New Fingerprint Tech Leads to Suspect's Arrest in 1983 Murder

 

Avery Jones

Current Event #8 

1/9/22

TaylTaylor, Michelle. “New Fingerprint Tech Leads to Suspect's Arrest in 1983 Murder.” Forensic Magazine, 3 Dec. 2021, https://www.forensicmag.com/581573-New-Fingerprint-Tech-Leads-to-Suspect-s-Arrest-in-1983-Murder/.

          A 38-year-old cold case was recently solved using cutting-edge fingerprint technology according to an article published in Forensic magazine. The new technology, RECOVER, was first discovered ten years ago at Loughborough University with support from the UK Defence Science and Technology Laboratory. RECOVER was later refined by a UK-based company, foster+freeman, before applying it in the field to live forensic investigations.

          In 1983, Carla Lowe, a 21-year-old female, was found lying in the middle of the road after being brutally beaten and run over in Delray Beach, Florida. Autopsy reports determined that cause of death was blunt force trauma. Lowe had been waiting at a station to catch an Amtrak train. Detectives had long suspected Ralph Williams, who had no connection to Lowe, of committing the murder. However, there was not enough evidence in 1983 to prosecute Williams in the case.

           Todd Clancy, a detective in the newly launched Cold Case Unit of the Delray Beach Police Department, used RECOVER to help solve Lowe’s case, the first since establishing the unit in January 2021. Using this new technology, William’s fingerprints were retrieved from an item found at the crime scene that had been held in the police storage room for 38 years. RECOVER uses a “chemical vapor fuming process” to detect fingerprints on a range of surfaces, including surfaces that have been exposed to high heat, like bullet casings, as well as surfaces that have been sanitized in an attempt to cover up a crime. Given its success in recovering prints from surfaces that have been exposed to destructive elements and chemicals, RECOVER could be revolutionary in solving countless cold case homicides, bringing much-needed closure to victims’ families, and in bringing criminals to justice. In Lowe’s case, Clancy prioritized old files that could possibly be solved using DNA, fingerprints, and re-interviewing witnesses.

          Michelle Taylor’s article is interesting and well written, and it covers the main points of Lowe’s murder. However, she does not explain how RECOVER’s chemical vapor technology works, or if it’s been used in other cold cases. Additionally, Taylor doesn’t discuss the technology’s degree of reliability or certainty in detecting old prints on difficult surfaces. What is most astonishing about this case is the fact that remnants of prints can be detected after almost 40 years without deteriorating. This is clearly an important new tool and advancement in the field of forensic science that could help bring justice for countless victims of unsolved crimes. 

A drop in temperature: Researchers examine the decline in average body temperature among healthy adults over the past two decades

 

Milly Koenig

Forensics

January 4, 2022

Current Event 8

 

University of California - Santa Barbara. "A drop in temperature: 

Researchers examine the decline in average body temperature among healthy adults over the past two decades." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 28 October 2020. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/10/201028171432.htm>

 

For decades 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit or 37 degrees Celsius has been commonly accepted to be the body temperature of a healthy individual, but for some reason, this number has been steadily decreasing over the past two decades. Recent studies have proven this decrease, but scientists are still unable to conclude why exactly our bodies are getting cooler. A 2017 study of 35,000 adults in the UK concluded the average body temperature to be 97.9°F, and a 2019 study showed that the normal body temperature in the Americas to be about 97.5°F. After finding this, experts and large teams of scientists and doctors investigated what environmental conditions are leading to this phenomenon, “they have observed a rapid decline in average body temperature -- 0.09°F per year, such that today Tsimane body temperatures are roughly 97.7°F” (University of California). They continued to explain how this change over the past two decades is greater than that of the preceding two centuries and looked to reasons as to why this is occurring. There are “multiple other factors that might affect body temperatures, such as ambient temperature and body mass… One leading hypothesis is that we've experienced fewer infections over time due to improved hygiene, clean water, vaccinations, and medical treatment” (University of California). They also highlight that the same type of thermometer was used in most of these studies so there is not a change in temperature as a result of a change in instruments. Other hypotheses include a rise in modern health care resulting in lower rates of lingering mild infections, better physics shape resulting in bodies needing to work less to fight off infections, the increased use of anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen, or even the fact that “our bodies don't have to work as hard to regulate internal temperature because of air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter” (University of California).  

