Exam 4 Flashcards
Tsunami
December 26, 2004. 5,000 + deceased. 8,000 + injured. 3,000 + missing. Phuket Island, 24 Americans killed. 32 countries lost citizens.
TTVI
Thailand Tsunami Victim Identification.
Joint operation Royal Thai Police and International Disaster Victim Identification.
Tsunami Efforts
Evidence Response, Latent Fingerprints, Quality Control, and DNA.
Mass grave identifications, major crime scene management, mass disaster fingerprint processing, and DNA analysis of compromised or skeletal remains.
Tsunami Fingerprint Issues
Bloating makes fingerprinting and facial recognition difficult.
Anti-mortem Records
Records taken before death: Fingerprints. Dental. DNA. Family DNA. Arrest Records (tattoos, etc).
Tsunami Containment Issues
No refridgeration, had to bring in refridgeration trucks to try and preserve bodies to preserve identification traits.
Tsunami Fingerprint Techniques
Glove Technique.
Osmotic Re-hydration.
Glove Technique
Bloating sloughs off skin, slip finger over glove to make print.
Osmotic Re-hydration
Helps to identify bloated bodies.
Skin not yet sloughed off.
Soak hand in hot water to re-hydrate to get friction ridge.
FBI in Thailand
2 months.
As of 3/18/05 933 forensics identifications made.
Osmotic Re-hydration Method
Used on dermal layer of skin.
Cleanse target area.
Soak in 212 degree water 7-10 seconds.
Less if there are cuts/abrasions (severe damage migrates to good tissue, start with 5).
Osmotic Re-hydration Cautions
Fats/Oils (may come through pores, cooking melts fatty tissues under skin).
Patience (inks hard to adhere, powders become smeared/contaminated, lifters slide and distorts).
Alcohol bath or soap wash may help.
Decomposers of Human Remains
Bacteria, fungi, plants, insects, vertebrates.
Large and small can damage, scatter, and consume remains.
Amount of Remains Consumed
85% of body weight consumed by organisms.
Decompositional Processes
Mummification (friend).
Saponification (friend).
Putrefaction (foe).
Mummification
Mumiyaa = mummy, ficare = to make.
Decomposers excluded from remains.
Hot or cold dry conditions, dries and shrivels remains.
Loses water, dehydration or organs and tissues.
Preservation of remains.
Saponification
Sapon = soap, ficare = to make.
Decomposers excluded from remains.
Wet moist conditions, anerobic environment, high pH.
Hydrolysis of subcutaneous fat tissue.
Adipocere or “grave wax”, body is encased.
Slow but very preserving, leaves insides intact.
Putrefaction
Composers access the remains.
Destroy body by consumption.
Biochemical decay (autolysis).
Bacteria, fungi, plants, insects, animals.
Barriers to Decomposers
Physical: Soil, water, containers, caskets.
Chemical: Insecticides, embalming agents, lime.
Climate: Extremes of hot, cold, wind, rain, etc.
Lime
Put down to suppress smell and change pH.
Chemical Barrier Attributes
Changes the way body decomposes. Limits bacterial growth. Suppresses odors. Reduces decomposer attraction. Can help preserve remains.
Putrefaction Process
Autolytic Decay or Bacterial Decay.
Early Postmortem Changes.
Gas and Fluid Production.
Insect and Scavenger Attraction.
Autolytic Decay
Anoxia, enzymes, cellular breakdown.
Breakdown in absence of oxygen.
Self-induced decay.
Bacterial Decay
Enteric, environmental.
Bacteria consumes remains.
Early Postmortem Changes
Rigor mortis (stiffness). Livor mortis (color, blood pooling). Algor mortis (temperature). Bacterial discoloration.
Gas and Fluid Production
Noxious, malodorous, flammable.
Smell attracts decomposers.
Forensic Entomology
Based on analysis of insects and other invertebrates sequentially colonizing a corpse as decomposition progresses.
Studies developmental stages of insect offspring.
Forensic Entomologist Determinations
Postmortem interval estimation. Remains relocation. Antemortem injury assessment. Crime scene (habitat) characterization. Toxicological analysis. Sources of human DNA. Abuse/neglect of children and elderly. Time since colonization (NOT since death).
