Lecture 1 - Introduction to Forensic Biology

Question 1

What is forensic science?

Answer 1

Method of gathering & examining information about the past which is used in a court of law
Forensic science is a science that is used in the legal system

Includes a broad spectrum of sciences, all of which are devoted to answering questions posed by the legal system
There are different types of courts e.g. criminal court, coroners court - we just talk about it as the legal system in general in this course

Question 2

Forensic means

Answer 2

Forensic means debate ‘before the forum’

Presented to others e.g. to jury, to a judge

Question 3

Forensic science is a _______ _______

Answer 3

scientific method

Question 4

4 main branches of forensic science

Answer 4

Physiological sciences (anything to do with the body)
Social sciences
Digital forensics (looking at digital evidence to assist with investigations)
Forensic criminalistics

Question 5

Examples of roles in physiological sciences in Forensic science

Answer 5

anthropology 
archaeology 
Odontology = teeth 
Entomology = bugs and insects in the decomposing environment 
Pathology 
Botany = plants 
Biology 
Chemistry = e.g. drug profiling 
DNA profiling = for scene analysis and identification 
Bloodstain pattern analysis

Question 6

Examples of roles in social sciences in Forensic science

Answer 6

Psychology
Psychiatry
Linguistics

Question 7

Examples of roles in digital forensics in Forensic science

Answer 7

Computer 
Data analysis 
Mobiles 
Network 
Video 
Audio

Question 8

Examples of roles in forensic ciminalistics in Forensic science

Answer 8

Ballistics 
Textiles 
Fingerprints 
Accounting 
Arts 
Footwear 
Facial approximation 
Toxicology 
Glove prints 
Palm prints 
Documents

Question 9

A forensic scientist can be …

Answer 9

A forensic scientist can have a background in many different scientific fields/have particular expertise …

Anthropologist 
Pathologist 
Entomologist 
Chemist 
Pharmacist 
Dentist 
Textile expert 
Psychologist 
Artist 
Computer analyst 
ETC.

Question 10

What are the 2 things that a forensic scientist does?

Answer 10

1 - Analysis of physical evidence

2 - expert witness

Question 11

Forensic scientist’s role in the analysis of physical evidence

Answer 11

Identify and recover evidence from a crime scene
Look at things at a deeper level in the lab and in the field
Identify and recover items of physical evidence, then must be separately and appropriately packaged, labelled, stored and transported to the laboratory
Ensure continuity of evidence otherwise the evidence is considered to be inadmissible in court (chapter 1 reading)
Minimise psychological contamination I.e. biases

Question 12

Forensic scientist’s role as a expert witness

Answer 12

Have skills and/or knowledge that will aid a decision in court
Have to be informative and professional in conveying information
Good communication skill required - this shows that there are two sides of being a forensic scientist and that it is not only being a good scientist
Needs to be able to present information to a jury in simple and effective ways
A forensic scientist may be required to write up his or her findings in the form of a full evaluative statement for use in court
In some cases, the forensic scientist is required to appear in court as an expert witness

Question 13

Mechanisms of possible loss of integrity of evidence …

Answer 13

Tampering
Accidental contamination
Deterioration
Accidental mislabelling of evidence

Question 14

Qualitative vs quantitative evidence …

Answer 14

Qualitative = analysis concerned with information that can provide evidence about the identity of an entity e.g. whether alcohol is present in the individuals blood 
Quantitative = aims to establish the amount or concentration of a given substance e.g. how much alcohol is in the individuals blood

Question 15

Types of crime (2)

Answer 15

Volume crime

Major incidents

Question 16

Volume crime examples

Answer 16

Assault (affray)
Arson (minor)
Theft
Burglary
Distraction burglary
Aggravated burglary
Robbery
Ram raid
RTA/hit+run
Theft from vehicle
Theft of a vehicle
Drug cultivation
Graffiti

Question 17

Major incidents examples

Answer 17

Murder
Attempted murder 
Assault (major)
Rape
Bomb scene
Arson (fatal)
Drugs factory (major)
Kidnapping 
Computer crime

Question 18

What can bruising show on the victim of a major incident …

Answer 18

Yellow bruising indicates injury occurred some time ago i.e. it is older
Purple bruising indicates newly acquired injury/injuries
If yellow and purple bruises could indicate repeated abuse

Question 19

Definition of crime scene

Answer 19

any location that is to be searched for physical evidence

Question 20

Example locations for crime scenes

Answer 20

anywhere can become a crime scene, crime scene can change depending on the weather and many other factors

Indoor residential (house)
Indoor entertainment (pubs, club, bar)
Indoor other (shop)
Outdoor public place (street)
Outdoor private place (garden)
Outdoor other (vehicle)

Question 21

Major questions at the crime scene list…

Answer 21

who? 
when? 
where? 
what? 
why?

Question 22

Major questions at the crime scene - who?

Answer 22

Victim, perpetrator, witness(es)

Question 23

Major questions at the crime scene - when?

Answer 23

Chronology i.e. when did the crime occur? –> Not just time since death but also time since the event, so can you work out any movement of the body prior to death, the death itself and if the body was moved after death

Question 24

Major questions at the crime scene- where?

Answer 24

Location
Where did the key events that produced the crime scene take place?
How did people involved in the crime enter and exit?
Did any inanimate objects involved in the crime move during the crime and where did they go to after the crime?

Question 25

Major questions at the crime scene - what?

Answer 25

Sequence of events, modus operandi (The order of how the crime happened)
Module operandi of a criminal is the way in which the perpetrator of a crime carries out the act
What objects were involved? Are they still at the scene or have they been removed?

Question 26

Major questions at the crime scene - why?

Answer 26

Motive
Human behaviour explanation
Police’s job to find motive, but the evidence that the forensic scientist finds can provide clues as too the motive
Why did the crime happen where it did and why did the crime happen when it did?

Question 27

Crime scene processing definition

Answer 27

Crime scene processing = the sum total of the activities that preserve and record the crime scene, find, recover, package and label physical evidence from the crime scene and log all actions taken at the crime scene
Preserving scene and recording it is very important