JULY 2005 VOL. 35 – ISSUE 4 EDITOR: KATHY REYNOLDS body by a distinctive signet ring that had PRESIDENT’S belonged to Emmett’s father. Sheriff Strider then ordered the family MESSAGE to have Emmett’s body In May 2004, the United States Department in the ground before of Justice and the District Attorney’s Office for sundown. His remains the 4th Judicial Circuit of Mississippi reopened were sent to a black the investigation into the 1955 murder of funeral home to be Emmett Till, a 14-year-old black male Chicago prepared for burial Edmund R. Donoghue, MD resident murdered while visiting family in while workers began Money, MS. It is widely thought that this case digging the grave. Mississippi authorities marked the beginning of the modern civil rights never performed an autopsy. movement in the United States. Till’s family immediately started working Roy Bryant and his half-brother J.W. Milam on getting his body shipped home. His mother kidnapped and murdered Emmett Till on contacted a Chicago funeral director and asked August 28, 1955. The events occurred after Till him to find a way to have Emmett’s body whistled at Bryant’s wife, Carolyn, while returned to Chicago. The grave in Mississippi shopping at the Bryant’s store four days earlier. was almost finished when the Chicago funeral On Sunday morning, August 28, around director finally received approval to stop the 2:30 am, several white men, including Bryant hasty burial. Sheriff Strider then agreed to and Milam, showed up at the home of Moses send the body to Illinois on the condition that Wright, Till’s great uncle, and kidnapped the casket would remained sealed. Emmett. By that afternoon, Leflore County When Emmett Till’s body returned to Sheriff George W. Smith had arrested Bryant Chicago, his mother opened the casket and and Milam for the kidnapping of Emmett Till. inspected the body. She then decided that Both admitted kidnapping Till, but said that Emmett would have an open casket funeral. they later released him. Nearly 50,000 people streamed passed the On Wednesday morning, August 31, glass-topped casket to view his body. Tallahatchie County Sheriff H.C. Strider Following the funeral on September 6, 1955, reported that the body of a young black male the family buried the body in Burr Oak was found in the Tallahatchie River near Phillip, Cemetery, in Alsip, IL. MS, 12 miles north of Money. Officials said the The same day, Tallahatchie County body appeared brutally beaten about the head indicted Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam for kid- and had a bullet wound above the right ear. napping and murdering Emmett Till. Their trial The body was severely decomposed and the began on September 15th in Sumner, MS. head crushed. Moses Wright identified the continued on page 5 NOMINATING COMMITTEE REPORT The Nominating Committee has announced its list of nominees for 2006-07 officers: Bruce A. Goldberger, PhD President-Elect (Toxicology) Joseph P. Bono, MA Vice President (Criminalistics) Kathleen J. Reichs, PhD Vice President (Physical Anthropology) Carol E. Henderson, JD Secretary (Jurisprudence) Thomas L. Bohan, PhD, JD Treasurer (Engineering Sciences) The Nominating Committee is composed of three Fellows elected by the Board of Directors — Ronald Singer (Chair), Kenneth Melson, and Graham Jones, and the immediate past chairs of each of the Academy’s ten sections: Susan Ballou (Criminalistics), Robert Anderson (Engineering Sciences), James Adcock (General), Andre Moenssens (Jurisprudence), Pamela Hammel (Odontology), John Hunsaker (Pathology/Biology), Marilyn London (Physical Anthropology), Richard Rosner (Psychiatry & Behavioral Science), John Sang (Questioned Documents), and Amanda Jenkins (Toxicology). In accordance with the AAFS Bylaws, nomination for any elected office of the Academy may be made by petition delivered to the Nominating Committee in care of the AAFS headquarters no later than September 1, 2005. Nomination petitions should state the name of the nominee, the office sought, a certificate stating that the candidate is a Fellow in good standing, and the signatures and AMERICAN ACADEMY OF FORENSIC SCIENCES printed names of 50 Fellows or full Members. ACADEMY NEWS AMERICAN ACADEMY OF INSIDE THIS ISSUE President’s Message . 1 Nominating Committee Report . 1 Legislative Corner. 3 Planning and Development . 4 FORENSIC A Word From Your 2006 Program Co-Chair . 7 SCIENCES 2006 Program Information. 7 OFFICERS 2005-06 PRESIDENT Section & Program News . 8 Edmund R. Donoghue, MD PRESIDENT-ELECT Foundation News . 12 James G. Young, MD PAST PRESIDENT Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grant. 12 Ronald L. Singer, MS VICE PRESIDENTS 7th Annual FSF Emerging Forensic Scientist Award Offered . 13 Thomas L. Bohan, PhD, JD FSF Contributors . 14 Robert J. Muehlberger, BA SECRETARY Applicants. 17 Carol E. Henderson, JD TREASURER In Memoriam . 20 Bruce A. Goldberger, PhD 2006 Announcement and Call For Papers. 21 BOARD OF DIRECTORS CRIMINALISTICS The Numinous “Why” in Law, Science and Elsewhere . 26 Joseph P. Bono, MA ENGINEERING SCIENCES AAFS Chronicles — Do You Remember When? . 27 Scott D. Batterman, PhD GENERAL Young Forensic Scientists Forum Newsletter. 