Reopened rape case

The article I read explains how a case about a man who was convicted of raping and murdering a 10 year old girl in 1990 is being reopened again. The man was convicted based on the evidence of one hair being found at the crime scene however it was later on determined that the hair did not originate from a “negroid” but rather a man who has a “caucasoid” mother so it could not have come from the suspect. The man’s lawyers therefore claimed that they needed more evidence in order to rightfully convict the suspect however all evidence had been destroyed after the trial. When the man’s lawyer’s kept calling different judges they later found out that a woman had a bag of evidence left. The lawyer’s now expect the evidence to be processed on March 28th for further testing.

This article is extremely relevant to the scientific and criminalist community since it shows that science can bring light to evidence over time since techniques are always being improved and new ways of testing evidence might be invented. It also shows how important it is to test every piece of evidence in a case in other to rightfully convict someone. The article also challenges beliefs that a suspect can be convicted with only one piece of hair and as we have learned in class, most hair found at the crime scene is in the talogen stage so it does not contain a significant amount of DNA.

I thought this article did a good job explaining the process that the lawyers went through trying to find more evidence however they did not explain why this bag of evidence had never been tested. It was really unclear as to why evidence had been destroyed after the trial and how a judge could convict someone based on only one piece of hair when that piece of hair also contradicted that the suspect was guilty.

Works cited:

Augenstein, Seth. "Virginia Inmate, Serving 100 Years for Rape Based on Hair, to Get New DNA Testing." Forensic Magazine. Forensic Magazine, 25 Feb. 2016. Web. 02 Mar. 2016. <http://www.forensicmag.com/news/2016/02/virginia-inmate-serving-100-years-rape-based-hair-get-new-dna-testing>.

"How Microscopic Algae Are Helping Forensic Teams Catch Criminals." The Conversation. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 May 2016.

http://theconversation.com/how-microscopic-algae-are-helping-forensic-teams-catch-criminals-57407?

The environment can leave a traces of evidence into a criminal.  Diatoms are microscopic algae that can be retrieved from anywhere in the water and are used to determine death from drowning. They are very tiny and flow in the water and are inhaled into the body when someone drowns.  They are then transported through the circulatory system into the lungs, brain, and bone marrow.  When the diatoms are observed under the microscope, they can be compared to the water where the  body was found.  If the diatoms are not present in the body, this could mean the victim was not killed by being drowned.   If the diatoms are different from the ones found in the water where the body was found, then this might mean that the body was drowned and then moved to a second location.  They are also trace evidence indicators.  Criminals pick up evidence from a crime scene while leaving their own beyond.  Diatoms are abundant in many different types of environments and can be found anything: clothing, footwear, and personal belongings.  

This article is very important to crime scenes and the field forensics in general.  The field of diatom analysis is very important, and will be emerging in the future. More and more scientist will begin to observe these microscopic algae more and more carefully.  You can have one single diatom on a person’s sneaker and they can instantly be convicted guilty.  

This article was very well organized.  It elaborated on all of the scientific terminology that was used and could not be understood until explained.  Also, there were pictures inserted into the article of scientists observing the diatoms under microscope.  There were also microscopic pictures of what the algae looked like.  At the end of the article it was helpful how the author explained why this field would be important for the future.

The article, The Forensics of Snake Venom, by Douglas M. Main, explains how new DNA testing has increased justice in cases of smuggling dried cobra venom. In in Kerala, India authorities have made many arrests for venom trafficking. The activity is on the rise and includes milking highly venomous snakes, and then transporting the good and selling it at a very steep price. It’s illegal to trade in venom from any snake species protected under the country’s Wildlife Act, including the Indian cobra. But unfortunately, not all of the caught smugglers have been locked away due to inconclusive evidence. Before genetic analysis there was no way to prove which snake the venom came from. After a raid on a hotel room in Kerala, the local magistrate sent venom samples to the Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology in Hyderabad. For the first time, scientists were able to analyze DNA within the venom to prove that it came from the Indian cobra, or Naja naja. The study at the Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology in Hyderabad found that the process of milking venom sheds epithelial cells. These cells contain DNA which, when analyzed, can reveal the type of snake it derives from.  

