Introduction to Forensic Science

Lecture Notes Chapters 1-3

Forensic science is the study and application of science to matters of law. A forensic scientist needs to associate
persons, places, things, and events that are involved in crimes. Another term for forensic science is criminalistics.

The term forensics is Latin for ‘forum’ where senators use to come together to debate and have judicial meetings.

Criminalistics The scientific examination of physical evidence for legal purposes

Criminology includes the psychological angle: studying the crime scene for motive, traits, and behavior that will help to
interpret the evidence

Evidence anything that tends to establish or disprove a fact. It can include testimony, documents, and objects.
Ballistics is the science that deals with motion, behavior, and effects of projectiles, usually fire arms and bullets.

The role of a forensic scientist is to collect and examine evidence from a crime scene. He or she must also be
prepared to defend the examination at trial.
Crime: an illegal act or failure to act within the law that brings harm.

A crime lab is where evidence is processed.

Physical evidence lab: drugs, soil, weapons, firearms, paint, blood,
Fire arms unit: tool marks, weapons, bullets
Document Analysis unit: handwriting, type writers, computer, paper , ink
Biology: body fluids, DNA, blood, hair, fibers, plant, biochemistry, microbiology

Anthropology, psychiatry, odontology, engineering, pathology, geology entomology,

Federal Crime Labs

Locard Principle
Locard was a forensic investigator in the early 1900’s. “Whenever two objects come into contact, there is always a
transfer of material.”

Think of all the things you have physically come into contact with before this class. What trace have you left?

When you are trying to solve a crime, you must use the scientific method and follow specific procedures or evidence
will be inadmissible.

1. Observe the problem crime scene, evidence and data.

2. Consider a hypothesis or possible solutions.
3. Examine evidence to test the hypotheses using deductive reasoning.
4. Determine if there is a link in evidence between the victim and the suspect.
5. Evaluate evidence for errors.
6. Defend data in court

Rules for Allowing Evidence pg 24

Evidence must be relevant to the case and be probative (it must prove something pertaining to the crime).
Evidence is admissible if the person presenting is reliable, believable and competent. Hearsay is not admissible.
Expert witnesses are often used. Expert witnesses have credentials, background and experience. Mrs. Sterk would
be an expert witness if called upon to explain how to teach biology.

Hearsay: “Everyone knows that Mrs. Sterk has over 500 pair of shoes and that she built an addition to her house to
make a shoe closet.” Admissible: “I built shoe racks for Mrs. Sterk’s addition to her closet that could hold up to 200
pair of shoes.”

Frye and Daubert Standards

Frye Standard: ‘general acceptance test’ that states scientific evidence is admissible at trial if the scientific method
used is sufficiently established to have gained general acceptance. The Daubert method goes further to state that the
scientific method used must be testable, repeatable, peer reviewed, offer % error, and accepted by the scientific
community. Examples: DNA testing.

To prove a case, the “MMO” must be established; it must be shown that the suspect had:
Motive—person had a reason to do the crime (not necessary to prove in a court of law)
Means—person had the ability to do the crime
Opportunity—person can be placed at the crime scene

Questions: pg 28: 13, 15, 22, 23,

Chapter 2 Types of Evidence

Testimonial-Direct Evidence: Statement made under oath, by a competent witness.
Jurors rely more on direct evidence than on fingerprint evidence.
*In many cases, direct evidence is flawed if investigators ask leading questions.
*Most known cases of an innocent person being convicted is because of mistaken eyewitness identification.

Video: Cotton
Types of Physical Evidence
Transient evidence is temporary; easily changed or lost; usually observed by the first officer at the scene.
Pattern evidence is produced by direct contact between a person and an object or between two objects.
Conditional evidence is produced by a specific event or action; important in crime scene reconstruction and in
determining the set of circumstances or sequence within a particular event.
Transfer evidence is produced by contact between person(s) and object(s), or between person(s) and person(s).
Associative evidence is something that may associate a victim or suspect with a scene or with each other; e.g.,
personal belongings.

Physical-Real Evidence: any object or material relevant in a crime.

Indirect Evidence: does not prove a fact, provides only a basic reference. Possession of drugs does not mean that
one is a drug dealer.
Circumstantial Evidence: based on a suggestion rather that personal knowledge or observation. States the fact
without proving it. The more circumstantial evidence there is, the greater the weight it carries.

