Forensic Facial Composite Software effective In Police Investigations

This new software, EFIT-V, allows witnesses to look at a wide range of computer generated images of possible suspects and then pick the ones that best fit the characteristics of the suspect. After repeating this process many times, a very accurate picture of the suspect will have been constructed. This process of constructing a picture of the suspect is infinitely less painstaking and difficult then having a police artist ask victims or witnesses questions in concerns with the suspect's facial features. Most of the time, witnesses/victims are not able to successfully verbalize what they see the suspect as in their head. As stated by Stuart Gibson from the University of Kent, most suspects are unable to describe facial features of an individual if they have only seen them for a brief period of time, however, it is very easy to identify facial features of an individual when picking between numerous pictures. Several trial runs of this software have been conducted in the UK and have were extremely successful. At this point in time, twelve UK police agencies are using this software for everyday law enforcement. Forensic Software such as EFIT-V, will make a huge impact on police arrests over the next few years. EFIT-V will make suspect identification a more successful and manageable task for both detectives and witnesses across the world. Hopefully, within the next few years EFIT-V will be used in all law enforcement agencies around the world.

Corrosion Leaves Fingerprints on Bullet Casings

A pioneering forensic scientist at Northamptonshire Police and the University of Leicester is being called on by US force officers to tackle a decade-old murder case.
Dr John Bond, Scientific Support Manager at Northamptonshire Police and Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Leicester Forensic Research Centre, is collaborating with Bristol Police Department, Connecticut.
He is being asked to probe the murder of a well-known and respected businessman who was shot in the bedroom of his own home. Later this month a detective from Connecticut, Detective Garrie Dorman, will meet with Dr Bond at Northampton in order see if his pioneering research technique can shed new light on the crime.

Dr Bond has developed a method that enables scientists to ‘visualise fingerprints’ on metal (eg bullet casings) even after the print itself has been removed. He and colleagues conducted a study into the way fingerprints can corrode metal surfaces. The technique can enhance – after firing– a fingerprint that has been deposited on a small calibre metal cartridge case before it is fired.
Detective Dorman said: “On February 10, 1998, Louis "Pete" LaFontaine was found shot to death in his home on Stafford Avenue in Bristol, Connecticut. Mr. LaFontaine was a resident of Bristol for many years and owned operated a successful appliance repair shop on Park Street. Mr. LaFontaine was well known throughout the City of Bristol, and his murder shocked the community and devastated his friends and family. The Bristol Police have conducted an extensive investigation into the murder of Mr. LaFontaine, but despite interviewing countless individuals, analyzing forensic evidence, and executing a number of search warrants, the murder remains unsolved. Despite this, the murder is still being actively investigated by Bristol Police Detectives and the State’s Attorney’s Office.

Dr Bond has already worked with a number of US police forces on reopening ‘cold cases’ and has found latent prints on shell casings. Dr Bond said "We very much look forward to Detective Dorman's visit and hope we are able to assist his enquiry. We have found fingerprints on shell casings in a number of cases recently that are assisting police in the US and are confident that if fingerprint corrosion is present on Detective Dorman's casings we will find it."

The Force hopes to sell the process – which has been patented worldwide – to interested buyers who could run the operation on a commercial basis or manufacture units to sell on to law enforcement agencies worldwide. This could generate benefits for both organisations

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090115092701.htm

New Update Forensic Facial Regeneration and Recognition Software

PhotoFIT and Identikit tools have been helping the police identify suspects from eye witness statements for years, today however; the computerized versions of these tools rely on reconstructing a face from half-remembered and often poorly described features.
According to Stuart Gibson of the University of Kent, Canterbury, and colleagues at the Open University, Milton Keynes, the effectiveness of this feature-based approach is fundamentally limited by the ability of the witness to recall and describe the suspect. The older version of this process requires the witness to sit with a modern day sketch artist, and give a detailed description of every feature starting with head shape and moving all the way through to such details as eye shape and positioning. This old system relies heavily on the witness’s ability to recall every feature perfectly completely from memory; here in lies the problem. Eye witness testimonies are among the most unreliable and the courts more often than not – when an arrest is made based off of a computer re-generation of the perp. is often put through the mill in terms of accuracy. However, in recent research Gibson and co-workers developed a new approach that allowed the whole face to be recreated in a much more intuitive way. The EFIT-V software developed from the team's research is now being used by a number of police services in the UK.
"Unlike traditional feature based methods, the approach described here utilizes global, whole face, facial characteristics and allows a witness to produce plausible, photo-realistic face images in an intuitive way," says Gibson and colleagues.
With EFIT-V, the operator asks the witness some very simple questions relating to the age, sex, face-shape and hairstyle of the suspect the police are hoping to identify, explains Gibson. This information is used to initializes the EFIT-V system. In the steps that follow the witness is shown a set of computer-generated faces from which they must select the face that represents the best likeness to the suspect. Variants of the selected face are then generated and these comprise a new set of images from which another selection is made.
A good likeness to the suspect can be achieved simply by repeating this process a number of times. This new approach, which effectively ‘evolves’ a facial likeness, latches on to a person's ability to instantly recognize a face when they see it again which is known to be superior to the human capability for recalling in detail a face that was only seen fleetingly, the researchers say.
The witness is not required to provide a detailed verbal description of the face, so a lengthy and potentially tiring interview can be avoided. This new process also eliminates the long and tedious process which often causes poor, even blatantly wrong choices during the description process because in order for the old images to be created a choice must be made as to each feature so if the witness could not recall their eye color, a random one would be chosen.
Gibson and colleagues point out that controlled trials supported by the UK Home Office demonstrated that the system could double the useful intelligence gained compared with conventional approaches. Twelve UK police services are now using the system successfully.

