Week 9- Flashcards

Question

What is a projectile?

Answer 1

- A bullet or "slug" - Usually made of lead - May have jacket (full metal jacket bullet) which prevents fragmenting

Answer 2

- Use a broach, which hollows out solid bar of steel, to make barrel - This process leaves small scratches when making barrels. As it does each one, picks up dirt, loses dirt etc. So, each barrel is unique

Answer 3

After barrel is drilled, rifling (spiral grooves) is added. This is done so to put a spin on bullets, prevents tumbling. It also adds more marks on bullets, giving more class and individual characteristics. The number of grooves and the direction (clockwise or anticlockwise) differs by each manufacturer, giving the class characteristics

Answer 4

In rifling, the Lands is the original diameter of the barrel, and when you put in grooves it digs deeper. When you fire bullet, grooves and Lands reverse on bullet

Answer 5

- Must compare like with like - Is gun safe to fire? Don't want it exploding in lab - Do NOT clean it because you're changing things - Test bullet fired into water because it won't deform it - Test bullet compared with suspect bullet

Answer 6

``` Look for class first to see if they match, if do continue onto individual: - Class characteristics: Same # of lands and grooves on bullet and gun? Same direction (clockwise and anticlockwise)? Caliber of bullet (original width of barrel b4 rifling, measures land to land) ? ``` - Accidental (Individual) characteristics: Use? Manufacture?

Answer 7

- Its super hot so they drop they | - They're shot far away

Answer 8

- Machining carryovers to next tool in manufacturer - Class may be mistaken for accidental (like if made in different country diff protocol) - Random arrangement

Answer 9

-  Metallic deposits cleaned away (either by motion of bullet or person cleaning) -  Rust/Corrosion -  Too much lubrication (bullet will slide) -  Different hardness of materials used on (If using a diff kind of slug can get diff patterns forming) -  Tool broken in use, ground down -  Bullet too small (instead of going smoothly it touches different areas) -  Chambers misaligned – shearing -  Erosion due to too high velocity bullet -  Extensive Use (go to gun range shoot off several rounds will change it slightly) -  Deliberate altering (Ted Bundy did this)

Answer 10

Ejector is shooting out empty cartridges and you can trace where the cartridges land as to where the shooters position is each shoot

Answer 11

-  Can determine position of antagonists -  Distance apart -  Ammunition propelled by expanding gases (In ideal situation all gun powder burns up but in reality you get burned, partially burned and unburned powder) - In order to do this, MUST have suspect weapon AND suspect ammunition (different weapon or different ammunition will create very different patterns) -  Fire into similar material at different distances when trying to replicate the gun shoe residue

Answer 12

-  Unburned powder inside wound -  Stellate (starshaped pattern) tearing (of skin and possible bone) - Quite a clean wound outside, most damage is seen inside -  Bullet wound surrounded by rim of vaporous lead -  Fibres of clothing may be melted

Answer 13

-  Halo of vaporous lead around wound | -  Unburned powder around wound

Answer 14

- Only soot deposited on wound (no stellate patterning)

Answer 15

-  Scattered specks of unburned and partially burned gunpowder grains -  Stippling under skin -  No soot or blackening, or vaporous lead on tissue itself

Answer 16

-  No residue on target | -  Bullet wipe – on edge of wound – wiped off bullet as it entered flesh

Answer 17

- Diff guns firing same bullet show different results - Same bullet with diff guns show different results - A silencer also changes result - If the bullet was fired through something like a curtain will change the result as well

Answer 18

Early tests – Dermal Nitrate Test: - Test for gunpowder cause gunpowder has nitrates Cons: Nitrate is also in urine, cosmetics, tobacco - Very easily get  false positives - May just have been standing nearby - Easily washed off Now test for Primer Residue -  Lead styphnate, barium nitrate & antimony sulfide (don't need to know) -  Specific, only found in primer -  May be transferred by handling – look at amount and where it is to make conclusions -  Still easily washed off

Answer 19

Because of incredible velocity that a bullet brings with it. A knife velocity is only how fast the man or women can give. But bullets come with tremendous velocity and comes with 2 kinds of cavities, temporary and permanent cavities. Temporary cavity created is extremely deadly

Answer 20

-  Massive stretching due to gases expanding | -  Briefly, very massive wound, much bigger than projectile

Answer 21

- Actual damage to tissue

Answer 22

- If do not have weapon or ammunition, can only make general conclusions - If used silencer - If bullet was fired through something

Answer 23

- Mushrooms on contact - Creates large wound - Lots of stopping power

Answer 24

- NO full metal jacket | - Mushrooms and fragments, great stopping power (for hunting)

Answer 25

- Full metal jacket - Injure instead of kill (if you injure them, people will try to treat them and takes manpower off the field) - Doesn't mushroom or fragment - Stopping power not as good

Answer 26

- Any biological material such as blood, semen, saliva, hair, tissue etc.

Answer 27

- Is it human? | - Can it be individualized (find out who that human being actually is)?

Answer 28

- In past, mostly class evidence | - Now, with DNA, material can be individualized

Answer 29

-  Civilian Scientists or Civilian members of RCMP -  Minimum of B.Sc. in biology, molecular biology, biochemistry, chemistry ( 3 year Diploma OK for basic work) - Start off as technician in Evidence Recovery Section - Then go through training period to become a PCR Analyst (3-5 yrs. in this) - Then become specialist who give expert testimony -  Biology Reporting officer does the statistics/probability

Answer 30

- Search Technologists - Locate and isolate and recover anything forensically important evidence e.g. -  Blood  Semen - Presumptive tests -- Entry level position but very important/Frontline

Answer 31

Hair itself (without DNA) primarily provides class characteristics, cannot individualize (however very important to eliminate): -  Shed everywhere -  Shed all the time - Made up of three different areas: Cuticle, Cortex, and Medulla Cuticle (outer covering) -  Resistant to desiccation – keratinized (so lasts for long time) - Made up of overlapping scales. The scale pattern is different by species (human vs. animal) Cortex -  Under cuticle, it holds the pigment granules - Pigment granules have diff colour, shape, and distribution. Help to differentiate between two people Medulla -  Canal in centre -  Medullary index can be calculated. - It is much wider in animals than humans

Answer 32

- Scale pattern in cuticle: Take a microscope slide, take clear nail polish, and put it on the slide. Put air in it, and let polish dries. Now you made a cast of hair. - If animal still may be related to scene (pet dog of offender)

Answer 33