Mr. Thug is suspected of dealing drugs. Below is the circumstantial evidence against him.
a. He has several bags of what has been tested as illegal drugs.
b. He has drug paraphernalia.
c. He has a very large amount of cash on him and a gun.
d. He was caught in an abandoned “crack house”

Value of Physical Evidence

 Physical evidence "can't lie, quit, die, forget, or get fired"

 Testimonial evidence may change or source may become "nonexistent' between original and court version

Physical Properties

 Cannot change
 Only interpretation can change or be in error

Circumstantial Variability

If the item of physical evidence is found and subsequently associated with a suspect where the suspect had no right to
be, then (when identified) the evidence may:
  Establish a suspect's presence at the crime scene.
 Establish probable cause.

 Establish proof beyond a reasonable doubt.

If the time of physical evidence is found where a suspect may have had a legitimate right to be (innocent access), then
the evidence may:

 Have no significance.
 Provide leads to follow to establish the case via other sources.

It can prove that a crime has been committed

It can back up or refute witness testimony
It can link a suspect to a crime
It can allow CSI to reconstruct the crime scene.

Known Sample and Questioned Sample

Known sample (K): material that comes form a proven or known source.
Example:

Questioned (Q) or unknown sample: material that has been collected form a known location but is of unknown
origin.
Example:

Control Sample: material that is similar to the questioned and known sample, and is used to validate the
methodology.
Example:

Significance of Statistics of Physical Evidence

The best physical evidence is the type that can be linked to a unique, single specific source.

Individual Evidence: material that can be related to a single source

Examples:

Most evidence is labeled as class evidence, because it is similar to a common group but not to an individual.

Class Evidence: material that can be associated only with a group of items that share properties or characteristics.
Examples:

Class Evidence and Probability Activity Pg 43

Read Case 2.4 and answer the two questions.

Hmwk: pg 50-51, 1-22

Chapter 3 The Crime Scene

Crime Scene: place where evidence is located and gathered to explain events
Example:

Modus Operandi: the characteristic method of a criminal (MO)

Example:
It is essential that the crime scene be contained! A mistake made at a crime scene can never be made right. Once it
is compromised, it may prevent evidence from being used, or prevent the victim from receiving justice.

A crime scene can also be in more than one location. Parking lot car suspect’s house. All three are crime scenes.

Isolating and Evaluating the Crime Scene

1. Barricade and tape off crime scene
2. Walk through. Observe transient and conditional evidence, take pictures, make sketches, take video,
3. Take notes, on temperature, time, location, who is present, ‘gut feeling’

Search
A CSI should know what evidence to look for, otherwise items not pertinent to the case may be processed and
time and money will be wasted.
Walk through line-strip method is when several people walk in a parallel line. It is often used when searching a large
field.
A grid pattern is often used in homes or buildings. The spiral method is used for this same reason pg60

Collect and Package

There is a specific protocol for preserving and collecting evidence otherwise this evidence may not be admissible
in court.
1. Each item must be put into a separate container and labeled with specific information.
2. Depending on the condition or type of item, it may have to be processed differently (wet clothes, blood,
firearms) pg 61.
3. Collection tape is often used for fingerprint, fiber, dust, or hair analysis

Chain of Custody
There must be a written record of who has had contact with the evidence.

Type of Evidence: Shirt of Hugh Jass

Chain of Custody
From To Date
Sterk Fedigan 8-21-09

Analyze Evidence to reconstruct the crime scene in a specific sequence.

Report Findings
Read Mark Winger Case
HMWK: pg 66-67

Coroner’s or Medical Examiners Autopsy

Colette MacDonald:

(1) Three types of weapons were involved in the attack on Colette: A blunt object with a square contact area, A
knife, An ice pick
(2) The wounds were inflicted while she was alive.
(3) The three types of wounds were inflicted within a short interval of time.
(4) The blunt force injuries are on the right side of the face indicating that the assailant
was left handed.

(Regarding the above, it is interesting that Jeffrey was right handed. However, Greg Mitchell was left handed.)

Kimberly MacDonald:

(1) Two types of weapons were involved in the attack on Kimberly: A blunt object with flat surfaces, A knife
(2) The wounds were inflicted while she was still alive.
 (3) Most of the injuries are found on the right side of the body.
(4) The blunt injury to the right side of the face was inflicted first.
(5) The blunt force injury was delivered by a left handed person.
(6) The wounds were inflicted within a short interval of time.

Kristen MacDonald:

(1) Two types of weapons were involved in the attack on Kristen: A knife, An ice pick like piercing object.
(2) The injuries were sustained with she was still alive.
(3) The ice pick type wounds were inflicted first followed by the stab wounds on the chest.
(4) The stab wounds in the back were inflicted after the injuries to the front of the body.
(5) Additional ice pick type wounds were inflicted on the chest as she was dying.
(6) There are linear wounds on the neck which appear to have been caused by a constrictive force delivered by a
ligature, such as a thin rope or a heavy string.

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