CRIM3016 - exam
what is forensic science?
science used to gather evidence for the purpose of the law
what did investigators use before CSI
oberservations, intuition, guess work
what year was the first CSI textbook in china created
1247
1887 coroners act
ensured that an essential part of the coroners role was to determine the casused of sudden, vioelnt and unnatural deaths
who was Mathieu Orfilia
- known for cross contamination
- the father of toxicology
- developed test for the presence of blood/semen in a forensic
context
- insisted testing of soil as it could be mistsaken for poisoning
who was Alphonse Bertillon
- known for the anthropometric system 1883
- before his system suspects could only be indentified
through eye witness accounts
- introduced systematic use of photography to document
crime scenes and evidence
- recording indivduals measurements head, weight and other
characteristics.
Who is Hans Gross
- known for analytical practices
- established the science of cross-transfer of evidence such as
hair, dirt and fingerprints
Who is Edmond Locard
- Known for his work on Contact and impressions
- formed the first forensic laboratory where evidence from crime
scenes could be scientifically examined
- created the exchange principle which states that when two
objects come into
Locards Exchange Principle
states that when two objects come into contact with one another, each will taken something from the other object or leave something behind
who is Sir Edward Henry
- Known for introducing the fingerprint classifcation system
when was the fingerprint classification system established
1896
what is the Forensic Science procudure
1 = collection and storage of material
2 = analysis of material
3 = reporting the reslts of analysis and investigation
4 = giving report to court in writing/attendance
whose involved in forensic science
1 = police personnel
2 = laboratory based personel
3 = medical experts
4 = technological experts
how can dust be used as a locator
- fingerprint dust
what is a crime scene?
any location that has a bearing on an incident thats occured
primary location
where the crime took place
secondary location
other places associated with the crime
whats the importances of preservation of a crime scene
- frist opportuinty to get to the crime scene is important as
afterwards porblems with integrity, continuity and
contamination begin.
- interference with evidence from weath/people/media/animals
personnel likely to attend a crime scene
FOA - first attending officer
SIO - senior investigating officer
CSC - crime scene coordinator
CSM - crime scene manager
SOCO - scenes of crime officer
why are tents and common approach paths used
to stop interference from media, animals, weather and investigators footprints
outline searching, shifting and recovery
Tapping
Bagging
Labelling
Photography
what is sprayed on blood prints
luminol
Lockerbie Bombing 1988
- debris scattered across 854 square miles in Scotland and England
- 259 died
- traces of explosives found on a suitcase helped find suspect
critisms of forensics
1 = potential for error in practice
2 = issues in interpretations
3 = problems of challenging conclusions/underlying science
what is the CSI effect?
- some of the science in shows doesnt existed
- pushes away importance of other evidence
- doesnt show the limited resourcing of forensics, the length of turn around and backlogs
- creates inappropriate expectations of juries
what is cognitive bias
acting in an irrational way due to external factors including social and mental issues
what is class v individualised?
class = what species a hair belong too
individualised = who the specific person or thing the hair belongs too
what are the three main types of fingerprints
Loops (60%)
Arches (5%)
Whorls (35%)
why is soil useful to examine
- sticks to clothing/shoes
- secondary transfer
- soil has a variety of colour/structures so can help find primary location of a crime
what is the test for blood
luminol test = using an oxidizing agent to produce a distinct glow
explain significance of the stephen lawrence
- unprovoked attack at bus stop
- FS secured blood fragments from clothing after 10 years
- microscopic blood stain found on Suspects Jacket
- tiny size implied it was a very quick transfer that could not have been transferred from anywhere else except the attack
theats to the integrity of potential evidence
- contamination
- tampering/alteration
- chain of custody issues
- biological and physical deterioration
- technological threats
- human errors
- fabrication
- legal objections
what is entomology?
the study of insects in providing information about a crime - biological evidence
what can insects tell us
- the place of the primary crime scene
- if there has been secondary transfer - insects used to water
- how long the body has been there
- how far the decomposition process is along - time since death
- time period of crime - insects that only come out at night
what can be extracted from insects
- blood-sucking insects = DNA
- Larvae = drugs (indication of sexual assault)
stages of decomposition
1 = Pallor mortis = fresh stage
2 = Algor mortis = bloated stage
3 = Livor mortis = active decay
4 = rigor mortis = post decay stage
5 = Putrefaction = skeletonisation
Potential problems
- different regions
- adjustment for temperature
- delayed fly access
- presence of insecticide
- insects can pause their
- myiasis = presence of insects before death
-
who is Buck Ruxton
- one of the UKs first successful used of entomology in prosecution - 1935
- murdered his wife and evidence based on entomology used to arrest and incriminate him