Because of the conclusion of genetic analysis testing smugglers are facing the justice they deserved. They were charged with illegal hunting and trafficking of a protected animal, both of which are punishable by a prison sentence up to three years and/or a fine of about $500. The new discovery will stop the trafficking of the of venom, which will help clean up Kerala, India, where it was being used as a recreational drug. Illegal hunting of and trade in snakes and other reptiles is an enormous problem in South Asia, the process brings animals to extinction, which in turn harms all the wildlife in their habitat. Because of this new process Kerala will return to its peaceful state.

I personally thought this article was very interesting and drew my attention. I was expecting to find an article about a case about a shooting or something cliche. Instead it lead me to see the larger extent of forensic science spreading its influence all the way in Kerala India. It made me see just how science is affected by everything in this world. The article itself was old, but had links to more recent and related articles, which made my summary more relevant. The inclusion of the experts within the article also made the genetic analysis easier to comprehend.

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/10/the-forensics-of-snake-venom/

Main, Douglas M. "The Forensics of Snake Venom." Green Blog. New York Times, Web. 08 May 2016.

Fingernail Scrapings Lead to an Arrest in a Girl’s 1989 Murder

On August 8th, 1989, Noelis Bayanilla was pronounced dead after 2 days earlier being thrown from the roof of a building in Fordham. She was found lying in the street screaming in pain. While she was in the hospital, her only means of communication was by blinking once for yes and twice for no. At the time of the crime, police were initially led to Scott Parilla, a convicted rapist. His profile matched a description given to police, but when interview about knowing Noelis, he denied everything. In June 1996, Scott Parilla plead guilty to attempted murder in an unrelated case. His DNA was then taken from him to try to match a semen sample linked to two cases of sexual assault back in 93. After Noelis Bayanilla’s case was reopened, they re-looked at the skin samples found undernethe her fingernails. The test results led to the police’s initial feeling, Scott Parilla.
This article shows how forensic science is evolving and how technology really helps put criminals into jail. Mr. Parilla was being released from Rikers when police showed up to take him into custody.The mother of Noelis was incredibly happy to hear “that the person who had killed her daughter had been arrested after all this time”.  He will now be locked up for another x amount of years. This is just one of many cases where evidence was re-looked at in order to put the person responsible behind bars. This was thanks to the technology we have.

 This article was filled with a lot of background information giving the reader more of an understanding of what has the main suspect been doing since the time of the attack. The author of the article does not really go into detail on why the case was re-looked at which is a major part of the story. Overall, it was an interesting read and it really makes you think about how many more people could be in jail right now if we reevaluated evidence on cold cases.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/16/nyregion/fingernail-scrapings-lead-to-an-arrest-in-a-girls-1989-murder.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FForensic%20Science&action=click&contentCollection=timestopics&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=3&pgtype=collection

Secondary DNA Transfers Questioned in Cold Case Murder Trial

All of a sudden, a New Jersey man charged in two 1989 murders is challenging the DNA linking him to the crimes that occurred in Philadelphia. His argument focuses on multiple unknowns concerning the secondary transfer amounts of genetic material. The man, Rudolph Churchill, was accused of strangling of a 19 year old woman and a 33 year old woman who were both prostitutes. Touch DNA was found on a sneaker linking Churchill to the crime. The genetic mixture in the blood also connected Churchill to the crime. However, Churchill’s attorney argued that the DNA could have come from some secondary transfer, such as spit in a highly-trafficked area. There was also a used condom found near one of the victims, but it was lost in storage. The defense argued that the evidence was “compromised”  The genetic mixture had DNA of as many as three people on it, so her argument is valid. This crime had been unsolved since its inception, until a federal agent allowed further testing in cold cases in 2013. The DNA from the crime scene produced a CODIS hit. Rudolph Churchill had given a DNA sample when he was released from prison in 2007 for a different crime. He was arrested for these murders in 2014.

