Crime Investgation Scene

Setting: In a resident home and the surrounding area of the home.

Victim:

Tyese Jefferson: Counselor

Suspect: Smokey Johnson: Has an restraining order against him

Evidence Found at Scene

EXH 1: Women black shoe and it is Tyese Jefferson

EXH 2: Note says" Someone please help me" belongs to Tyese Jefferson

EXH 2A: note says " You will Never find Her" written by Smokey Johnson

EXH 3: Fingerprint that is a central pocket loop belonging to Smokey Johnson

EXH 3A: Fingerprint that is a tented arch belonging to Tyese Jefferson

EXH 4:  Large golden earing that belongs to Tyese Jefferson

EXH 5: A Nylon fiber that is died green

EXH 6: This is Poison and it's Idoine

EXH 7: Male footprint belongs to Smokey Johnson

EXH 8: A+ blood that belongs to Tyese Jefferson

EXH 9: A hair sample that belongs to a dog

EXH 10: The print lifted was a tented arch which belongs to Smokey Johnson

We have figured out that the victim is Tyese Jefferson and we have deducted that Smokey Johnson did murder the victim. The victim placed a restraining order against Smokey Johnson which probably angered him. Smokey Johnson delivered a drink filled with poison to the victim at her job because he worked at the Food Service industry.  Through exhibit 6 he poisons her with Iodine and that becomes a great problem for person with thyroid problems and our victim has that problem. She probably started to feel the effect of the poison on her way home. When she made it home she took of her shoes off and played with her dog until she started coughing up blood. Through exhibit 9 we found that her blood on the scene and Iodine poisoning has an effect to make the victim bleed from the mouth. The dog hair was probably from her playing with her dog when she got home. She spots Smokey Johnson coming toward the house and she writes the note before she dies. As she collapse she rips her stocking which is green nylon. Exhibit 5 shows that she was wearing something nylon and it’s died green. Smokey decides to write a note saying “you will never find her”. He writes the note in black pen and he put a lot of pressure on the pen. Then Smokey decides to pick up the body and he leaves fingerprint which is a tented arch. Well he was walking the dog started barking which cause him to run and he leaves his footprint. Through exhibit 7 it is a male’s foot with a lot of pressure on ball of his foot.

Citations

http://www.healthyplace.com/addictions/main/what-is-drug-testing/menu-id-54/

http://science.howstuffworks.com/handwriting-analysis2.htm

http://www.enotes.com/fingerprint-analysis-famous-cases-reference/fingerprint-analysis-famous-cases

http://www.criminaljusticeschools.org/blog/10-famous-cases-cracked-by-forensics

http://www.ehow.com/about_6102496_forensic-science_-hair-fiber-analysis.html

Poison Analysis

For many centuries, poisoning has been a popular method of murder.   One reason is that almost any natural substance in the right dose can be poisonous, and many poisons mimic common medical diseases, leading physicians to believe a victim died of natural causes.
Toxicology is important not just for an investigation in which foul play is suspected.   It is equally essential for determining accidental deaths and suicides and even for substance abuse while on the job.  A toxicologist may be called on to test for anything from arsenic to poisoned gas to GHB to prescription drugs.


Personal Reflection

We had to determine what poison was used during each station. Take for example Cynide turns blood red when you put iron in it. that tells you that the person was poison with Cynide.

This is our group about to test if the substance is postitive for Aspirin.

Then we tested the PH of the substance to see if it was below 7

Then we add BTB to determine what substance is Aspirin

Lipstick

All students had to put on lipstick to get there print on a notecard. Then we have to label unique features of your lips. Then we had put lipstick on again put everybody lips on one sheet of paper and see if we can find ours.

Create a Profile

We used everything we learned from Hair, Fingerprint, and Handwriting Analysis to form a  scenario.  Groups were given 5 clue to use. The first clue was fingerprints and what type of print it . All pictures in post was taken by Alonzo Fullenwilder

Clue 2 was either a hair or fiber, we later found out it was colored hair.

Clue 3 was a torn note that had said "you will never find her".

Clue 4 was yet another Hair that turned out to be African-American hair.

Clue 5 was a red smudge that could of either been lipstick or blood. further testing is need
 

Witness Experiment

Picture Taken By Alonzo Fullenwilder
This test we had to remember a face of a picture. 1. Hair 2. Eyes 3. Lips 4. Nose
When we did this we had three different same sized faces and messed them up. We then used memory and the characteristics  to found the same characteristics of each face until we created the it again. One of the things that helped us find the correct pieces was the color of their skin.

