Sample preparation in forensic toxicological analysis may have huge impacts.

 

Ty Chermsirivatana

10-28-21

Ippolito

Current Event 6

 

Boston University School of Medicine. "Sample preparation in forensic toxicological analysis may have huge impacts." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 8 July 2021. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/07/210708111505.htm>.

            Article: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/07/210708111505.htm 

 

            For this current event, I decided to do an interesting article about how Sample Preparation in Forensic Toxicology can lead to huge improvements in its field. Researchers at BUSM (Boston University School of Medicine) provided Science Daily with an overview of sample techniques and information on routine sample types which may be encountered in Forensic Toxicology cases. Forensic Toxicology spans over a wide variety of scenarios from drugs-induced/impacted cases to the use or presence of alcohol in Forensics. These samples provided by BUSM will be able to help Forensic Toxicologists be able to identify samples of drugs / foreign substances in cases.

 

            In regards to the importances to not only Forensic Toxicology but the field of Forensic Science is the quicker lab testing time and response time. In a Forensic Case where certain pieces of evidence can decay and time is of the utmost importance, being able to identify which substances are in play in the context of a case is key. These samples will allow Forensic Toxicologists in the field to be able to identify, mark and counteract substances found at the scene of an incident.

 

            In a brief overview, the article gave an insightful and descriptive look into the world of Forensic Toxicology. This article is an example that even in today’s world, Forensic Technicians are still finding new ways to diagnose and analyze all types of data at any scale. In the world of Forensic toxicology, the technicians will be able to compare sample substances to those found at the scene allowing them to quickly identify evidence on a massive scale and again, it’s a nod to the marvels in technological advancements made since Orfelia first ignited the world of Forensic Toxicology into reality.

 

DNA DOE Project Helps Id John Wayne Gacy Victim

 

Elizabeth Burnell

Mr. Ippolito

Forensics (EF Odd) // Current Events 6

October 29, 2021

 

Taylor, Michelle. “DNA DOE Project Helps Id John Wayne Gacy Victim.” Forensic®, Forensics Magazine, 27 Oct. 2021, www.forensicmag.com/580471-DNA-Doe-Project-Helps-ID-John-Wayne-Gacy-Victim/.  

On October 27, 2021, Michelle Taylor of Forensics Magazine published an insightful article surrounding the infamous serial murders of John Wayne Gacy. As she explains in the article, one of the six unknown Gacy victims has been identified through the use of genetic genealogy. 44 years ago, the body was discovered along with 25 others in Gacy’s hidden crawlspace. The 22 year old victim, now identified as Francis Wayne Alexander, was murdered between 1976 and 1977. To identify the victim, Cook County Sheriff’s Police collaborated with the DNA Doe Project (DDP) to apply new genealogical research methods to the case. Cook County Police are still hoping to identify the remaining unnamed victims.

            This piece was very powerful as it illustrated the importance of applying new methods of forensic science to old criminal cases. “These unidentified young men brutally murdered by this vicious serial killer deserve dignity and that includes knowing their names,” said Cook County Sheriff Thomas Dart. “As science evolves, it is important for us to continually apply these new tools to both new and old cases to help victims and their families.” It is essential that we not allow victims of past crimes to be left behind; we must continually be utilizing the science and tools of our future to better investigate and understand our past.

            I really enjoyed Taylor’s article. It was succinct, informative, and well-structured. I do wish, however, that the author provided more detail about genetic genealogy and why it is valuable to criminal investigators and forensic sciences. I also wish they gave more insight on law enforcement’s next steps in terms of identifying the remaining unnamed victims.

Study highlights need to replace 'ancestry' in forensics with something more accurate.

 

Sofie Blazejczak

Mr Ippolito

10/29/2021

Current events #6 (2nd writeup)

 

Study highlights need to replace 'ancestry' in forensics with something more accurate.

September 15, 2021. North Carolina State University

 

As our society progresses and diversifies the human population, it becomes more important to ensure that anthropology forensic is being updated as well, maximizing the potential and accuracy of the field. Forensic anthropology relates the human race with bone structure, and follows with the categories Asian, European, and African. Furthermore, inconsistent terminology used in the forensic science field (for example, different words to describe a race) allows for confusion, misunderstanding and missure within the discipline of categorizing by historical ancestry. Using a default such as race can be widely misleading in the context of forensic science. Population affinity (in the context of forensic anthropology) is determined by the skeletal characteristics associated with groups of people. Bone structure can represent many other aspects of ancestry that are beyond, or even contradicts one’s appearance of race. It is important that forensic science not only analyzes historical ancestry, but reflects modern change and faults in the far too simple terms and categories.

This is a significant point to be made in the science and justice system as a whole; researchers who evaluated nine data sets on data of 397 people from South America (Cuba Guatemala, Panama, Peru…) found that groups that are geographically close to each other aren't always similar to one another. For example, Panama and Colombia, which share a border, have surprising differences in their skeletal characteristics. This study on ancestry and race is significantly important in forensics science because it works to take steps towards reducing racism in the field , and prevents the common fault of marginalizing specific groups of people. As a field, it is important that there is an emphasis on thinking about physical markers in the context of population affinity, to specifically help understand the origins of unidentified remains - it is important that the forensic field recognize this so that they don’t contribute to the structural inequities and racism. Contemporary remains reflect cultural influence on the different origins of the world.

            I found that this article was a little confusing to follow along with, and would have preferred a more direct connection of generalizing terms and how they can contribute to faults and inequities such as racism in the field. I think again, there could have been greater elaboration on how these errors on analyzing origin contribute to the problem or targeted marginalized populations, as it was only brushed upon. Conclusively, I would have liked to learn more about specific examples of how significant faults in inconsistent and too general terms have impacted the justice system or thoroughness of a crime case, in regards to forensic science