``` Once identified is human (thin medulla, smooth cuticle) look at: Where is hair from on body? - Beard – triangular in X-section - Scalp, pubic – oval - Pubic – highly twisted ``` Ancestry of hair? -  Negroid – flat, oval in X-section, very curled, dense uneven pigment -  Mongoloid – wide in X-section, coarse pigment -  Caucasoid - oval-round in X section, fine to coarse pigment evenly distributed If have treated hair (can look at where it stopped and where it started since we know how long it takes hair to grow). It also breaks easily

Answer 34

- Hair forcibly removed has root still attached and will provide DNA

Answer 35

- There are about 20+ factors to compare -  Need a comparison sample – compare unknown hair at scene with suspect and victim -  Adequate sample required (from victim) – RCMP recommends: -  80-100 PULLED scalp hairs -  30-50 PULLED pubic hairs -  From all over region (like all over public region just not one)

Answer 36

Positive – consistent with donor -  Consistent with that person - However could be a coincidental match (say consistent with, never a match) Negative – not consistent with donor -  Did NOT come from that person - Or known sample was not representative, or contained too few hairs

Answer 37

- Not usually individualizing – corroborative evidence (to other class evidence) - Only individualizing if hair root (has DNA) -  Hair shaft has mtDNA, maternal line only eg. Caylee Anthony case, root banding

Answer 38

- Presumptive evidence (aka class evidence) only unless corroborated with DNA - FBI Analysis that looked at past cases and did DNA (either nuclear or mtDNA) -> 1996-2000 - 11% wrong!  -> 95% of cases, FBI examiners overstated matches (said its a match instead of consistent with him and 5% of the population) -> 32 death sentences (14 dead)

Answer 39

Sexual assault kit - Need samples from victim AND suspect - If victim is alive performed by medical personnel – forensic nurse aka the SANE (sexual assault nurse examiner) - If victim is deceased – pathologist - Check for semen by swabs from vagina, cervix, rectum, anus and mouth -> External area -> Allowed to dry (prevents mold - Pubic combinng -> Possibly hair from attacker was left  ->Need control sample from victim - Fingernail scrapings (if dead, bag hands) - This entire process is unpleasant so victim must consent - If unconscious, victim must wake up first, thus evidence may be lost - Bill C-104: allowed police to take evidence by force is necessary from victim - Suspect – need all samples

Answer 40

Do presumptive tests first. Then confirmatory if necessary -  Presumptive tests - >  Might be suspected substance - >  False positives - > OR is definitely NOT suspected substance  - Confirmatory tests  - > Definitely is the suspected substance - >NO false positives

Answer 41

-  If on person, swabs as before - If on item, swab but be careful in case of other evidence - If on clothes or weapons, place in dry paper bag  - At scene? Cut wall out -  Visible? swab or collect item -  Not visible? Do presumptive colour tests -  Colour tests by chemical + alternate light source

Answer 42

-  Kastle Meyer/Phenolphthalein: turns bright pink - > False +ve with horseradish, potato -  Haemastix test: turns green - > False +ve with e.g. rust, bleach - > Interferes with DNA extraction -  Luminol  Darkness/alternate light source, turns blue glow - > False +ve with iron, copper, bleach, horseradish -  Bluestar, requires not complete darkness -  False +ve with detergents, bleach, iron, thyme

Answer 43

-  If positive – might be blood  - Needs to be confirmed -  If negative – definitely NOT blood, which is very useful

Answer 44

-  Presumptive test only! Might be blood, but false positives possible -  Must do confirmatory test -  Dingo baby/Lindy Chamberlain case, Australia, 1980

Answer 45

-  Haemachromagen test -  No false positives -  Only shows it is blood, not whether human or animal

Answer 46

-  Precipitin test (old way... take human blood and inject it in rabbit. The rabbit produces anti-sera to it. Can use blood from rabbit and put into vial, add suspect substance, if human blood, anti-sera will precipitate) -  Commercial anti-sera kits available now

Answer 47

-  Ol way was through blood typing - Now we have the ABO system, MN system, rhesus system-- class characteristics -  DNA – 1985 – individual characteristics - After DNA, previous Serology section now called  Forensic Biology Section

Answer 48

-  Fast Blue test (Acid phosphatase colour test) -  Acid phosphatase is produced from prostate gland – 400X more common in semen than other fluids (but still found in other fluids so still presumptive test) -  Sodium alpha napthylphosphate and fast blue B dye -  Rapid positive result (turn blue) = semen -  Vasectomized males – still positive cause testing for semen not sperm -  Run piece of moist filter paper over large area like carpet (if doesn't come up blue or really slowly prob false positive) -  False positives with e.g. fungi, contraceptive creams – slower to react