This article is very relevant to what we learned in class. We watched a video on a son who wanted to prove that his father was innocent by using DNA evidence on a cold crime. We also talked about evidence being found at a crime scene and it's amazing how decades after a crime, they finally solved it. It is important to society because it shows people are still trying to solve crimes not matter how much time has passed.

It was really interesting reading this article. I thought the author’s summary was pretty brief and would have liked to know more about the crime and what else has happened since the murders happened. I didn’t understand some of the terminology, so definitions would have been nice. Also, I would have liked to have some opinions and quotes from people in this field as well. I liked how the author connected everything back at the end of his article.

Augenstein, Seth. "Secondary DNA Transfers Questioned in Cold Case Murder Trial." Forensic Magazine. 28 Apr. 2016. Web. 28 Apr. 2016.

http://www.forensicmag.com/articles/2016/04/secondary-dna-transfers-questioned-cold-case-murder-trial

SUNY Purchase Summer Programs for HS Students

New Test Figures Out Exact Time of Death

Forensics Gianna DiMinno

Current Event Review 4.20.16

Moore, Elizabeth Armstrong. "New Test Figures Out Exact Time of Death." Newser. Newser Staff, n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2016.

I read the article, “New Test Figures Out Exact Time of Death” by Elizabeth Armstrong. This article was about current forensic tests that are used to determine a time of death of a person. The way to do this is to use a person’s core body temperature but it only works within three days of death. Researchers at the University of Salzburg in Austria have made a new method that can figure out the exact time of death as many as 10 days later.

They announced their discovery at the Society for Experimental Biology conference in Prague and told BBC that they have been measuring how muscle proteins degrade in dead pigs and is proved to be a promising method. This approach is thought of to be “unorthodox” but it can change forensic science. This extends the ability to measure a time of death from 36 hours to 240 hours by using the tissue that is in our bodies.

This new technique is important to forensic science because it allows the hour of determination of death to be extended from 36 to 240 which can let forensic investigators get more details from the bodies/victim in order to find their perp or attacker. I enjoyed reading this article because it taught me a new forensic technique that can change the forensic game. Another thing I enjoyed about this article was that it said the benefits of this new technique and the negatives. One thing I didn’t enjoy about this article was the fact that they didn’t include a case where this technique was used in so we could fully understand how it works. Another setback I had with this article was that it could have gone into more detail about how the new technique was “unorthodox”, but overall I thought this article described the new technique well enough for me to understand and comprehend it.

How Microscopic Algae Are Helping Forensic Teams Catch Criminal

http://www.forensicmag.com/news/2016/04/how-microscopic-algae-are-helping-forensic-teams-catch-criminal

"How Microscopic Algae Are Helping Forensic Teams Catch Criminal." Forensic Magazine. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2016.

This article talks about how deserted fields, dark forests, murky rivers, concrete jungles, and environments can leave traces of physical evidence on a criminal. Ever since the late 1800, this principle has been well known to crime scene investigations. However, unfortunately, the most reliable pieces of evidence can be difficult to analyze.

For example, Microscopic algae, such as diatoms, can be picked up from virtually anywhere there is water – including seas, lakes, soils, some domestic water supplies and even moist surfaces such as exposed rocks. While diatoms traditionally have been used to diagnose death by drowning, research is unravelling their huge potential for use as trace evidence in a range of forensic investigations. They appear golden brown to the naked eye. They are composed of silica- recently found to be the strongest natural material on the planet.

Overall, this article was interesting and the information was all new to me. However, it would have been better if the Author of this article included more information on specific crime scene cases that have been solved due to these pieces of evidence.

