FORENSIC SCIENCE
AN INTRODUCTION
What is Forensic Science?
It is the application of scientific technology to supply accurate and
objective information reflecting the events that occurred at a crime.
What does a Forensic Scientist DO?
1. Analyze physical evidence.
2. Provide Expert Testimony.
3. Provide training in the recognition, collection and preservation of
physical evidence.
Complex Reasoning In Forensic Science
Deductive (reasoning from the general to the particular) and
Inductive Reasoning (reasoning from detailed facts to general principles)
Classifying
Comparing and Contrasting
Problem Solving
Analyzing Perspectives
Constructing Support
Error Analysis
History of Forensic Science
Sherlock Holmes: a fictional character developed by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle; used a great deal of forensic
detection
Mathieu Orfila: toxicology (the detection of poisons)
Alphonse Bertillon: anthropometry (personal identification through body measurements)
Francis Galton: developed 1st fingerprint identification system
Leone Lattes: determined methods of using blood type as a means of identification
Calvin Goddard: firearms examination
Albert Osborn: document examination
Edmund Locard: developed the 1st police lab
Locard’s Exchange Principle
“Whenever 2 objects come in contact with one another, they
exchange some material (dust particles, hair, dead skin cells,
etc…)”
Locard strongly believed that:
every criminal can be connected to a crime by dust particles
carried from the scene
General Crime Laboratory Services
and the Materials each unit Analyzes
Physical Science Unit: drugs, glass, paint,
explosives, etc.
Photography Unit: record all physical
evidence.
Biology Unit: blood and other bodily
fluids
Toxicology Unit: presence/absence of drugs
Firearms Unit: ballistics, comparisons
Latent Fingerprint Unit: fingerprints
Document Examination Unit:
handwriting, typewriting, questioned Pathology Unit-
documents (ransom notes, etc.)
Forensic Pathology
Investigation of sudden unnatural, unexplained or violent
deaths
Answer the questions:
Who is the victim?
What are the injuries, when did they occur, and how were they
produced? And how he/she died?
5 manners of death: natural, homicide, suicide, accident,
undetermined
CORPUS DELICTI
“Body of the Crime”
You must prove:
that a crime has occurred
that the person charged with the crime was responsible for the
crime
Top Reasons for Committing a Crime
Money
Revenge
Sex
Emotion--love, hate, anger
Source of Evidence
Body
Primary and/or Secondary Crime Scene
Suspect(s)
Physical Evidence
Transient Evidence--temporary; easily changed or lost; usually
observed by the first officer at the scene
Odor--putrefaction, perfume, gasoline, urine, burning, explosives,
cigarette or cigar smoke
Temperature--of room, car hood, coffee, water in a bathtub; cadaver
Imprints and indentations--footprints; teeth marks in perishable foods;
tire marks on certain surfaces
Markings
Physical Evidence - contd
Pattern or Transfer Evidence--produced by direct contact between a
person and an object or between two objects. There are several
ways (at least 7) of classifying evidence. But we will just use :
o Biological
o Chemical
o Physical
o Miscellaneous
Biological Evidence
Blood Tissues
Semen Urine
Saliva Feces
Sweat/Tears Animal Material
Hair Insects
Bone Bacterial/Fungal
Chemical Evidence
Fibers Paper
Glass Ink
Soil Cosmetics
Gunpowder Paint
Metal Plastic
Mineral Lubricants
Narcotics Fertilizer
Drugs
Physical (impression)
Fingerprints Printing
Footprints Number restoration
Shoe prints Tire marks
Handwriting Tool marks
Firearms Typewriting
Miscellaneous
Laundry marks Photography
Voice analysis Stress evaluation
Polygraph Psycholinguistic analysis
Vehicle identification
Physical Evidence (contd)
Conditional Evidence--produced by a specific event or action; important in crime
scene reconstruction and in determining the set of circumstances within a
particular event.
Light--headlight; lighting conditions
Smoke--color, direction of travel, density, odor
Fire--color and direction of the flames, speed of spread, temperature and
condition of fire
Location--of injuries or wounds; of bloodstains; of the victims vehicle;of
weapons or cartridge cases; of broken glass, etc.
Vehicles--doors locked or unlocked, windows opened or closed; radio off or
on (station); odometer mileage
Body--position; types of wounds; rigor, livor and algor mortis
Scene--condition of furniture, doors and windows; any disturbance or signs
of a struggle.
CRIME
What Why Did It Who Did
Happened? Happen? It?
Crime Scene Investigative
Evidence Collection + Stage = Identification
Witness, Suspect and Profiling and Arrest of
Motive Development Means Suspect
Motive
Post Scene Opportunity
Evidence Processing
Cause, manner, time
of death
THEREFORE,
One can die of a massive hemorrhage (the mechanism of death)
due to a fall (cause of death) as a result of being pushed
(homicide), jumping (suicide), falling (accident), or not being
able to tell which (undetermined).
All of which are manners of death.
Just A Thought…
It’s not what you know that hurts you, its what
you think you know and it’s not so….
-Mark Twain
How does this apply to forensic science and crime
investigations?