Answer 49

-  Spermatozoa ONLY confirmatory test -  IN PAST: PSA or p30 test (Prostate Specific Antigen) was considered to be confirmatory - > Was believed to be only in semen - > BUT now found in breast milk, amniotic fluid, female urine – but low levels - > Recently found in vaginal fluids as same level as males! - > No longer used as confirmatory in Canada

Answer 50

- If sperm is present, we have his DNA -  Vasectomy - no sperm - > Can man be identified?  Is sperm the only DNA in sample? No, epithelial (skin) cells rubbed off during intercourse have DNA

Answer 51

1. No ejaculation 2. Condom 3. Victim washed 4. Offender has disease that affects semen 5. Victim has vaginal conditions that destroy semen 6. Bad collection 7. Victim lied or mistaken

Answer 52

- Vaginal sample -> Motile sperm – 8 h -> Non-motile sperm - 16 h -> Just sperm heads: <48h - Oral sample -> Up to 6 h (rare cause continuously swallowing) - Anal and rectal samples -> Up to 20 h - All swabs will be taken

Answer 53

-  Saliva (bite marks?) – skin cells -  Feces –rubbing motion gives skin cells -  Urine? if infection – white blood cells

Answer 54

-  Made up of chain of pairs of nucleotides -  Double helix -  Sections of DNA “code” for a chemical product -  Coding sections = genes -  One molecule of DNA = many genes -  DNA molecule – compact –cell nucleus -  Chromosome

Answer 55

-  Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes (46 total) -  All come in pairs -  22 regular or autosomal pairs -  1 pair of sex chromosomes X, Y, Everyone has 2 chr.1’s, 2 chr.2’s, 2 chr.3’s etc. (sex is entirely determined by male) -  Chromosomes – strings of genes, all in pairs -  Both chromosomes in a pair have same genes - > May have different versions or alleles - > e.g. gene for eye colour is on middle of chr. 15 - > Both members of pair of chr. 15 have eye colour gene in same place. - > Alleles could be blue, green, brown, violet -  Each person only has 2 - so 2 blue, or 2 brown, or 1 brown and 1 green etc.

Answer 56

-  Meiosis – doubles the chromosome material in testes and ovaries so briefly -  Then SHUFFLES the genes between the 4 -  Then reduces chromosome # to 23 in each sperm or egg -  Each sperm or egg is unique -  Unique egg + unique sperm = 1 unique complete cell -  Divides into 2, then 4, 8, 16 etc. = 1 baby -  All cells in human body the same

Answer 57

-  Most functions identical in everyone e.g. - > Eyes function the same way - > Stomach digests in same way - > Structure of skin identical -  Only 1% different

Answer 58

- In between the genes – ‘junk’ DNA - Short Tandem repeats (STR’s) - Repetition of sequences of DNA - Don’t know what they do, but VERY VARIABLE between people - In world - numerous possibilities for number of times a particular sequence of base letters can repeat themselves on a DNA strand - Even higher when look at 2 places on chromosome, or 3 etc. - Look at areas in chromosomes which are known to be very variable

Answer 59

-  Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphisms -  Old technique - > Needed good quality DNA, not degraded like in deceased - > Large amounts of blood needed - > 6-8 weeks - > Expensive

Answer 60

-  Polymerase Chain Reaction -  Makes many copies of original - >Works on degraded DNA - > Tiny amount of blood needed - > Fast - > Inexpensive ~25c/sample - > Easily stored in database

Answer 61

-  Gail Miller – killed before DNA fingerprinting available -  Christine Jessop – only RFLP available, too degraded -  In both cases innocent men wrongly convicted -  Later re-examination of degraded DNA with PCR -  Exonerated David Milgaard & Guy Paul Morin

Answer 62

Con of PCR is possibility of contamination (just breathing on sample can destroy it) -  May magnify wrong piece of DNA -  Scene security to prevent contamination: - > Bunny suits - > Double gloves - > Masks -  Separate teams for related scenes - > Lab security - > Separate labs for each scene - > Separate scientists for each scene - > Double blind test often done

Answer 63

-  Loci (or “addresses”) on chromosome known to have short sequences of nucleotides which repeat – very variable between people -  Get frequency – chance of someone else having same profile -  Several loci analyzed -  Multiply frequency -  Multiplexing – several STRs at once – 15 today

Answer 64

1. Stains identified 2. Cut out 3. Extract and purify DNA 4. PCR 5. Analyze results from scene, controls from victim, known from suspect (all done separately, in different rooms by different scientists) 6. Determine statistical significance – based on population databases 7. Prepare report 8. Independent File Review -> Some of original stain kept for opposing counsel -> Double-blind studies to check accuracy

Answer 65

-  e.g. 1 in 8 billion -  Not probability of guilt! -  Does not mean it IS his DNA -  Means that probability that it came from someone else is very low -  Affected by relatedness

Answer 66

- COmbined DNA Index System - Convicted Offender Index (COI) - > Profiles of offenders convicted of designated offenders (if primary up to defines why you shouldn't, if secondary up to prosecution why u should) - Crime Scene Index (CSI) - > Profiles of unknowns from crime scenes

Answer 67

-  Exonerations! -  US - estimated that 30% of those convicted before DNA, will be exonerated by DNA -  Does not prove guilt -  Just says ‘he was there’ -  Concern with faulty analyses -  Planted evidence?

