatively stable CSICSI @@ URIURI DNA’sDNA’s rolerole withinwithin ForensicsForensics HelpsHelps piecepiece togethertogether eventsevents ofof crime,crime, linklink andand identifyidentify individualsindividuals MoreMore powerfulpowerful thanthan anyany otherother biochemicalbiochemical analysisanalysis FastFast resultsresults PrecisePrecise convictionconviction CSICSI @@ URIURI DNADNA FactsFacts TwoTwo databases,databases, nationalnational indexindex NDISNDIS andand internationalinternational CODISCODIS ApproximatelyApproximately 3.73.7 millionmillion profilesprofiles withinwithin allall databasesdatabases asas ofof DecemberDecember ’06’06 CanCan bebe processedprocessed throughthrough manymany differentdifferent numbernumber codedcoded techniquestechniques CSICSI @@ URIURI DNADNA atat WorkWork FollowingFollowing thethe eventsevents ofof 9/119/11 DNADNA waswas thethe primaryprimary aidaid inin identifyingidentifying victimsvictims 2,7492,749 peoplepeople missingmissing >300>300 bodiesbodies intactintact 20,73020,730 fragmentsfragments ofof remainsremains 11--196196 bodybody partsparts perper aa personperson 1,5981,598 peoplepeople identifiedidentified (53%)(53%) CSICSI @@ URIURI SemesterSemester AdventuresAdventures RIRI STATESTATE CRIMECRIME LABORATORYLABORATORY ADMINISTRATIONADMINISTRATION •• DENNISDENNIS && HELENHELEN LATENTLATENT PRINTPRINT SECTIONSECTION •• EDED && MARKMARK TRACETRACE SECTIONSECTION •• AMYAMY && KIMKIM FIREARMSFIREARMS SECTIONSECTION •• BOBBOB && LAWRENCELAWRENCE Criminal Investigation: Scientific Evidence CSICSI @@ URIURI CSICSI @@ URIURI CSICSI @@ URIURI CSICSI @@ URIURI “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.