Insect Life Cycle
Larva = maggots.
Instars = stages of developement.
Stages similar to humans (baby, toddler, etc.)
Insect Colonization Locations
Wet, moist areas.
Natural openings (eyes, nose, mouth, ears).
Unnatural openings (wounds).
(Most insects cannot get through skin).
Larval Growth and Development
Eat everything soft that is available. Begin eating immediately. Secrete enzymes to aid in ingestion. Larvae have little teeth. Breath through their ends because they eat face down.
Entomologist Extractions
DNA, poisons, toxins, drugs from feeding insects.
Carrion Community Development
Other insects come to eat the bugs eating remains.
Wasps and beetles eat maggots.
Can influence decay rates.
Larval Migration
Mature larvae migrate to dry, protected sites to complete maturation.
Often under or around body instead of inside.
Pupariation
Protective cases formed by hardened 3rd instar skin.
Extremely resilient.
Ecological Succession of Remains
New types of insects appear to consume what others can’t.
Moths, mites, and beetles love dry, harder things.
Entomotoxicology
The detection of drugs, poisons, and toxins from necrophagous insects.
Fingerprints
Friction ridge (mountains and valleys). Every person is different. Do not change throughout life. Unique + permanent = individualization.
Friction Ridge Locations
Not only fingertips.
Entire surface of palms.
Entire surface of sole/planter surface of foot and toes.
Friction Ridge Origination
Partially genetic, partially environmental.
Twins have same DNA but different fingerprints.
Basic Fingerprint Patterns
Whorl.
Loop.
Arch.
Arch Pattern
Most rare, 5%.
Simple ridge flow pattern: in one side and out the other.
No deltas.
Loop Pattern
Most common, 65%.
Ridge flow pattern: In and out on same side.
1 delta.
Whorl Pattern
30%.
Ridge flow pattern: circular.
2-4 deltas.
Techniques for Identifying Fingerprints
Visual: Laser and ALS.
Processing: Porous vs. non-porous, powders, chemicals.
Preservation: Photography, digital imaging, lift tape.
Level 1 Detail
Basic pattern identification, ridge flow pattern.
Number of deltas, scars.
Can only include/exclude.
Class characteristics only.
Fingerprint Powder Techniques
Different colors of powders for different colored objects.
Powder print, then lift with tape and attach to black or white card.
Fingerprints on Porous Surfaces
Finger exude sweat.
Paper is porous and absorbs oils, so fingerprints are IN the paper.
Ninhydrin.
Fingerprints on Non-porous Surfaces
Fingerprints can easily smear or rub off.
Cyanoacrylate fuming is used for preservation.
Cyanoacryate Fuming
Non-porous fingerprint preservation method.
Use suger-glue fumes to encase and preserve prints.
Used on glass, metal, plastic.
Sequential Order for Latent Print Development Process
Very important.
Based on type of evidence.
Step-by-step instructions for processing prints.
Many helpful steps and techniques.
ACE-V
Comparison and identification method. Analyze. Compare. Evaluate (same source?). Verify (second examiner makes independent inspection).
ACE-V: Analyze
Analyze latent prints and then exemplars.
Valuable?
Enough detail?
Basic pattern?
ACE-V: Compare and Evaluate
Compare latent to known.
Same or different?
10 Print Card
Used to book arrestees.
Roll Prints and slap prints.
All fingers both hands.
Known Exemplars
Known samples, often from previous records or 10 print cards.
Roll Print
Finger is rolled nail to nail to get entire surface of finger.
Slap Print
Fingers are “slapped” collectively to ensure that the correct order of fingers is known and recorded.
Quality control check.
4 fingers, then thumb.
Level 2 Detail
Detail ridge path. Ending ridge, bifurcation, dot. Location and relationship to each other. Individual characteristics. Most commonly used, 95% of identifications.
Level 3 Detail
Ridge attributes and features.
Edge shapes, end shapes and angles, width, pores.
Not as commonly used since really clear prints are needed and not as often available.
White dots are sweat pores.
Fingerprint Points of Comparison
No national standard, varies everywhere.
The more points, the more accurate.
Qualitative and Quantitative Process
Quality of the ridge detail and the quantity of all three levels of detail are used to determine identification.
IAFIS
Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System
Maintained by FBI.