Answer 68

- The “other” DNA aka Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) - Nuclear DNA - > In nucleus, in nearly every cell - > From both parents - > Unique - mtDNA - > Many copies in each cell, in mitochondria - > From Mother only - > Same as mother

Answer 69

- Half from mother, half from father - Equal amounts of DNA from each parent - But NOT equal amounts of everything else!!!

Answer 70

- Egg is 195,000 X bigger than sperm! - Sperm brings DNA - Egg brings DNA – and EVERYTHING else needed for life! – all cell contents – including mitochondria

Answer 71

-  Mitochondria – powerhouses of the cell -  Have their own DNA, unique from cell -  All mitochondria in a person come from first mitochondria in zygote – from mother -  No shuffling -  So all mtDNA in a person are IDENTICAL to their mother, brothers and sisters, grandmother, etc. - Same throughout maternal line - Can identify to that family group - Found in hair shaft - Easier to recover from very old sources (degraded) - Not performed forensically in Canada

Answer 72

- Closed population e.g. plane crash - War crimes in Argentina, large #'s of people “disappeared” - Grandchildren linked back to grandparents through mtDNA Romanov Family?

Answer 73

Any object which contains signs, symbols or marks either visible, partially visible or invisible, which convey a meaning to someone

Answer 74

- Handwriting and handprinting comparisons -  Examination of means, media and materials used to produce a document -  Documents that have been altered

Answer 75

- Before accepted : - > B.Sc. Science (e.g. chemistry, math, biology, physics) - > Word blindness and dexterity tests - Must be civilian - Two and a half years of understudy (longest in lab) caused based mostly on experience - Continuing education - Certification by American Board of Forensic Document Examiners (ABFDE)

Answer 76

- Graphology is NOT QD - Graphology is determining personality from handwriting - Similar to reading palms and fortune telling - No science! - Caution in court

Answer 77

- Majority of job - Handwriting is unique if: - > Reasonable amount of writing - > Executed freely and fluently

Answer 78

Child - > Copies alphabet, teacher, book, parent - > Repetition – very careful - > Whole words, then sentences - >Focus shifts from the act of writing to contents of writing Adult - > Writing is a semi-conscious habit - > Habits very hard to change or disguise

Answer 79

- > Copy book – all letters the same, so children all learn from same style - > All children from one Grade 1 teacher will learn their style - > Variations between countries - > Professional class characteristics - > Teenage girls in N. Am. – bubble writing - > Vision impaired?

Answer 80

-  Every person has an individual perception of different images (see things differently) -  Each person has individual physical makeup – dexterity -  Uncorrected errors become habit -  Child incorporates writing features from people of influence in their lives Combined, the above make handwriting unique

Answer 81

- Usual and normal deviations that occur within repeated specimens of a person’s handwriting (aka we all write differently everything we write smtg) - E.g. signature – no two ever the same - If signatures identical - fraud

Answer 82

- Science based on COMPARISON (comparing unknown document to known sample) - Must have original document AND examples of suspect’s handwriting – called comparison samples

Answer 83

-  Collected – collected from normal writing during everyday life - > Shopping lists - > Letters, - > Diaries - > Cancelled cheques -  Requested (when suspect taken into station and made to write) - > Obtained under warrant - > At police station, under police supervision Ideally want a mix of both

Answer 84

Advantages - Naturally written, unlikely to be disguised - Includes broad range of natural variation - Time of writing can be duplicated Disadvantages - Difficult to prove authorship - Unlikely to contain same text as QD

Answer 85

Advantages - Authorship not in dispute, witnessed - QD text can be duplicated - Quality and style can be duplicated Disadvantages - Writer may try to disguise writing - Restricted range of natural variation - May not be natural – nervousness - Writing may not be contemporary (might be written now, but original sample was written long time ago)

Answer 86

- Dictate it – read rapidly, adjusting speed so they cannot think and disguise it -  Do not include punctuation -  Must not see original -  Seated comfortably (or as for QD) -  Duplicate writing instrument and material -  Repeat text: para X3, signature X15 - Remove each specimen after written -  Text must include all words, numbers of QD -  Duplicate size of QD (if it was a cheque, make it write in cheque sized things) -  Duplicate style of QD – e.g. letter -  If printed, ensure upper and lower case both used

Answer 87

- May not want suspect to know contents of QD - Use Canada letter (fantasy letter) - Set letter – changed for each case to include all words, letters and numbers of QD

Answer 88

-  Requires original QD -  Class Characteristics -  Individual Characteristics -  slope of letters, angularity, proportions, speed of the writing, the pen pressure at different points in a letter, which letters are joined and which are not, pen stops, or lifts, pen gooping, word spacing, relative dimensions of letters, connections between letters, pen movement, writing skill and finger dexterity

Answer 89

- By admission - If witnessed - Identification by someone familiar with writing - Any means court deems acceptable

Answer 90

Positive identification: - Sample and QD written by same person - Can say strong probability or weak probability somebody wrote it Can neither identify nor eliminate (usually cause not enough of sample) Negative: - Prove that someone else wrote document - Writing quality is better than that which suspect is capable

Answer 91

- Must compare like to like e.g. hand writing to hand writing, printing to printing - Contemporary – writing changes over time

Answer 92

- Drugs or alcohol (supposedly extends ur range) - Extreme emotion (fear, anxiety etc.) - Type of writing instrument and surface (pad or paper or directly on hard surface) - Writing position (pencil vs. ink) - Illness, physical challenge (arthritis)