Drug Analysis

Identifying drugs in the human body requires a lengthy sequence of tests and confirmations that can take weeks and even months, forensic experts said. Drug testing can be performed from small samples taken of your fingernails, saliva, or more commonly, your blood, urine, or hair. For a blood sample, a small amount of blood is taken from a vein in your arm or hand and is then sent to the laboratory for analysis. A drug test can also be used to evaluate possible accidental or intentional overdose or poisonings


Personal Reflection

For the Drug Analysis lab we had to test for Cocaine and LSD through six stations. If the substance was Cocaine the dissolved substance would turn blue and if it was LSD it would turn yellow. We also tested the PH of the drug because we need to find out if it was a base or acid.

This is the graph we made to take down the information about the six drugs we tested for LSD or Cocaine.

This is us testing the PH of the unknown substance.

Footprint Analysis

Footprints (or footmarks) are the impressions or images left behind by a person walking. Hoofprints and pawprints are those left by animals with hooves or paws rather than feet, while "shoeprints" is the specific term for prints made by shoes.




Personal footprint analysis

We were put into groups and we had put our foot into a pile of flaten out dirt. After putting our foot in the dirt we analysis if there was any were on the shoe and is it male or female.

This footprint is male because the width and height and it has no wear on the shoe. On the bottom of the shoe it has Logo on it saying " Ocean Pacific". This tells us what brand of shoes the subject likes to wear.

Handwritting Analysis

History of Handwritting Analysis
In 1915, Bunker made his unique discovery. He recognized that each of his students formed shorthand strokes in a unique manner. He suddenly and clearly realized that it was not the letter which had a trait meaning but the strokes – the shape of the formations within the letter. Graphology suggested that an O with an open top – that is a space opening, indicated a person who would speak very openly and often. He checked and found this to be true. He thought, however, that logically, other letters with the same circle formation (a,g,d & q) should have the same meaning and after checking carefully.


List of 12 Handwriting Characteristics

            ·        Line quality

·        Spacing of words and letters

·        Ratio of relative height, width and size of letters

·        Pen lift and separations

·        Connecting strokes

·        Beginning and ending strokes

·        Beginning and ending strokes

·        Shading or pen pressure

·        Slant

·        Baseline habits line

·        Flourishes and embellishments

·        Diacritic placement

Famous Court Cases

The Lindbergh Kidnapping
On March 1, 1932, Charles Lindbergh Jr., the 20-month-old son of the famous aviator, was kidnapped, and although a ransom of $50,000 was paid, the child was never returned. His body was discovered in May just a few miles from his home. Tracking the circulation of the bills used in the ransom payment, authorities were led to Bruno Hauptmann, who was found with over $14,000 of the money in his garage. While Hauptmann claimed that the money belonged to a friend, key testimony from handwriting analysts matched his writing to that on the ransom notes. Additional forensic research connected the wood in Hauptmann's attic to the wood used in the make-shift ladder that the kidnappers built to reach the child's bedroom window. Hauptmann was convicted and executed in 1936.
personal reflection

We were put into groups of four and we had to write down one sentence in print and cursive. Then we had to forge each others hadnwritting as best we can. First we did it free hand then we had to trace it. 

Hair and Fiber Analysis

  History of Hair/fiber analysis


 In the early stages of forensic science the significance and value of examining hair during a criminal investigation was realized. Published in France in 1857, one of the first scientific reports regarding trichology, the scientific study of hair, introduced the world to the idea. The field expanded rapidly after microscopic hair examination became known in the early 20th century. Professor John Glaister's "Hairs of Mammalia from the Medico-legal Aspect," published in 1931, became a renowned resource for hair analysis information and in 1977, John Hick's "Microscopy of Hairs


Major types of fibers
Personal Reflection

We had to anaysis many types hair and fibers like Asian, dog, cat, black girl, cotton, nylon, and silk hair and fiber. We looked for if the hair was cut or split and if it had any specail characterstics.

·        Angora

There are two types of Angora:

Mohair (made from the Angora goat)

Angora Rabbit Hair (made from the Angora rabbit)

·        Yarns

Yarns made from the fibers of these animals are very soft, lustrous, lightweight and warm. Alpaca is often used for the manufacture of warm, luxurious apparel.

·        Cashmere

Cashmere, also known as the fiber of kings, is produced from the fine, soft undercoat of hair of the Kashmir goat. Sixty percent of the world's supply of cashmere is produced in China, Mongolia and Tibet, and the remainder from Turkey, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Kashmere, Australia and New Zealand. Cashmere yarn is extremely soft, lightweight, yet very warm.