Over 50 million criminal records.
Over 31 million civil records.
Upload prints and computer will compare plotted points.
Forensic Chemistry and Toxicology Sub-Disciplines
General, paints, polymers, tapes, metallurgy, poisons, powders, liquids, unknowns.
Smaller labs lump several together.
General Chemistry Identifications
Bank security chemicals, drugs and drug residue, pharmaceuticals, inks and dyes, self-defense sprays, lubricants and petroleum products, gunshot primer residue, paints, powders, liquids, stains, unknown substances, etc.
Bank Security Devices
Currency that is modified to contain electronic devices and unique chemicals.
Security dye packs.
Security Dye Pack
Linked to device at door via radio wave.
When brought through door, pack explodes with tear gas and unique red dye (MAAQ).
Toxicology Identifications
Drugs, drug residues, pharmaceuticals.
Identification and quantity of both controlled and illicit substances.
Ink and Dye Identification
Compare ink on paper to ink in pen.
Possibly identify year, brand, model of ink.
International ink database maintained by Secret Service.
Uses microspectrophotometer to measure ink color.
Self Defense Spray Identification
Contain capsaicinoids extracted from hot peppers.
Most are orange colored, some contain UV dyes, some are colorless.
Mace sprays = tear gas.
Lubricants and Petroleum Product Identification
Used in sexual assault case (like spermacides).
Automotive products such as grease, brake fluid, transmission fluid, fuels, or motor oil.
Make comparisons and determine sources/manufacturers.
Gunshot Primer Residue vs. Gunshot Powder Residue
Primer residue is used by chemists.
Powder residue used by ballistics experts.
Gunshot Primer Residue
Made of three different elements.
Used by chemists to help identify suspects or witnesses.
Use scanning electron microscope to identify types of residue.
Positive Primer Residue Results
Those who fire the gun or in the vicinity.
Those that come into contact with someone carrying residue.
Only tests within 4 hours due to Locard, washing, etc.
Gunshot Primer Residue Test
Adhesive stubs taken from face, hands, etc.
Sticky substance on hands collects residue and labeled with area sampled.
Paint, Tape, and Polymer Identification
Paints include automotive, architectural, tool, and artistic media.
Car paint determined by color, layering, and thickness.
Metallurgy Case Example
Suspected fake Roman coins.
Need non-destructive method.
XRF analysis to differentiate counterfeit from genuine coins from 235 AD.
XRF
X-Ray Fluorescence.
Identifies chemical composition of metals.
Can be used to compare fake coin material with materials available at time of genuine coin.
Forensic Toxicology
Chemical analysis of body fluids and tissues to determine if a drug or poison is present.
Also identifies metabolites.
Metabolites
Drugs/toxins/poisons break down and change within body.
Changes can be due to method of entry (inhalation, ingestion, injection.
Break into metabolites which can lead back to the parent substance.
Postmortem Toxicology Samples
Blood, liver, urine, vitreous humour (liquid within the eye), hair.
SEAMURS Background
Seattle Murders.
Stella Nickell tired of husband.
Replaced his Excedrin with potassium cyanide.
Death ruled “natural”.
Received insurance policy, but would have gotten twice if “unnatural”.
SEAMURS Downfall
Nickell laced 4 new bottles of Excedrin and placed them back on shelf.
Healthy middle-aged woman died.
Excedrin pulled off shelves nation-wide.
Called police 2 weeks later to suggest husband also died from it.
SEAMURS Conclusion
Nickell became suspect.
Fingerprint found on library book about poisons.
Also found algae-destroyer receipt and mortar/pestle with traces of cyanide in house.
Cyanide Poisoning Symptoms
May be confused with heart attack or acute asthmatic attack.
Exhibits burnt almond smell in dead body.
Blood Alcohol Analysis
Chemically known as ethanol.
May include breath, blood, or urine test.
Polonium 210
Radioactive isotope used to assassinate former Russian agent Alexander Litvinenko.
Ninhydrin
Chemical analysis technique to detect fingerprints in porous material by reacting with residue from fingers.
Time Since Colonization
The age and stage of development of insects can determine when insects first colonized remains.
Time of Flight Mass Spectrometer
Determine chemical composition.
Microspectrophotometer
Determines color.