Answer 93

- Examiner must be familiar with class and individual characteristics of other countries - Must not confuse unusual class characteristics from another country with individual characteristics - Cannot identify writer without being able to read language

Answer 94

Attempt to change own handwriting habits to avoid detection

Answer 95

- Simple -  Not fluent -  Change is rarely consistent -  Altered letter design -  Internal consistency disrupted -  Never original – several basic types -  Lapses back into own style -  Certain features never disguised

Answer 96

Attempt to emulate handwriting habits of someone else (signing will of someone else)

Answer 97

- Poorer than original -  Misinterpretation of strokes -  Heavy pen pressure -  Irregular pen movements -  Touch-ups -  Inaccurate ratios and proportions of letters

Answer 98

Daubert v. Merrill Dow Pharmaceutical Inc, 113 S. Ct. 2786 (1993) - During this case, QD was decided to be not a science - New research to prove QD is a science... developed computerization identification of mail Computerized identification of mail (9/11) - Anthrax

Answer 99

Typewriters, photocopiers, computer printers, rubber stamps, graphic arts used to make currency, lotto tickets etc.

Answer 100

Class characteristics - make and model of machine e.g. font size, design, pitch, shape Innate characteristics - characteristic which is common to a group, but not all in group e.g. dirt in mould for a key for manufacture of 10 printers, so only 10 have them (not individualizing but better than class) Individual characteristics - actual machine e.g. Damage to a key

Answer 101

- They copy documents, and from document can get make and model of machine - Actual machine identified by trash marks, picker marks, damage - New models – leave identifying mark - # of copies since QD - If you try to photocopy currency, the photocopy will shut down and possibly call police

Answer 102

- Old ribbons – could read writing directly | - Newer ribbons – moves up and down, can still be read

Answer 103

- Torn paper/foil/plastic - Water soaked documents - Charred documents – IR, UV light, burn more and the writing comes back - Altered/erased – IR, UV light, white-out, computer - Latent impressions (if write on smtg leave impression on paper below it)

Answer 104

-  Science of the everyday -  Study of NON-BIOLOGICAL trace evidence -  Heavily based on Locard’s Exchange Principle (it is the stuff we pick up and leave behind) -  E.g. paint, glass, fibres, drywall, glue, cleaner fluid, adhesive tape etc. -  Crime scene? Occurs between ordinary people in ordinary places -  E.g. criminal in woolly sweater leaving behind fibres from sweater, victim’s makeup may be on suspect, duct tape, bomb, materials

Answer 105

- Anything that is not a body fluid - Used to be part of hair and fibre section (still is in US). - Now in Canada:  Fibre – chemistry  Hair - biology

Answer 106

-  B.Sc. (minimum) -  Chemistry – lots! -  Able to do all basic analytical techniques -  Civilians (do not go crime scene) -  Then basic training in lab under a mentor ~ 15-18 months -  Mock trial

Answer 107

-  B & E -  Hit and run -  Arson -  Bombings - Terrorism -  Examine the trace evidence

Answer 108

B & E: -  Broken glass, -  Fragments of drywall  Hit and run -  Car light glass -  Car lights -  Paint  Safe cracking - Packing material from safe

Answer 109

 E.G. Home invasion -  Ident (the REAL CSI!) at scene -  Pathologist looking at the body -  Biology – looking at DNA, semen -  Firearms – looking at spent cartridges -  Chemist – involved in all aspects!

Answer 110

-  Fibres left behind -  Soil from assailant’s shoes -  Glass on suspects clothes -  Rope used to tie homeowners -  Strange stain on floor (gasoline?)

Answer 111

-  What accelerant? -  Where fire started? -  Was a timer used? -  What type of bomb? -  Made with what? -  Type of explosive? -  How was it made? -  Can the material be traced?

Answer 112

- Substance could be anything! - Broad range of tests to determine constituents (both presumptive and confirmatory) -> First tests (e.g. show its gasoline) -> Further tests (shows type of gasoline – Esso) -> Further tests (shows batch of Esso gas, which gas station it was delivered to) First do: - Qualitative analysis – what substances are present Then: - Quantitative analysis - % of each substance

Answer 113

-  Basic chemistry techniques -  Chromatography -  Electrophoresis -  Spectrophotometry

Answer 114

-  Separates substance into components (so purifies them) -  Gas Chromatography – separates based on distribution between liquid and gas phase -  Gas chromatograph (GC) - inject sample -  Pyrolysis – adds heat, e.g. paint chip-gas -  High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) -  Thin-layer Chromatography (TLC)

Answer 115

Separates substances on basis of electrical potential

Answer 116

-  Different substances absorb light in different ways -  Used to identify -  Mass Spectrometry (MS) -  Gas chromatography gives preliminary tentative ID -  GC +MS (GC/MS) – positive ID -  Very basic techniques, first year chemistry

Answer 117

- Identifying substance - basic chemistry -  Significance of substance – FORENSIC chemistry - Its all class evidence -  In order to have value - must determine significance -  May have 0 significance -  May be very significant

Answer 118

- Must make significance (or lack of significance) clear in report and testimony -  Even a complete MATCH may have NO significance -  Guy Paul Morin Case (new expert witness testifying and overemphasized and said it was a match to Guy Paul Morin) -  Must give a significance level

Answer 119

- Class evidence – may be high or low significance -  Exact match? But may be very common – so exact match to many different items -  If rare – more significant -  How common is evidence? -  Need databases for comparison

Answer 120

- How common is this evidence? -  Develop database and find out parent population -  E.g. B & E, glass at scene -  Suspect has glass on him - > Physical properties – do they match? - > How common is that sort of glass? - > If common, does it mean anything? -  Glass on person? -  Develop a database -  How common is it for regular people to have glass on them? - > Get a sample of people - > See how much glass on them - > Shoes - ~30% - > Clothes ~<2%

Answer 121

- Glass itself is common - But rare to have glass on clothing - So, significant that suspect had matching glass on clothing  <2% population have any glass - Even more significant that it is that type of glass - Less significant if just on shoes (position on shoes?)