Mitochondrial DNA

http://www.forensicmag.com/articles.asp?pid=271

Over the past few years, many cold cases have been re opened in the hopes of discovering new DNA ideals and advancements will help further investigation. Cold hits are made when nuclear DNA profiles of semen, blood, or saliva crime scene samples are linked to convicted felon DNA profiles that are stored in the national DNA database (CODIS).

XBox Forensics

It has recently been found that criminals often hide illicit data on XBox in the hope that a gaming console will not be seen as a likely evidence target. A new progam developed by computer scientist David Collins called XFT can mount an image of the FATX file system used by the XBox, allowing the user to explore in detail the directory structure. He is a digital forensics expert at Sam Houston State University. XFT will help provide solid evidence by retreving the data that the criminals have stored on the consol.

Genetic Testing Anywhere: Micro-sizes Hand-held 'Lab-on-a-chip' Devices Under Development

James Lander created a new devise that may eventually allow physicians, crime scene investigators, pharmacists, even the general public, to conduct DNA tests from anywhere, with out the need for a complex and expensive central laboratory. this device could be used in a doctor's office to  quickly test for infectious diseases, such as anthrax, avian flu or HIV, as well as for cancer or genetic defects. Other than in the hospital the handheld devise can be used by forensic scientist to test the smallest of DNA or semen and from there enter it into a database and find the perpetrator on the spot. this is a huge jump in forensic technology that can make forensic scientist jobs a lot easier.

High Marks For New Technology For Fingerprint Identification

A new technology has been developed that automate the manual portion of latent fingerprint identification. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has evaluated this new technology and have had interesting results. Prototype systems evaluated by NIST performed surprisingly well for a developing technology: half of the prototypes were accurate at least 80 percent of the time and one had a near perfect score. This is a great finding. The manual identification of fingerprints takes up too much time. Automating the manual portion of the work frees up time for trained examiners to spend time on very difficult images that the software has little hope of processing. In the past, there was a long process for identifying latent fingerprints. A fingerprint examiner had to carefully mark distinguishing features on a full or partial print. Then the print is entered into a database, such as the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS). Then, more manual identification follows after IAFIS comes up with some possible matches. With the new technology, Automated Feature Extraction and Matching (AFEM), less time will be spent by fingerprint examiners. The technology does most of the work and does it successfully. This new technology could have countless advantages, but Patrick Grother, a computer scientist explains, “While the testing has demonstrated accuracy beyond pre-test expectations, the potential of the technology remains undefined and further testing is required.”

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090423105856.htm

Geographic profiling works on the location of a crime scene that can provide the police with vital information. it works in similar ways to psychological profiles assesses and predicts suspect;s place of living, work, social venues and travel. Kim Rossmo developed the geographic profiling. she says it refers to “ hot spots”. locations where crimes happen are not completely random. they often have a degree of underlying spatial structure. In the case of a serial rapist, for example, Rossmo used 79 of the more than 100 crime scenes and came up with a red dot on his computerized map that turned out to be the very spot to where the man lured his victims his basement. Two key elements in geographic profiling are, first, the idea that there is a difference between perceived distance and actual distance, and that certain things influence how this disparity can affect the commission of a crime i.e. availability of transport, roadworks, bridges. This helps predict criminal behavior which  can be very helpful in the future. 

http://criminalistics.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_does_geographic_profiling_work

Single nucleotide polymorphisms and forensic genetics, maybe not such a perfect combination

Forensic genetics is the branch of genetics that, through DNA analysis and comparison, deals with the resolution of legal problems such as paternity tests. Recently, it has been proposed that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) could be used as a new genetic marker in the field eventually even replacing the methods/markers now employed. But in an article just published online in Forensic Science International, a team of scientists challenges the effectiveness of SNPs in kinship studies predicting an increase in inconclusive cases when these markers are used.In forensic genetics, DNA samples are analysed through the comparison of particular DNA sequences unique to each individual. In fact, although more than 99% of the genome is the same across the human population, variations in DNA sequence called polymorphisms can be used to both differentiate and correlate individuals.

