Case Studies Flashcards
Why was the case of Colin Pitchfork important in forensics?
First case to use DNA as a tool to convict someone (VNTRs)
Who was the first criminal in the US to be prosecuted using DNA evidence?
Tommy Lee Andrews
What was the importance of heteroplasmy in Tsar Nicholas II’s remains case? How did it aid in identifying the remains?
Nicholas was heteroplasmic and it helped in identifying relatives
What was the source of Anna Anderson’s DNA sample in the Anastasia mystery case?
mtDNA
How long is the lifespan of a sperm cell in a vagina? How does it apply to forensics?
5 days and this can give a timeline of a rape, sexual assault, etc. but it can also cause problems in there was consensual sex at some point within the 5 days before a rape
What type of DNA marker did forensic experts use to connect Chester Turner to the rape/murder of Paula Vance and his other victims, and through what database was Turner’s profile matched to evidence left at the crime scene?
STRs and CODIS
Problems with what crime lab highlighted the importance of laboratory accreditation?
Houston Police Department’s
How was non-human DNA used as evidence in the conviction of Ian Simms?
There was dog hair on Helen’s clothes that matched Simms dog
Which type of DNA evidence was analyzed to investigate the possibility that Thomas Jefferson fathered six children with one of his slaves?
y-DNA
The semen found on the sock at the crime scene for the Central Park Jogger case was genotyped 2 times, what markers were used each time and why were they different?
RFLPs the first time and then STRs because it was 13 years later
Which DNA marker was used in the Bill Clinton scandal?
RFLP
What kind of evidence eventually exonerated Earl Washington Jr.?
STRs and a confirmatory test of PSA
Why was DNA evidence disregarded in the OJ Simpson case?
degradation from leaving in the heat
did not change gloves between samples
lots of contamination
What are the primary 4 reasons for wrongful conviction in the Paul House case?
prior sexual assault
House just recently moved in
testimonies
DNA spilled out of vials which spilled onto House’s jeans
What 2 main genetic analyses were performed on the remains of King Richard III?
y-STR and mtDNA
What 2 main genetic analyses were performed on the remains of King Richard III?
y-STR and mtDNA
What was the source of the DNA that was used to convict Mark Bogan of murder in Arizona?
Palo Verde Trees and mtDNA
How is the Anderson case unique relating to the line ups?
they had to get his photo from his employer because he had no record and his was the only color photo in a group of black and white mug shots
In which case was the victim’s sample mistakenly identified as a sample from the defendant?
John Ivan Kocak
What was significant about the Scoville Godfrey case in terms of forensics for the state of Vermont? In the Scoville Godfrey case, why did investigators collect cigarette butts for DNA samples when they already had a confirmed match?
VT got a databank for DNA and Act 160 requires a 2nd hit for a confirmed match
What was significant about the Scoville Godfrey case in terms of forensics for the state of Vermont? In the Scoville Godfrey case, why did investigators collect cigarette butts for DNA samples when they already had a confirmed match?
VT got a databank for DNA and Act 160 requires a 2nd hit for a confirmed match
What was the name of the technique used to determine Derrick Todd Lee’s (the Baton Rouge Serial Killer) ethnicity?
admixture mapping
The Darrin Fernandez/Evil Twin case was not concluded based on DNA; how was it concluded?
tattoo on his arm and no speech impediment
This case relies on trace evidence, what was the trace evidence?
blood from her and cat hair from his cat
What type of DNA did they use to analyze the evidence found, and were they able to identify it all as Laci Peterson’s?
mtDNA
the hair was inconclusive
fetus was determined to be Laci’s child
Forensic sampling of which manufactured substance was able to link Gary Ridgeway to 3 other crimes, pressuring him to confess?
spray paint samples/paint spheres
How were police able to determine that the rapist in the case of the Polish brothers was a close relative of the man they randomly sampled?
matching y-STR and 9/10 STR match