Answer 122

- How valid is your database? - Does it fit this person – or how likely is it that this person could innocently have this evidence? - Glass on clothing rare – but what if guy is a glazer? - Suspect must fit in research population

Answer 123

- Found drywall on suspect? - > Rare in average population - > Not in person renovating -  Gun residue? - > Rare in average population - > Not in person at gun range -  Therefore, need database into which suspect fits -  How common is it to find glass on glazier’s clothes?

Answer 124

- What is population/situation? - Some things may be very common in some situations and very rare in others - Livingston in Africa  Scenario? Identified cause white man in africa wearing white mans clothing and broke his arm previously. Never would've identified him if living in London - Manure from bomb?

Answer 125

``` - More than one type of class evidence - Cumulative - the more there is the more significant – multiplies probabilities ```

Answer 126

-  Natural fibres – animal or plant sources -  Manmade fibers -  Polymers – - > e.g. nylon (large number of atoms) - > Also include paint, adhesives, plastics

Answer 127

-  Colour -  Striations on fibre -  Cross-sectional shape -  Refractive index -  Infrared spectrophotometry -  Etc. -  How rare is the fibre? Circumstances?

Answer 128

-  Hit and Run -  Fuzzy sweater fibres -  Very common -  BUT – not common stuck in broken head light glass of a car with a smashed fender -  Glass from light on victim? -  Exchange of evidence – very significant

Answer 129

-  Everywhere! -  Cars – all have at least 4 layers normally -  Match to database of car colours -  Chemically examine paint – e.g. chromatography -  If repaint job – more significant but harder to find -  Car brake lights – on or off?

Answer 130

- Chemist may attend, more likely special fire investigators - Fire Investigators –usually ex fire fighters -> May be direct arson for the sake of the fire  -> May be insurance  -> May be to disguise a crime - Very difficult to destroy a body! - Usually lots of evidence left behind! - Remember – body in dumpster?

Answer 131

``` - Was it arson? - Accelerant? -> Gas? -> Chemicals? ->Kindling? -> Bounce? - Significance? -> Where is it found? ```

Answer 132

-  Collect Sample -  Must take a control -  If an accelerant is found, is it also on control? -  Then maybe not used as an accelerant -  Many accelerants can be specifically identified (to a particular gas station)

Answer 133

-  Usually homemade -  How was it constructed? -  What was it made of? -  What explosive was used?

Answer 134

-  Combustion with release of gases, which expand with the heat -  Very fast -  If confined – pipe bomb – shrapnel -  Large blast – gases escape - >7000mph -  Gale force – knocks over buildings, walls, kills

Answer 135

- Based on speed at which the explosive decomposes - Low explosives – speed of deflagration (burning) – rapid oxidation, heat, light, subsonic pressure wave. - High explosives – speed of detonation – creation of supersonic shock wave, chemical bonds break - instantaneous build-up of heat and gases

Answer 136

-  Throwing or propelling motion -  Normally just burn -  Black powder, smokeless powder -  e.g. fuse to gunpowder -  Lethal when confined - pipe bomb

Answer 137

- Primary explosives – ultra-sensitive to heat, shock or friction. Detonate violently instead of burn. Primers, blasting caps - Secondary explosives – insensitive to heat, shock or friction. Burn rather than detonate if in open air e.g. dynamite, TNT etc. - Bombs must be detonated by an initiating explosion

Answer 138

- Early days - high explosives – nitroglycerin and pulp – dynamite - Now ammonium nitrate based e.g.- water gels, emulsions and ANFO (ammonium nitrate soaked in fuel oil) - Ammonium nitrate – manure -> Easily available! -> Washes away -> Significance

Answer 139

``` - Explosive - Timers - Detonators - Fuses - Batteries? - Duct tape? ```

Answer 140

-  Require minimum of B.Sc. (Hon) in biochemistry, chemistry or pharmacy -  ~16-18 months training period at lab, mentored by a toxicologist

Answer 141

- Detection of drugs and poisons - Interpretation in terms of physiological and behavioral effects - Analytical chemistry & Pharmacology - Also some pathology, physiology and biochemistry

Answer 142

- Assist in establishing the true cause of death -  Provide a basis for intoxicated behaviour -  Provide a clue to clinical history when the subject is unable or unwilling to do so -  Assist in establishing the truth of statements such as “I was high and so I don’t remember”

Answer 143

-  Murder, attempted murder, manslaughter -  Assault, physical, sexual, chemical weapon -  Impaired driving -  Poisoning, noxious substances -  Food and product tampering -  Parole and probation violations -  What is it?

Answer 144

- Coroner or ME lab – postmortem toxicology – non-criminal - Health Canada: Bureau of dangerous drugs - > Controlled drugs and substances act violations - Private Labs - > Employee screening

Answer 145

- ANYTHING can be a poison - Depends on DOSE - E.g. oxygen, water - Raves

Answer 146

- Analytical – what is it? | - Interpretation –what does it mean?

Answer 147

``` 1. Select specimen 2. Extract compounds 3. Separate compounds 4. Identify drugs/poison 5. Quantitate drugs/poison ```

Answer 148

- When was last dose taken? - Was it acute or chronic? - How was it taken - i.v., oral etc.? - What was the level at an earlier time? - What symptoms would be present? - Is the level therapeutic, toxic or fatal? - How much was taken?