Murder Conviction, Based Solely on Eyewitness Testimony, Reversed after 25 Years

A man imprisoned for 25 years on a murder conviction, based on a single eyewitness who had something to gain, and walked out of a courtroom a free man on March 10th, 2016.

In 1991, the now 49-year-old, Andre Hatchett, was convicted of slaying Neda Mae Carter in a park in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn.

Brooklyn DA Ken Thompson consented to have the conviction reversed since it was based on a sole eyewitness who didn’t immediately identify Hatchett – and who claimed to recognize the killer from a distance of about 40 feet on a rainy night.

“We are incredibly grateful to (the DA), without which Mr. Hatchett may never have received justice,” said Barry Scheck, of the Innocence Project. “This was a cooperative, non-adversarial search for the truth that should be a model for all who do this work.” At the time of the crime, on Feb. 18, 1991, Hatchett was recovering from several gunshot wounds to his throat and leg and was confined to crutches. The eyewitness, named Gerard Williams, originally said the killer in the dark park had a crutch, then later changed that detail. Williams even identified another man entirely, according to the investigators’ case file – a detail which was never released to Hatchett’s attorneys at the time of the trial.

“Sadly, the evidence we uncovered reveals that the system failed him at every step in the process,” said Jim Brochin, a lawyer from a New York firm who represented Hatchett for the Innocence Project. “Bad judgment and errors plagued this case from beginning to end.”

This article is relevant to forensic news today because right now we are seeing more and more cases popping up where people that were convicted of serious crimes years back and have been imprisoned for decades are getting let out finally for crimes they did not commit. It is time that forensic scientists step up their game with identifying criminals because we by all means have the technology and ability to do so.

My critique of this article is that there needed to be more evidence to back up the claim as to why they let Andre Hatchett out of prison after 25 years solely because there was only one witness present. I would have liked to have read more evidence as to why he was not guilty; the whole article was sort of a summary of the events of the murder, so I would have liked to have read more of why he was let off.

http://www.forensicmag.com/news/2016/03/murder-conviction-based-solely-eyewitness-testimony-reversed-after-25-years

Augenstein, Seth. "Murder Conviction, Based Solely on Eyewitness Testimony, Reversed after 25 Years." Forensic Magazine. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2016.

Does CODIS Contain Untapped Ancestry Information?

The article, “Does CODIS Contain Untapped Ancestry Information” by Seth Augenstein, immediately caught my attention. I was intrigued by the possibility that CODIS, an FBI software that is compiled with all of the DNA patterns of criminals, could have the power to uncover unknown ancestral information. The original perception of CODIS was that it could only yield individual identification. One of the authors of the new study, Jun Lin, who is also a Michigan professor in the Department of Human Genetics stated, “Everyone knows these markers are great for ‘fingerprinting’ people – we just didn’t know how much ancestry information came along with it,” The study consisted of analyzing the DNA of 978 people from 53 different populations around the world. Due to this discovery in CODIS, the software has the capability of identifying phenotypes and ancestral information. Labs are now to increase the amount of loci--the positions of genes on a chromosomes, or markers--used because the amount of ancestry information available may increase in turn.

The topic and question that this article explored has enormous relevance to today’s world. This new found information and capability can be extended beyond its use in CODIS and the DNA profiles of only criminals and arrestees. This way of determining a limited amount of ancestral information has the possibility to be further developed and investigated in order to uncover genetic/ancestral information that might not have been available about a person. 

