Scribd
Upload
170 views

Introduction To Forensic Science

You must always keep an open mind and be willing to re-evaluate your initial assumptions as new evidence comes to light. What seems obvious at first may turn out to be incorrect. A thorough, objective analysis of all available evidence is needed to arrive at the truth.

Uploaded by

chauncymaturan2
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
170 views

Introduction To Forensic Science

You must always keep an open mind and be willing to re-evaluate your initial assumptions as new evidence comes to light. What seems obvious at first may turn out to be incorrect. A thorough, objective analysis of all available evidence is needed to arrive at the truth.

Uploaded by

chauncymaturan2
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 18

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?

You might also like

pFad - Phonifier reborn

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


Alternative Proxies:

Alternative Proxy

pFad Proxy

pFad v3 Proxy

pFad v4 Proxy