Answer 149

- Good for screening, confirmation and quantitation - Primary index for drug/poison effects  - “Dirty" - Invasive, or may not be available -  Postmortem redistribution of drugs  - Alcohol production by body after death -  Need to collect blood from several sites to compare

Answer 150

-  Primary fluid for screening and confirmation. -  Not so good for quantitation -  Excretory products -  Indicates prior exposure -  Easily available, non-invasive -  Useful for postmortem alcohol determinations -  Clean specimen -  Risk of tampering

Answer 151

- Good for screening over many months - Controversy over whether IN or ON hair - Canada – criminal testing only - US criminal and employment testing

Answer 152

```  Liver  Kidneys  Gastric contents  Bile  Brain  Lungs  Injection site  CSF  Bone marrow  Maggots  Vitreous humor  Synovial fluid  Stains  Saliva  Meconium  POST-MORTEM!! ```

Answer 153

- Paraphernalia: syringes, spoons, pipes - Residues – powders, stains, food - Medicine: prescriptions, pills - Seized at scene?

Answer 154

- No single analytical scheme to detect everything - Use a repertoire of standard methods - > Modify according to nature of case as well as type and amount of specimen - Exclude or indicate the presence of a drug, poison or class of compounds - Presumptive then confirmatory tests

Answer 155

- Rapid - Sensitive - NOT specific - Very useful to exclude a drug or class of drugs and to indicate possible drugs

Answer 156

- Sensitive - Specific - Combination of chromatography and spectrometry e.g. - > Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry - > Liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry - > Mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry

Answer 157

- Drug? - Amount? - Symptoms? - = behaviour

Answer 158

- Toxicologist may attend scene - Identify dangers - Booby traps - Identify specimens

Answer 159

- Northwest passage - Pride of the British Fleet - 18 month trip - Provisions for 3 years! - Library, teachers, musicians, hot and cold running water - Canned food!

Answer 160

- West coast of Greenland - Baffin Island - Never seen again….. - Many voyages sent to search - 1850, Beechy Island - > Cairns of cans  - > Old clothing  - > Three graves

Answer 161

- Starvation - Insanity - Violence - Cannibalism - Autopsies on all three - Samples of tissue - Very high levels of lead - Old tin cans examined - Some burst – meat rotten - Some intact - Lead solder

Answer 162

- To rule out criminal activity - To establish Cause of Death (Provincial Mandate) - Information for NOK  Prevention - Civil law concerns (life insurance, estate settlement)

Answer 163

- Are Sudden Death Investigators - Have a medical, investigative or legal background - Attend sudden death scenes - Do not perform autopsies (but can order them)

Answer 164

Section 2 ‐ Deaths to be reported: - By violence (aka homicide), accident, negligence, misconduct, malpractice ‐ During or following pregnancy; ‐ Suddenly or unexpectedly; ‐ From disease, sickness or unknown cause that was not treated by a physician; ‐ From self‐inflicted illness (all suicide are coroner cases) or injury; ‐ In a custodial facility , while detained or as a result of an act of a peace officer in the course of duty

Answer 165

• To publicly ascertain the facts leading up to and surrounding a sudden,unnatural or unexpected death • To make reasonable recommendations to prevent future loss of life under similar circumstances

Answer 166

Section 11: INVESTIGATIVE POWERS – • Take possession and examine the body • Enter and inspect any place relating to the death •Inspect information in any records • Seize anything pertinent to the investigation •Authorize any person to exercise these powers

Answer 167

• Supreme Court of Canada determined that, if a coroner hands over blood samples to the police for use in the pursuit of a criminal prosecution, the subject of that prosecution has had his or her Charter of Rights and Freedoms violated.

Answer 168

Deaths Proceeding to Inquest: • Deaths that occur while in police custody or lock‐up may proceed to Inquest • Deaths that require a public airing of the circumstances or that involve issues surrounding public safety and confidence, will often proceed to Inquest

Answer 169

* quasi‐judicial public proceeding (court) * fact‐finding not fault‐finding * witnesses give testimony before 5 member jury * answers 5 ?’s * jury makes recommendationsre: prevention

Answer 170

Section 5 A person who has reason to believe that a person died in any of the circumstances referred to in section 2, must not interfere with or alter the body or its condition in any way until the coroner so directs (aka no body allowed to touch or move body until coroner says so)

Answer 171

Police: • collect of evidence to solve a crime or rule out foul play Coroner: • Examines and documents observations to establish the cause and manner of death

Answer 172

* Who – Identity of deceased * How – Medical Cause of Death (blunt force trauma) * Where (they came to their death, not necessarily where they were injured) * When (time of death) * By What Means – Mechanism of Death (motor vehicle accident)

Answer 173

IDENTIFICATION: visual, BCDL/photos, fingerprints, tattoos, personal papers, scars, odontology, height, hair color, previous medical x-rays, DNA

Answer 174

Medical Cause of Death: provided by forensic pathologist if autopsy done or by coroner following examination of history, scene, body eg GSW to head

Answer 175

Where body is found is not necessarily where death occurred eg. ‘dumps’, OD’s, homicides

Answer 176

Time of Death: cannot be accurately, scientifically determined due to many factors affecting postmortem changes

Answer 177

Mechanism of Death: eg. COD = MBFI Mechanism of death is motor vehicle incident

Answer 178