Body temperature is important to understand as it is one of the primary indicators of what is going on within the body. It is commonly accepted that there is a normal range for body temperature but understanding this shift towards lower body temperatures may help doctors better understand their patients, and properly track their temperature patterns. In addition, body temperature provides insight into a population's overall health, and this can allow scientists to alter predictions regarding factors such as life expectancy. Body temperature is so easy to measure, but by understanding trends, we can figure out a lot about entire populations. 

This article does a very good job explaining and walking the reader through all of the different reasons why this phenomenon may be occurring, in addition to explaining its significance. Although scientists and doctors are not yet able to deduce why this trend is occurring, it is very helpful to be able to visualize how factors such as modern medicine and technology may be altering how our bodies function. This article is also able to explain how something as simple as body temperature may allow scientists to understand whole populations and make predictions about life expectancy. This article failed to explain the biological component of how body temperature changes and I think that this would have made the article more effective. They could have mentioned enzymes, and other components that change with body temperature, and what the long-term effects on the human body will be if body temperature continues to decrease. 

 

 

Suspect Arrested in 1999 Cold Case of Bronx Girl Found Strangled, Tossed in Dumpster

 

Bethany Lee

Mr. Ippolito

Forensics//EF Odd

January 7, 2022

 

https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/suspect-arrested-in-1999-cold-case-of-bronx-girl-found-strangled-tossed-in-dumpster/3424610/

 

Hemphill, Anjali. “Suspect Arrested in 1999 Cold Case of Bronx Girl Found Strangled, Tossed                in Dumpster.” NBC New York, NBC New York, 30 Nov. 2021, 

https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/suspect-arrested-in-1999-cold-case-of-bronx-girl-found-strangled-tossed-in-dumpster/3424610/. 

 

Anjali’s Hemphill’s November 30, 2021 article titled “Suspect Arrested in 1999 Cold Case of Bronx Girl Found Strangled, Tossed in Dumpster” discusses the recent arrest of Joseph Martinez, the suspect responsible for the 1999 murder of Minerliz Soriano. The findings that led up to this point are very important in order to ensure that justice is brought to a crime’s victim and perpetrator. The article outlines how it took 22 years for investigators to conclude that Martinez is the crime’s perpetrator--in fact, investigators said that science is exactly what got them the answers Minerliz’s family has so desperately been searching for all these years. The author goes on to quote Minerliz’s family members who remained distraught, sad, and of mixed emotions due to the lack of sufficient evidence to convict anyone sooner. At the center of this case was the scientific breakthrough relating to DNA evidence that allowed investigators to finally solve the case, as no arrests were ever made until this one. 

The case involved the grisly slaying of a Bronx teen. The body of 13-year-old Minerliz  Soriano was found in a dumpster in Coop County back in 1999. The girl had last been seen leaving her school on Wallace Avenue in February of that year, and her family searched the area for days following her disappearance. Minerliz’s body was later found by a homeless man, wrapped in plastic inside a dumpster behind what used to be a Hollywood Video store. No arrests were ever made in the case that eventually went cold. In late November 2021, Joseph Martinez was arrested and faces murder charges. The 49-year-old did not answer any questions as police led him away in handcuffs at the Bronx police station. 

Overall, Anjali Hemphill did a great job of outlining this 1999 cold case. He first briefly outlined the details of the cold case and then discussed the enduring sense of inconclusivity until now. As Americans, it is of utmost importance that each and every individual be granted due process under the law and that people are convicted on the basis of substantiated, corroborating evidence. As we move forward, we strive as a nation to seek justice wherever there is a lack of it. Some weaknesses of Hemphill’s article are that he did not provide enough detail about the case itself. It would also have been helpful if he gave a better summary of the case, what evidence they had, and what evidence they recently unearthed that led to this conviction. It would be interesting to learn how Martinez was free for 22 years before finally being held accountable for his brutal actions. 