The author this article, Seth Augenstein, wrote it as such to bring the topic to a full circle. The opening paragraph briefly describes what CODIS actually is: FBI controlled Combined DNA Index System. The closing sentences brought the subject back to the origins of CODIS and the fact that it was used in only fourteen states. Now, CODIS contains more than fourteen million profiles of criminals and arrestees and many more, as it continues to grow. Another good point about this article was the title choice, in which it states a direct question, but the actual answer is woven throughout and indirectly answered. However, my first reaction to this article when I read it was that the writing style felt too choppy. Luckily, this opinion changed as I read the article a few more times in which the style seemed more fluid and the transitions from paragraph to paragraph made more sense. Lastly, the author could have defined certain words, such as loci (the position of a gene on a chromosome) in order to help the audience overall to have a better understanding of what the article is about, since most are not well versed in biological terms, specifically those that concern DNA. Overall, the article was fascinating to read because of this new found capability of CODIS to reveal ancestral information, not only identifying individuals.

"Does CODIS Contain Untapped Ancestry Information?" Forensic Magazine. N.p., n.d. Web. 20

Apr. 2016.

<http://www.forensicmag.com/articles/2016/04/does-codis-contain-untapped-ancestry-information>.

"'Letting Data Paint the Picture': Anthropologist Combines Skull Measurements with DNA"

Sophia Dibbini April 20, 2016

http://www.forensicmag.com/articles/2016/04/letting-data-paint-picture-anthropologist-combines-skull-measurements-dna

Augenstein, Seth. "'Letting Data Paint the Picture': Anthropologist Combines Skull Measurements with DNA." Forensic Magazine. N.p., 20 Apr. 2016. Web. 20 Apr. 2016.

The article “‘Letting Data Paint the Picture’: Anthropologist Combines Skull Measurements with DNA” concerns examining deceased bodies in hopes for new information on the ancestry and history of the deceased. Since bodies are deceased and old, it is hard to derive information. The first step, this article states, is to determine the ancestry of the deceased. “Craniometrics” is an anthropological discipline where measurements of the skull are used to determine someone’s ancestry. Investigators used this type of forensic science to investigate the bodies by examining the skull’s shape and size. It can be very accurate with people from one genetic background- but the more mixed ancestry there is, the less reliable it becomes. This leads to one problem- in a diverse combination of genes, fewer people than ever before are from one ethnic group. Even those who identify as black or white may have a complex DNA palette producing unique body dimensions- including skull shape and size. A recent paper proposes to update and improve the skull-measuring discipline, and to bring it in line with the most recent DNA analysis instead of self-reported ethnic background. Algee-Hewitt of Stanford University states that “genetics has taken the whole question of ancestry up to a completely different level” and “we now have standards and methods that are very refined in genetics that we need to start applying to craniometrics so that we have compared analyses and comparable data returns.” Once a person was classified simply as “white or “black” or “Asian” or “Native American.” But now the percentages of each racial group we acquire over generations has made genetic portraits much, much more complex. Even medicine has begun a major shift as the effectiveness of drugs and medical interventions has become intertwined with a person’s DNA. A prime example of the current difficulties with racial classification is the category currently known as “Hispanic.” “Hispanic” is really an all-including term that groups together diverse groups of Mexicans, Guatemalans, South Americans of dozens of nations and ethnic groups. Identifying them and trying to notify their “next of kin” back home has been a humanitarian crisis. This work is not yet complete, and investigators are continuing to study this issue to refine the study of craniometrics.

Hundreds, if not thousands, of skeletal remains lay bare, unidentified and unknown. Craniometrics has identified and classified many of those skeletons with one genetic background, but leave the others with more mixed ancestry unidentified and unsolved. Medicine and genomics has also shifted in its quality and relevance of its work, revolutionizing forensic science. Adapting population assignment methods from genetics can be information in forensic anthropology. The methods accommodate individuals who do not fit neatly into predefined population categories. The next step for the work is to take the mathematical models and make them more comprehensive with thousands more cross-referenced samples. The equations and methodology are all open-source. Mixing anthropology with DNA is only going to get more complicated, but accurate. By combining craniometry with the latest genetics, people can be better identified, and crimes can be solved.