COD=CO poisoning Mechanism of death is a house‐fire

Answer 179

Pitfalls!: Avoid developing tunnel vision…. MAKE OBSERVATIONS INSTEAD OF DRAWING CONCLUSIONS

Answer 180

• History ‐ medical/psychiatric, lifestyle, alcohol/illicit drug use, known to police • Scene ‐ gather info for pathologist, info for family, criminal circumstances, collect evidence • Body ‐ a) at the scene b) at the autopsy (also attend)

Answer 181

Decomposition: the breakdown of body tissues after death. Early - blue/green discolouration of skin (but not present in people with obesity) Moderate - Some swelling, marbling around shoulders, skin slippage Advanced - Bloating, purging, blistering, veins very visible (marbling), lividity is very dark, eyes swollen

Answer 182

* Blue‐green discolouration of skin | * First visible over lower quadrant of abdomen over appendix

Answer 183

…is the pooling of blood to the dependant areas of the body after death. Lividity is usually apparent 2 hours after death and can become fixed with 8 hours. Blood will not pool into an area where the skin is compressed against a firm surface

Answer 184

• Enzyme is released into muscle tissue causing muscle to stiffen • Apparent within 2 hours after death • Can take up to 12 hours to progress to full rigor (not an exact science) • Is accelerated in warm internal and external temperatures • Is accelerated with presence of stimulants (i.e. cocaine, amphetamines), physical exertion, fever/sepsis, seizure activity

Answer 185

• Is the breakdown of the fats in the body. • Occurs in bodies exposed to water or moist conditions (ie. bodies in moist soil, in plastic bags)

Answer 186

- Body in advanced decomp and skin would fall off with slight pull

Answer 187

* Central nervous system depressants may cause an individual to become comatose and death may not occur for several hours. * ie. Narcotics * Incontinence of urine may occur * An ingestion of pills may be evidenced by vomitus which may contain undigested pill fragments.

Answer 188

- Foam comes out of mouth and develops cone-like appearance

Answer 189

* Alcoholics with advanced liver disease are at risk for prolonged bleeding * Veins in esophagus or rectum can rupture and bleed profusely * Ulcers in stomach or bowels can perforate through lining and bleed profusely * Blood may be red, brown or black in colour * Body may have many visible bruises

Answer 190

* Natural * Accidental * Suicide * Homicide * Undetermined

Answer 191

* Alcoholics with advanced liver disease are at risk for prolonged bleeding * Veins in esophagus or rectum can rupture and bleed profusely * Ulcers in stomach or bowels can perforate through lining and bleed profusely * Blood may be red, brown or black in colour * Body may have many visible bruises

Answer 192

* Natural * Accidental * Suicide * Homicide * Undetermined

Answer 193

• Death primarily resulting from a disease of the body and not resulting from injuries or abnormal environmental factors eg. heart attacks, aneurysms

Answer 194

• Death due to injury intentionally inflicted by the action of another person. Homicide is a neutral term that does not imply fault or blame. eg: stellate contact wound

Answer 195

• Death which, because of insufficient evidence or inability to otherwise determine, cannot reasonably be classified as natural, accidental, suicide or homicide. eg. advanced decomp, suicide vs accident, skeletal remains, negative findings

Answer 196

• Death which, because of insufficient evidence or inability to otherwise determine, cannot reasonably be classified as natural, accidental, suicide or homicide. eg. advanced decomp, suicide vs accident, skeletal remains, negative findings

Answer 197

- Based on whats reasonable. May not be positively known.

Answer 198

- Spiral - Strip or line - Zone - Grid

Answer 199

- Indoor or outdoor - Man power - Nature of site and scene - Approach (path of contamination) - Seriousness of Offence

Answer 200

- Recommended when low in personnel - By starting at a focal point and searching in a spiral manner with the aid of a stick and rope, a known distance can be covered.

Answer 201

Used to concentrate in specific area

Answer 202

Similar to zone, used in smaller areas e.g. searching of small items, ammunition

Answer 203

Used to search elongated area (roadway)

Answer 204

To individualize

Answer 205

The elimination of all other similar items in the world – leaving only one possible source

Answer 206

Perception bias - tendency for the human perceptual system to organize sensory data into recognizable forms - Seeing something involves knowledge of the object derived from previous experience thus the concept of “expectation” is introduced - Extend this phenomena to the comparison of physical evidence, one can readily see that having prior knowledge of the physical characteristics of an object e.g. - Studying the known and comparing It to the unknown can result in the same effect

Answer 207

- Analysis - Comparison - Evaluation - Verification

Answer 208

Unknown item reduced to a matter of its properties, or characteristics, may be directly observable, measurable or otherwise perceptible qualities. This is done before Known item is examined.

Answer 209

Properties and characteristics of the unknown are now compared to the properties of the Known

Answer 210

Similarities or dissimilarities in properties or characteristics will each have a certain value for identification purposes, determined by its likelihood of occurrence

Answer 211

* Any scientific fact must be able to be duplicated if a scientific process is used. * It is standard practice to have all identifications verified * This is completed by another FIS technician

Answer 212

Detect drugs/poison, interpret in terms of physiological/behavioural effects, assist in establishing the true case of death