28 James M. Adcock, PhD Meetings & Conferences . 32 JURISPRUDENCE Danielle D. Ruttman, JD Employment Opportunities . 35 ODONTOLOGY Robert E. Barsley, DDS, JD Show Your Pride. 42 PATHOLOGY/BIOLOGY Julia C. Goodin, MD PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY Douglas H. Ubelaker, PhD PSYCHIATRY & BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE J. Arturo Silva, MD ABSTRACT DEADLINE QUESTIONED DOCUMENTS John L. Sang, MS A reminder that the deadline for all abstract submissions is August 1, 2005. TOXICOLOGY Barry K. Logan, PhD Don’t delay; complete the Call for Papers and Abstract form found on AAFS STAFF pages 21-24 of this issue of “Academy News” for your workshop proposal, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR breakfast seminar, luncheon session, poster or paper presentation, Anne Warren and submit it to the AAFS office today! You may also submit DEVELOPMENT & ACCREDITATION DIRECTOR your abstract online at www.aafs.org. Jim Hurley MEETINGS & EXPOSITIONS MANAGER Nancy Jackson MEMBERSHIP SERVICES COORDINATOR Kimberly Wrasse MEMBERSHIP SERVICES ASSISTANT FUTURE ANNUAL MEETING DATES Tracie McCray PUBLICATIONS COORDINATOR February 20-25, 2006 February 19-24, 2007 February 18-23, 2008 Kathy Reynolds Seattle, WA San Antonio, TX Atlanta, GA ASSISTANT MEETINGS MANAGER Sondra Doolittle ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Adelena Arellano FINANCE MANAGER Academy News (ISSN#: 0739-7666) is published bi-monthly for $20 (for members and non-members) per Charlene Albertson year by the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, 410 North 21st Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80904- STAFF ACCOUNTANT 2798. Periodicals postage paid at Colorado Springs, CO 80901-0669. Postmaster: Send address change to Debbie Crockett Academy News, PO Box 669, Colorado Springs, CO 80901-0669. RECEPTIONIST The deadline for inclusion of material in the next issue of Academy News is August 1, 2005. Phyllis Gilliam 2 ACADEMY NEWS LEGISLATIVE CORNER The Consortium hosted its Second Annual Forensic Science Technology Fair on Capitol Hill, April 6 - 7, 2005. It was a great success and hundreds of Congressional staffers stopped by to visit. On Wednesday evening, we hosted a reception and honored two members for their support of forensic science: Congressman Bill Young, Past Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, and Senator Judd Gregg, Past Chair of the Commerce, Justice, State Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Jan Burke asked noted mystery writer Jeffery Deaver (The Bone Collector) to come to Washington to make the presentations. Funds for the reception came from about a dozen vendors who exhibited at the Tech Fair. Vendors have been very supportive in our efforts to secure more Barry A.J. Fisher, MS, MBA federal dollars to support forensic science service providers, and we are working with an ad hoc committee chaired by Jamie Downs to find ways to direct that vendor support. We secured the services of Melissa Milburn who owns a small public rela- tions firm in the Seattle, WA, area to assist our efforts. Melissa has worked with our Washington lobbyist Beth Lavach and came highly recommended. She pro- vided PR support for the Tech Fair which resulted in some good media coverage including a nice story about forensic science in US News & World Report. Shannon O’Keefe from Senator Judd Gregg’s staff Melissa is also working with the Consortium on a presents mystery writer Jeffery Deaver a plaque media plan which we are finalizing. Portions of the in appreciation for his support of forensic science PR plan include efforts to: • educate the media about the problems within forensic science • maintain the high visibility of forensic science issues in media – the CSI Effect • increase CFSO visibility in trade media • position political supporters to support forensic science through interviews with the media • leverage stakeholders such as the ABA, IACP, etc., to broaden our support and public awareness • time media outreach around major forensic conferences • take advantage of media ties for a public service announcement campaign Senator Jeff Sessions addressing attendees during the reception We are in the annual budget battles in Congress and facing a similar situation that we’ve and pledging his continued faced in the past. The Administration has asked for DNA funds, and we are pressing for funding support for forensic science in other forensic areas. This will be a tight budget year as Congress and the White House are working to cut spending in a variety of areas. We have reached out to a growing list of friends and supporters of the Congress and are optimistic that we can count on continued support. But at this writing the outcome of the budgetary process is unclear. You, the members of the AAFS, are a key factor in these efforts. In the past, we have asked for your help by contacting your Congressmen and Senators. Grassroots efforts are always important. We will be reaching out to Academy members to again make their voices heard to their Members of Congress, and I hope we can count on you to send an email, fax or call your representatives’ offices.