The author does a great job of setting up the article because he goes from introducing craniometrics to talking about these investigations and problems. One major strength of this article is the introduction and clear description of craniometrics. The author introduces this term to the reader, one of which I had never heard of before, and talks about its importance in forensic science. Another strength is the author’s connection to Algee-Hewitt and her information and view on this topic. She provides good information and opinions and it was smart of the author to incorporate her into the article, it made it flow better. Although this article had many strengths, it also had some weaknesses. First, the author did not do a good job of explaining background information on this topic and why it is being discussed- it would have been better if he mentioned why this is an important issue and what problems have led up to dealing with this issue. Also, although the author referenced the new ideas and actions being taken towards this issue, he did not talk about the new processes coming into play to help investigate the deceased- It would have made the article better if he had talked about these new and updated processes. Even though there were some weaknesses, the article was very interesting and relevant. Overall, I enjoyed reading this article and look forward to learning more about this topic when new information is found.

Use footprints to identify disaster victims, say Japanese investigators

McCurry, Justin. "Use Footprints to Identify Disaster Victims, Say Japanese Investigators." The

Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 17 Mar. 2016. Web. 18 Apr. 2016. <http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/mar/17/footprints-not-fingerprints-identify-disaster-victims-japan>.

The quest for finding a more efficient and easier method of identifying people is slowly but steadily being completed. In Tokyo’s metropolitan police division, two members, Akira Mizutane, who leads murder investigations and Hideo Kaneko, a former member of the crime scene investigation division, came up with the idea that footprints, rather than fingerprints could be used to identify victims of natural disasters. This is arguably more effective than fingerprint identification because fingerprints are not always available, and footprints have the added protection of footwear while remaining unique for each person. Also, scanning footprints results in less worry about privacy worries and unethical use of data. It is important to note that toeprints have not only footwear for protection but also unique patterns that can be used to identify people. Keep in mind that DNA testing takes time and money whereas there is already a portable scanner that can quickly scan and store footprints. Last but not least, footprint scanning can also be used to identify any elderly persons in protective police custody with dementia.

Overall, the usage of footprints instead of fingerprints seems like it could facilitate quicker and more accurate identification of disaster victims. According to the Guardian, there were many errors in identifying victims of Japan’s 2011 earthquake and tsunami. About 19,000 died; yet many discrepancies occurred because the police had only clothing and physical characteristics to base the appearances of the missing persons on. However, it is pressing that in the next thirty years, a highly probable earthquake could happen in Tokyo. Thus these new techniques will be vital in disasters such as this, but on a global scale. Already a company has designed a prototype of a portable footprint scanner which means that it is practical in short-term goals. Short term goals include natural disasters that have occurred recently but also when it comes to determining the identity of missing persons or senior citizens in protective police custody. When it comes to finding unique ways of identifying people, the more there is,  the merrier the people will be, certainly.

The Guardian’s Justin McCurry seems to have outdone himself. Overall, the article is very compelling, well-written and at a good pace. The premise is provided at the foremost, designed to be intriguing and succinct, while the constant quotations from Akira Mizutane and Hideo Kaneko smacks of credibility. Now, in the wake of Japan’s most recent earthquake, it proves itself more poignant than ever. However, even professionally written articles have their flaws, as do current events. On the other hand, like most criticisms, these flaws are simply a matter of opinion. For instance, while the March 2011 earthquake disaster is still important, even nowadays, the article should point out that such an earthquake was a rather exceptional one among the multitude of earthquakes the country is inherently susceptible to. Another thing that should be addressed is that maybe this article should have been updated due to the earthquake in Japan that occurred only a month after the article was written because an even more unique coincidence occurred; Japan’s and Ecuador’s earthquakes could be interconnected with each other. As a result, maybe Ecuador should be the first to utilize this technology after Japan. Other than that, this article is so substantial that there is not a lot of mistakes to chew out. Nonetheless, it would be quite nice if they also elaborated on the situation with the elderly currently being held in protective police custody because they got lost and have not the slightest clue of their own identity. That is not something one hears about often in the United States, of course.