·        Wool

Wool is a natural fiber made from the fleece of sheep. Talk about wool and it conjures up a picture of cozy warmth. However, wool is not uniform among all sheep. Sheep live in a wide variety of climates and conditions, and develop their wool to suit the conditions under which they live or are bred.

·      Silk

Silk is a natural protein fiber containing about 70-75% of actual fiber fibroin secreted from two salivary glands in the head of the silkworm larva, and about 25-30% serein, a gum which cements the two filaments together. Silk of the finest quality is obtained from the unwound filament of the silkworm cocoon. To obtain lower grades of silk, broken or waste filaments and damaged cocoons are retained, treated to remove the serein, and combed.   

             Hair/Fiber collection techniques came and the part of the body from which it originated. Human hair can be compared to determine whether or not two samples could have had a common origin. The value of the Laboratory examinations of such specimens will depend upon the amount of hair recovered and the characteristics found in the examinations. Recover all hair present. If possible, use the fingers or tweezers to pick up hair, place in paper bindles or coin envelopes which should then be folded and sealed in larger envelopes. Label the outer sealed envelope. If hair is attached, such as in dry blood, or caught in metal or a crack of glass, do not attempt to remove it but rather leave hair intact on the object. If the object is small, mark it, wrap it, and seal it in an envelope. If the object is large, wrap the area containing the hair in paper to prevent loss of hairs during shipment.

Typical Hair/fiber analysis

      By identifying and comparing animal and human hairs under a microscope, investigators gain valuable insight into events that occurred at a crime scene. By analyzing this information, they can establish physical contact between suspect, victim and crime scene and use the information in court to aid in the prosecution or defense. Further bolstering the validity of such evidence, DNA technologies have become equally important in forensic hair analysis. According to Lee Lerner's article "Hair Analysis," by combining DNA testing with microscope procedures, investigators can now screen for illegal drugs, test for presence of heavy metals, test for nutritional deficiencies and discover the approximate age of a person all by analyzing a single strand of hair.

     Reliability of Hair/fiber crime scene data

The investigation and successful prosecution of individuals suspected of involvement in violent crimes often includes the identification and comparison of trace evidence. Deedrick says hair evidence is only of value when used in conjunction with other evidence. Although forensic hair analysis does serve as permissible evidence in court, it does not necessarily serve as incontrovertible proof because in general, a hair comparison does not mean complete recognition of an individual's identity. The FBI publication "Forensic Science Communications" says that by providing many associations and many cross matches conducted by several examiners, the validity of hair analysis evidence approaches 100 percent. The professionalism and experience of the examiner as well as the methods used in analysis will factor into the validity of any result obtained from hair fiber analysis.

Notable or famous case where hair/fibers were used to convict or exonerate a suspect.

·        Atlanta Murders (1979-1981)

Over a two-year period, 29 young African Americans were found strangled and smothered in Atlanta, Ga. Eventually, a police stakeout identified a suspect, Wayne Williams, who had a suspicious explanation for why he was on a bridge not far from where a body was found two days later. Lacking witnesses, forensic investigators built a case against Williams that was based almost entirely upon fiber and statistical evidence. Working with chemists from textile maker DuPont, they linked a fiber found in one victim’s hair to an unusual make of carpet in Williams' home, and calculated that the odds of the victim coming in contact with it in the Atlanta area were 1 in 7,792. A fragment of rayon found on another victim’s shorts was consistent with the carpeting in Williams’ station wagon, a match that had a 1-in-3,828 chance of occurring in Atlanta. Either piece of evidence left room for reasonable doubt, but the probability of both happening by coincidence was 1 in 29,827,776. Fiber evidence from other victims drove the odds up into the trillions. It took a jury less than 12 hours of deliberation to find Williams guilty, and he is now serving two life terms.

 

History of Fingerprinting
 

Being taken many centuries ago, although they weren't nearly as sophisticated as they are today. The ancient Babylonians pressed the tips of their fingertips into clay to record business transactions. The Chinese used ink-on-paper finger impressions for business and to help identify their children.

However, fingerprints weren't used as a method for identifying criminals until the 19th century. In 1858, an Englishman named Sir William Herschel was working as the Chief Magistrate of the Hooghly district in Jungipoor, India. In order to reduce fraud, he had the residents record their fingerprints when signing business documents.