Source: Bright Surf (http://www.brightsurf.com/news/headlines/8805/Single_nucleotide_polymorphisms_and_forensic_genetics_maybe_not_such_a_perfect_combination.html)

New forensic science will identify Brazil's "disappeared"

In a piece of extremely exciting forensics news, collaboration between forensic scientists from Sheffield, England, and Brazil using a new DNA extraction technique has identified two homicide victims. The victims had skeletonized bodies, and they were found dumped in sugar cane plantations near Sao Paulo, Brazil, in the late 1990’s. The same new technique is now being used to identify the remains of hundreds – possibly thousands – of victims from Brazil’s former military governments. The new DNA technique was developed as a result of collaboration between Dr. Marco Guirmares from the University of Sao Paulo, and Dr. Martin Evison of the Academic Unit of Forensic Pathology at the University of Sheffield. Together, the two worked on methods of DNA recovery from forensic and ancient skeletons. Eventually, they applied a “third generation” DNA profiling method, which is theoretically able to distinguish a single individual in the entire population of the planet. The new technique will be utilized also by forensic pathologist Dr. Daniel Munoz, appointed by the state of Sao Paulo to oversee identification of over twelve hundred skeletonized bodies discovered in a cemetery, all believed to be the “desaparecidos” or disappeared, from the periods of military government in Brazil from the 1960’s through the 1980’s. This collaboration and consequential success in forensic science is the result of a new University of Sheffield initiative to promote wider collaborative research in human identification science. Ultimately, the University hopes that new advances in forensic science will be used to support the investigation of human rights abuses.

Battlefield Forensics

Today, the functional lines between traditional warfare and activities like law enforcement, physical security and cyber-crime have very much blurred. New ways have been found to do solve problems. The application of forensic science disciplines to this area is commonly referred to as Battlefield Forensics. Forensic science disciplines, research, techniques and tools are used to in identify enemies, insurgents and terrorists, linking them through science to other people, places, things, organizations, and events. Other traditional crime scene techniques are also used.
Today the battlefield is treated like a crime scene and members of the U.S. military are being taught to collect, analyze, and preserve information on battlefields ranging from tire treads on tarmacs of airports and exploded devices in the mountains of Afghanistan and on the roadways of Iraq. A lot of information gathered in battlefield forensics has significant intelligence applications, but can also be important in making criminal cases against terrorist suspects captured by the military. Biometric evidence obtained on the battlefield also can be used to place terrorist fugitives on various watch lists.
http://forensicscience.suite101.com/article.cfm/battlefield_forensics

Germany: Genetics Foils Forensics

Less than three months ago a group of three burglars lifted more than a million dollars in watches and jewlery from Kaufhaus des Westens, German's largest department store in Berlin. Police were quick to recover a glove containing fingerprints and DNA at the crime scene. The glove was then connected to Abbas and Hassan O., two German citizens who were twenty seven years old. Things seemed to be going well for the police, but there was a serious flaw in their investigation that would come back to haunt them; Abbas and Hassan are identical twins. This means that their fingerprints and DNA is identical as well. Criminalists were stumped because they could not narrow down the proper ownership of the glove recovered at the crime scene. To make it worse, both twins denied their involvement and accused their sibling for the incident. Furthermore, the German federal court system has agreed to drop the charges held against the identical twins since there is not enough evidence in possession of the authorities to convict them. Genetics has officially stumped forensics!

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/19/world/europe/19briefs-GENETICSFOIL_BRF.html?scp=5&sq=Forensics&st=cse

University of Leicester announces world first forensic technique

A new horizon for mass fatality radiology. A team led by a University of Leicester forensic pathologist is believed to be the first in the world to use a new radiological approach for mass fatality investigation. Traditionally 2 types of radiology are used in mass fatality and temporary mortuary investigations -that of fluoroscopy and plain x-ray.These techniques however are time consuming, yield limited information and are a health and safety hazard to those working in the environment due to the use of radiological equipment outside their normal working area. They are also not undertaken at the scene of the incident.