Chemists devise new approach for rapidly identifying 'legal highs'

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/03/160303084622.htm

Queen's University, Belfast. "Chemists devise new approach for rapidly identifying 'legal highs'." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 3 March 2016. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/03/160303084622.htm>.

Chemists Devise New Approach for Rapidly Identifying Legal Highs

Chemists from Queen’s University have come up with a way to quickly screen for legal synthetic drugs. This will allow agencies to screen these drugs and find out what their active ingredients are. As a result the public can be better informed, and the police can use them to better correlate patterns in crime-rates related to these drugs. These legal drugs consist of a medical cocktail of various substances that cause varying psychological effects. Some of these substances, although technically legal, have been known to cause serious side effects due to the odd materials that are added to them in order to circumvent the law. The UK is in the process of implementing a ban in order stop such dangerous substances, however, those laws don’t apply over here.

The process of screening for the drugs works by focusing a laser on the sample and measuring how the energy of light scatters from it. These vibrations are chemical signatures of the compound and can be matched against other signatures in order to form more conclusive results, as there exists a database just for this. I thought that the article was of a reasonable length while still going over the key points of the finding. I thought that it was very informative without being too technical. I also thought that the article could have possibly talked about why some of these substances are so bad, and maybe even touch upon the kinds of substances being mixed into these. I think that synthetic drugs are now becoming a big problem due to them being more accessible to the youth, and the harm that they cause is generally much worse than that of a lot of drugs on the street right now. I think that this finding should help to identify harmful substances in these drugs and perhaps allow us to take action against them. 

Cell Phone Forensics Provides Legally Defensible Evidence

Ian Baxter

4/12/16

Forensics

Current Event 19

The article that I read discussed the importance modern technology and social networks hold in forensic investigations. For example, investigators can now discover the demographics of a person just based off of basic information on their phones. However, more than anything else, the amount of information stored on phones and computers today make those items very valuable in forensic investigations. Certain things such as search history, Facebook posts, Instagram, pictures on the phone, online purchases and of course GPS location history can have a major impact on the outcome or result of a case or investigation. The main purpose of the article, however, was not to discuss the numerous possibilities that are presented with mobile phone forensic investigations, but was to discuss the problems that forensic scientists are faced with on the subject of mobile phone forensic investigations. There is an issue in the court of law, when it comes to going into the private property of an individual, be it a laptop or a phone. There is the lagging problem of privacy that prevents this forensic practice from blowing up and becoming the major part of forensic science that it should become.

As a teenager with a mobile phone and both Facebook and Instagram accounts, this subject is very relevant to my personal life. However, because we live in the age of mobile phones and social networking, this forensic practice definitely applies to humanity. People would like to have their privacy respected, yet are willing to complain about companies like Apple refusing to share the personal information of terrorists from their mobile phones. The situation poses a real moral dilemma, as certain people can not have this practice enforced on them more than others do. Ultimately, it is up to the courts in individual cases to decide for or against the use of mobile phone forensic investigations.

I thought that the article was well written and organized. I was impressed with the author’s writing skills and ability to write in a very orderly fashion. Different forms of modern technology were subcategorized in a way in which I was able to easily tell what I was learning about. Overall this was a very interesting article and the author was able to write in a way that was not only efficient, but interesting and important.

Works Cited

Prinsloo, Martin. "Cell Phone Forensics Provides Legally Defensible Evidence." Daily Business Review. N.p., 12 Apr. 2016. Web.