A few years later, Scottish doctor Henry Faulds was working in Japan when he discovered fingerprints left by artists on ancient pieces of clay. This finding inspired him to begin investigating fingerprints. In 1880, Faulds wrote to his cousin, the famed naturalist Charles Darwin, and asked for help with developing a fingerprint classification system. Darwin declined, but forwarded the letter to his cousin, Sir Francis Galton

 Types of Finger prints

·     PATENT PRINTS - are visible prints that occur when a foreign substance on the skin of a finger comes in contact with the smooth surface of another object. These prints leave a distinct ridge impression that is visible with the naked eye without technological enhancement of any kind. The tried and true "blood on his hands" evidence is an example of patent prints recovered from a crime scene or scene of interest to investigators. These foreign substances contain dust particles which adhere to the ridges of the fingers and are easily identifiable when left on an object.

·    PLASTIC PRINTS - are visible, impressed prints that occur when a finger touches a soft, malleable surface resulting in an indentation. Some surfaces that may contain this type of fingerprint are those that are freshly painted or coated, or those that contain wax, gum, blood or any other substance that will soften when hand held and then retain the finger ridge impressions. These prints require no enhancement in order to be viewed, because they are impressed onto an object and are easily observable

·    LATENT PRINTS - are fingerprint impressions secreted in a surface or an object and are usually invisible to the naked eye. These prints are the result of perspiration which is derived from sweat pores found in the ridges of fingers. When fingers touch other body parts, moisture, oil and grease adhere to the ridges so that when the fingers touch an object, such as a lamp, a film of these substances may be transferred to that object. The impression left on the object leaves a distinct outline of the ridges of that finger. These fingerprints must be enhanced upon collection and, because they serve as a means of identifying the source of the print, they have proven to be extremely valuable over the years in the identification of its source.

Techniques/Chemicals

Prints on hard and nonabsorbent surfaces (such as mirror, tile, glass, and painted wood) are developed with the application of powder. While soft and porous surfaces (such as cloth, paper, and cardboard) are made visible by the treatment of a chemical. The powder of choice is the one that shows the best contrast with the surface being examined. Experienced examiners find that black and gray powders are satisfactory for most latent print work. Chemicals are also used to visualize latent prints. The oldest method is iodine fuming which is based on the fact that iodine has the property to sublime. Another chemical used is silver nitrate, which after being applied is developed with the exposure of ultraviolet light. This event is made possible because of the chemical reaction between sodium chloride (salt, left by perspiration after evaporation) and silver nitrate which forms the colorless silver chloride. After a 3% solution is brushed onto the evidential object and exposed to ultraviolet light, a silver print will be shown as a reddish-brown or black color.

Basic shapes/patterns of fingerprints.

• Tented arches have an angle, an up thrust, or two of the three basic characteristics of the loop.

• Double loop whorls consist of two separate and distinct loop formations with two separate and distinct shoulders for each core, two deltas and one or more ridges which make, a complete circuit.

Procedures for collecting/lifting prints

• Marking of Latent Fingerprint Evidence

All such evidence should be marked in some distinctive manner, such as is the case with any other type of physical evidence. Precautions should be taken, when marking evidence, not to damage or destroy potential latent fingerprints. Lifted, developed laten should also be marked or sealed in marked envelopes. Photograph-developed latent with and without identifying markings and scale.

• Preservation of Fingerprint Evidence

The primary precaution in all cases is the prevention of adding fingerprints to evidence, or of destroying those already present.

Most fingerprints submitted will be on paper, glass, metal, or other smooth surfaced objects. When articles containing latent must be picked up, touch as little as possible, and then only in areas least likely to contain identifiable latent, such as rough surfaces. While gloves or handkerchiefs may be used to pick up such exhibits, any unnecessary contact should be avoided. Although using a cloth to pick up exhibits prevents leaving additional prints on the articles, the cloth will frequently wipe off or smear any prints originally present, unless great care is taken. Large articles containing latents such as glass, metal articles, and firearms should be placed on wood or heavy cardboard and fastened down with string to prevent shifting and contact with other objects in transit. Where such evidence is to be examined frequently, a pegboard should be obtained on which wooden pegs can be moved as desired to support exhibits and keep them from moving. Bottles and glasses may be placed vertically on a board and placed in the bottom of a box. The base of the bottle or glass can be surrounded with nails to hold it in place, and the top can be either inserted through a hole in a piece of cardboard or held in position with a wooden board nailed to the container's lid. Papers and documents containing latent prints should be placed individually in a cellophane or manila envelope. Such a container can be sandwiched between two sheets of stiff cardboard, wrapped, and placed in a box for mailing.


Reflection

For fingerprinting when in end up using ink or glass to take down our fingerprint. we had to practice first with ink so we wouldn't smudge our prints. it toook me many times befor getting down without smudging my pritns. To use glass we had to use powder to find our prints to take down. Fingerprinting seems easy on TV but in real life it takes a lot of of skill to find fingerprints for evidence.