Quiz 2 Flashcards
taphonomy
natural changes that occur to a body over time(sun bleaching
Vegetational Indicators
- Normal plant growth
- Increased plant growth(decomposing body)
- Stunted plant growth impeded roots)
Clandestine Graves
- Average depth is 2ft
- Rushed
Ornamental Plantings
Intentional planting; associated with graves
- yucca, roses,lilies,ferns,etc
Yucca
body keeps flower alive(common with African American) can’t grow by itself
Mustard Grass
No need for search in area
Age
Stick and branches
Soil components
sand, silt,and clay
Horizons of soil
A: organic material
B: orange, subsoil
C: Clays
D: Gravels
E: bedrock
Bedrock
*If exposed bedrock no need to dig
Stratigraphy
Layer cake of dirt; all layers of soil
*Deep stratigraphy in flooded areas
mottling
mixing of soils
- never goes back the same; takes million of years to form again
- Check for body
Probing
tells that soil under ground is being disturbed by something
- used for soil density
Hollow Stem Augering
Looking for mixing of soils(mottling) Looks similar to probe(instead of point it has “soon; open window)(
William Bill Longely
Bank robber, Hanged for his crimes, but his body wasn’t buried; it was the town drunk; he didn’t actually die and pretended to be dead and ran off; was killed another way
Shoes
Don’t decompose
Reverse Photogrammetry
Predict where a grave is by measuring distance of other graves
Monitoring
Using a large piece of equipment for excavation
Scent Detectors
Ex: Casey Anthony;
Smell:Methane(usually associated w/ decomposition)
A handheld odor-detecting device can provide quality data for many forensic applications (not really valid)
Lipids/Geovhemical Studies
- Check soil for fats, blood proteins leach into the soil during decomposition
- Particularly useful if bodies have been removed from the grave
Human Remains Detective Dogs(HRDD)
- trained to find things associated w/ human decomposition/remains
- Not trained to find living people
- No cross training(too many scents)
- Can pick up scents as far as Philly
Utility Dog
Aggressive police dog, usally cross trained in either(drugs, money, bombs, and gun)
Cameras and Scopes
Thermography
Photography
Lidar
Side Scan Sonar
Ground Penetrative Radar(GPR)
Thermography:
Means of detecting heat
- Must have some light(no need for existing light)
- Useful during sunrise and sunset
- Infared
- Can’t detect through water or glass
Photography
Ultraviolet(UV)
- Enhance injuries(ex contusions on dark complexions)
- ## Cause bone to flauresh(dinstinguish bone)
Lidar
Light detection and ranging(LIDAR)
airborne data capture systems can be used to very rapidly collect laser scans; 3D
Side scan Sonar
Emits conical or fan shaped pulses down toward the seafloor across a wide angle perpendicular to the path of the sensor through the water, which may be towed from a service vessel like a boat
Friction Ridges
on fingertips and palms, soles,and toes
- only fingerprints are in searchable data bases
epidermis
top layer and sheds
- Dermis:
blood vessels,sweat glands,nerves,(none of this is in epidermis)(
ex: paper cut is dermis being penetrated)
- Dermal papillae:
undulating surface on top of dermis under epidermis that lock. together; (creating friction ridges on fingers: for grip) unique to everyone Palms and soles of feet
Questioned
Don’t know whose it is(usally compared to those in a system already
Finger tip patterns
Loops( 2 types; most common)
Whorls(8 types)
Arch(r types; rare)
Known Fingerprints
recognizable finger prints
Anatomy of fingerprints
*Class characteristics
Core
Delta
Type lines
Core
Central most portion of fingerprint pattern
Delta:
divergence of the type lines(or bondary of type lines and fingerprint pattern)
Type Lines
surround fingerprint pattern
minutiae
individual characteristics of finger prings(ex: the way it splitis
Latent fingerprint
- fingerprint invisible to naked eye
- Carbon black powder