New Criminology Study: All Crimes Are Not Created Equal

Allocca, Sean. "New Criminology Study: 'All Crimes Are Not Created Equal'" Forensic

Magazine. Forensic Magazine, 05 Apr. 2016. Web. 12 Apr. 2016.

http://www.forensicmag.com/articles/2016/04/new-criminology-study-all-crimes-are-not-created-equal

Cambridge Criminology Director Lawrence Sherman has recently challenged the typical method of classifying crimes. He posed the idea of assigning punishment to crimes based off of the harm caused to others. He and his team set out to find the best way to categorize these crimes. What they developed was called the Crime Harm Index (CHI). They believe that classifying the crimes correctly leads to better responses and more accurate and fair incarceration \ rehabilitation.

This is an important development that needs to take hold here in America. The justice system has been under a lot of scrutiny in the wake of numerous possibly racially motivated deaths in America. Our incarceration rate is through the roof on crimes such as drug possession which are clearly only harming a select number of individuals (and in many cases just the user) and yet violent crimes are too frequently met with short sentences. The article also highlighted how these development allows police officers to target high crime areas and recognize and stop repeat offenders of violent crime. This is a move toward modernization and efficiency.

The article itself was well written and certainly compelling. It utilized important quotes and terminology without getting too wordy or bulky. It linked to the Cambridge research and gave a general overview of the key points. All in all it is an important topic and a compelling piece.

Virginia Inmate Freed After DNA Tests Refute Bite-Mark Evidence

Eckholm, Erik. "Virginia Inmate Freed After DNA Tests Refute Bite-Mark Evidence." The New

York Times. The New York Times, 08 Apr. 2016. Web. 12 Apr. 2016.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/09/us/virginia-inmate-freed-after-dna-tests-refute-bite-mark-evidence.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FForensic%20Science&action=click&contentCollection=timestopics&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=collection&_r=0

The article called, “Virginia Inmate Freed After DNA Tests Refute Bite-Mark Evidence” is about how a man who had served for 33 years in prison for a murder and rape case was just released.  Innocence Project members had gotten their hands on DNA evidence from the case, and claimed that it did not match the DNA of Mr.Harward (the suspect). The case began in 1982 when the police did not have solid leads a murder case where a home invader had killed a man and raped the man’s wife. A few months later, a girlfriend accused Mr. Harward of biting her and the police began to suspect Mr.Harward. A naval officer at the time, who had been undergoing hypnosis, told the police that he saw Mr.Harward with blood on his shirt. The case was taken to court, and the only evidence against Mr.Harward was the single bite mark. Dr. Lowell J. Levine, who was known for using dentistry to solve cases, had testified that the bite marks on the women and Mr.Harward’s matched. He was sentenced to life in prison. Last year, a court ordered the DNA testing of several items previously found at the crime scenes. After the testing, it cleared Mr.Harward’s name and was found that he was not the perpetrator. M. Chris Fabricant, who worked as the director of the Innocence project says “Any conviction resting on this grossly unreliable technique is inherently flawed. Every state in the nation should be conducting reviews to see if there are others like Mr. Harward sitting in prison for crimes they didn’t commit.”

This article is very relevant to our world today. Because of inadequate or flawed evidence, millions of people are being sentenced to death or to life in prison for something that they did not commit. This shows that despite all the technological advances, we still have to be careful with how we are using evidence since it can determine how someone’s life. This article highlighted the importance of having sufficient data to convict someone, and how important the job of a forensic investigator is. The article was also useful in explaining how useful reviewing the evidence is for old criminal cases because new insight on a case can always occur.

I liked this article because it provided a lot of detail about the case and explained in depth about how Mr.Harward was convicted. It would have been useful to have a quote from the judge who sentenced Mr.Harward and see his view on why he/she convicted someone based only on one piece of unreliable evidence.

Forensics Students Begin Blood Spatter Investigation

The forensic classes have just begun on of their longer investigations. They will be learning all about blood spatter. They began this unit by watching the NOVA Program "Killer's Trail", which examines the famous Dr. Sam Sheppard murder case, which was the inspiration for the "Fugitive" television series and movie.

Today the classes began to exam how the size and shapes of blood drops change with the height from which the blood drop fell and the angle at which the blood hit the surface.