Scientists learn why flue may turn deadly

According to the Journal of Leukocyte Biology, many of the scientists can tell that influenza virus can possibly paralyze the immune systems of healthy people. Based on this information, a severe secondary bacertial infection can cause these people to die and is being looked at to see if this could come in the form of the flu.

According to Kathleen Sullivan who is involved in the study at the Dvision of allergy and Immunology at the children's hospital in Philadephia. "We have a very limited understanding of why some people who get influenza simply have a bad cold and other people become very sick and even die. The results of this study give us a much better sense of the mechanisms underlying bacterial infections arising on top of the viral infection."Many of her collegues haver recruited pediatic patients with severe influenza, and looked at the level of cytokines which show the level of immune response.

Based upon the data that was collected, they were able to compare them with patienst with a moderate strain of this and the immune paralysis was found in the people with influenza infection but not in the ones that also had respiratory syncytial virus. From this scientists can determine why one quarter of children die from influenza along with a bacterial infection. John Warry of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology believes that Despite major medical advances since the devastating flu outbreak of 1918 and 1919, influenza virus infection remains a very serious threat," "and the current swine flu outbreak is a grim reminder of this fact.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090504141843.htm

New Technique Developed to Date Forensic Death Based On Corpse Microorganisms

On March 18, 2009, it was announced that a new procedure of forensic dating based on thermo-microbiology was introduced by a group of scientists of the University of Granada. The new technique offers a more accurate approach in determining the time of death in the event that the death had not occurred under natural controlled  conditions or as the result of a crime. The study that made way for the new system, devised by Professor Isabel Fernandez, collaborates the a relationship between the parameters of micro-organic growth on cadaverous remains which are then analyzed to reveal specific dates pertaining to the time of death and furthermore, the relation with their temperature. As previous methods used to determine possible estimations of the time of death have revealed a margin of error, the project's primary intention was to discover a new method that would be more reliable and provide examiners with more accurate results. By using new thermographical and weather measurement tools along with traditional microbiological methods, the scientists who conducted the experiment took on a new approach aiming to establish a microbiological indicator to determine the time of death.

Engineers Measure Blood Alcohol Content With Spectroscopy

Using optical technology, engineers created a way to measure the amount of alcohol in a driver’s skin. They use near-infrared absorption spectroscopy to measure blood alcohol content. The light enters the arm and a detector collects reflected light. It uses a helium-neon laser as the internal reference source, and is a non-invasive alternative to current methods.
The system measures the light reflected back, which reveals how much alcohol is in the person's skin. So all they do is simply lift the lid which exposes the touch pad and this is how the light comes out of the machine and will go in and out of his tissue.
Law enforcement officials are enthusiastic about a new tool for alcohol testing that uses near-infrared absorption spectroscopy to determine a person’s blood-alcohol content more swiftly, and in a more sanitary and less invasive way, than current methods. The TruTouch 1100 system can also function as a biometric identity-verification system for prison work-release programs or airline pilots. These new techniques are really innovative and will definitely put a new label on testing people for alcohol.

Xbox Forensics

Computer scientist David Collins is working hard to replicate "mods" - both hardware and software for the Xbox and other devices. Criminals often hide illicit data on the XBox in the hope that a gaming console will not be seen as a likely evidence target especially when conventional personal computers are present in the same premises, for instance. The toolkit developed by Collins will allow police and other investigators the chance to lay bare the contents of XBox hard disks. Cell phones, smart phones, PDAs, game consoles and other devices provide a convenient means to store data of all kinds, including images, video, audio and text files. But they also provide a simple way for criminals to possess and hide illegal material too.
Collins' XFT utility can mount an image of the FATX file system used by the XBox, allowing the user to explore in detail the directory structure. Collins points out that unlike the standard FAT32, NTFS, and similar systems used by the hard disks in personal computers, there is little documentation on the proprietary FATX system. However, it is possible nevertheless to acquire an image of a FATX hard disk and to mount it on another device.
"Once the Xbox file system is mounted, the analyst can use shell commands to browse the directory tree, open files, view files in hex editor mode, list the contents of the current directory in short or long mode and expand the current directory to list all associated subdirectories and files," explains Collins.
Importantly, from the legal perspective, XFT can also record such investigative sessions for playback in a court of law, which protects the defendant from falsified as well as providing more solid evidence for the prosecution.
Collins explains how future work on XFT will involve making the toolkit into a fully functional forensic operating system (OS). This OS will be packaged as both a bootable operating system from a hard disk and a "live" bootable compact disk. "This implementation will be open source, verbosely commented and designed from the ground up as a forensic OS," says Collins, "This will remove any and all proprietary operating system dependencies, making the forensic process as transparent as possible."