 

The Body of a Jane Doe Buried in Pennsylvania in 1995 Has Finally Been Identified Using Forensic Science More than 20 Years Later

 

Patrick McGinley

Mr. Ippolito 

Forensics

January 9th 2022

 

“The body of a Jane Doe buried in Pennsylvania in 1995 has finally been identified using forensic science more than 20 years later.” On Sept. 18, 1995, the Bensalem Police Department found the skeletal remains of an adult in a wooded area. The victim was unclothed and wrapped in a plastic tarp. Autopsy information determined that the victim was an adult white female between the ages of 35 to 45 years old and that she had given birth at least once. She was approximately 4’8’ to 5’2” tall and had brown hair. The death was classified as a homicide and it was estimated that the body had been there for 2 to 3 years. Despite considerable media coverage, the decedent was never identified and there were no missing person reports that matched her. She was buried in Telford, PA under the name Jane Doe. In November 2021, Bode labs developed a DNA profile for this Jane Doe and uploaded it into GEDmatch and FamilytreeDNA.com. With additional sibling DNA comparison testing, the Bensalem Twp. Police Dept. is confident that Jane Doe has been identified as Merrybeth Hodgkinson of Warminster, PA. Hodgkinson vanished sometime in September 1992 after visiting with her family in Warminster, PA. She was approximately 31 years old when she died and worked as an exotic dancer in the Lower Bucks County area.

 

            The Hodgkinson family had no idea what had happened to their daughter for so many years. They had last heard from her in 1992. This tragedy had taken a large toll on the Hodgkinson family. When they were finally told what had happened to their daughter they were thankful to finally find out what had happened. 

 

This article did well at getting straight to the point and being very thorough with their evidence. I would have liked to find out more background information about Mrs Hodgkinson. I thought this article could have stated more about what exactly happened to her and give us more information on how she was killed. 

 

Bibliography 

“The Body of a Jane Doe Buried in Pennsylvania in 1995 Has Finally Been Identified Using Forensic Science More than 20 Years Later.” Yahoo! News, Yahoo!, https

Remains Found in Alabama in 2012 Identified as Georgia Woman

 

Lily Moore

1-19-22

Forensics D Even 

Current Event 8 

 

            “Remains Found in Alabama in 2012 Identified as Georgia Woman.” AP NEWS, Associated Press, 13 Jan. 2022, https://apnews.com/article/alabama-georgia-forensics-talladega-a7dbd80119264490a41905aa4211caba. 

Recently, human remains, that are almost a decade old, were found at an abandoned house near the Talladega Superspeedway in Lincoln Alabama during a race weekend. A deputy spotted an open door in a vacant home a few miles from the race track and stopped to investigate, locating the remains behind the house. There was no identification on the body and the remains were too decomposed to collect fingerprints. Last Thursday, officials stated that the remains have been identified of those of a Georgia woman. And thanks to DNA testing, scientists were able to confirm that the body was Jean Turner Ponders from Rosewell, Georgia. The Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences determined that Ponders was around the age of 67 and likely had lung cancer. Initially, when authorities had to identify the body, they entered information into a national database of missing persons, however, they didn’t find any matches. Once a TV network reported that Ponder’s sister had reported Jean missing after not hearing from her for 3 years. The Tallagada County town of Lincoln then used advanced DNA testing to match DNA from the body to relatives of Ponder. 

Throughout the article, I noticed many strengths and weaknesses. For example, one strength I found was that the article was nice and short, making it easier to read. Because the article was so short, it made it a lot easier to write the summary. The article was straight to the point and never got off-topic. However, one improvement I think the article could use is that the writer(s) can fix the organization/layout. Personally, I thought that many of the details were too spread out and the article was constantly switching from one piece of information to the next. If the same pieces of information were continuous throughout the article, then it would be a little less confusing and more organized. Another improvement the article could use is that I was hoping it would explain more about the advanced DNA testing that was used, explain what it is, how it’s used, and how it was significantly important towards this case. 

For the past several years, advanced DNA testing has improved more and more. Today, there are many DNA testing kits that can help to trace your roots and heritage, while also helping you to find relatives. Advanced DNA testing has helped many investigators as DNA can be used to identify criminals with incredible accuracy when biological evidence exists. DNA can be used to clear suspects and exonerate persons mistakenly accused or convicted of crimes. DNA testing has also been used to identify unknown victims/bodies. Overall, DNA testing is important for forensic scientists as it helps to identify unknown victims and criminals.