Monday, December 5, 2011

5 Clues (Create a Profile)

In this lab each table was given five similar clues to establish a profile. Each table got one set of fingerprints, two hair or fiber samples, a torn note, and a liquid smudge on a piece of paper. We analyzed each sample and afterwards we compiled them based on how we did came about our observations.

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Crime Scene (1)


Exhibit 1: A Torn Up Note
The note says "Please forgive me, I love you all." The loops made really long and thin on letters such as "l" and "f." It appears that pressure was applied to the writing because the writing appears to be much darker than standardly applied pressure. There are disconnects between upper-case letters and double "o's".
Possible Match: Lucas Moore

Exhibit 2: A Hair Sample

The hair sample was a goldish yellow color, transparent with one side of the strand darker than the other. Color treatment/dying has been ruled out.
Possible Match: Red Hair or Caucasian Hair.

Exhibit 3: A Fingerprint

The fingerprint was identified as a plain arch loop fingerprint.
Possible Match: Lucas Moore


Exhibit 4: A Possible Poison

The possible poison that was dried and rehydrated tested positive for crack-cocaine and negative for LSD.
Possible Match: Sandra O'Connor and Jet Trong

Exhibit 5/6: A Decaying Body w/Maggots

Maggots were found on a decaying body. This indicates that the body was going through the active decay stage. The skull had missing teeth, which may indicate extesnive drug use.



Exhibit 7: Two Footprints


The smaller of the two footprints is assumed to be a woman's footprint. The shoe consists of smaller designs, mainly squares. The larger of the two footprints is assumed to be a man's footprint. The footprint consists of longer, more narrow designs on the bottom consists of longer, more narrow designs.
Possible Match: Sandra O'Connor

Exhibit 8: A Fingerprint 

The fingerprint was identified as an ulnar loop.
Possible Match: Sandra O'Connor

Exhibit 9: A Fingerprint

The fingerprint was identified as a double loop fingerpint.
Possible Match: Jet Trong


Exhibit 10: A Fiber Sample

The fiber sample was identified as black and synthetic. It appears to be woven together similar to rope that was transparent on the edges. It was possibly color treated, with frayed ends.
Possible Match: Nylon or Color Treated Wool
*Note: Jet Trong wore a dark blue shirt with a black sweater.

Exhibit 11: A Syringe Needle

A cominated syringe needle possibly used to administer crack cocaine through the bloodstream.



Story:
Sandra O'Connor, Jet Trong and Lucas Moore decided to do crack cocaine just outside the wooded area. Sandra overdoses from the amount of cocaine she had, which moved Lucas to forge the suicide note "Please forgive me, I love you all." Lucas also had a reaction to the drug. Jet was overwhelmed by the situation walked away, which explains why there is one footstep walking to the scene and one away.

Poison Lab

In this lab we had to determine if the substances present were poisonous or not. We had different indicators depending on each poison. The different poisons were cyanide, household cleaning product, aspirin, sugar, iodine and metal poison. Afterwards we researched different poisons that could be found at the crime scene. Through this simulation we found out how important analyzing poisons are at crime scenes.

Footprint Experiment


For this experiment we had to simulate a footprint at a crime scene. Each footprint in my group was a Converse shoe. Mine was a foot long and 9 3/4 inches wide. My footprint had the name "Converse" on the bottom. The design consisted of squares and long rectangles. There was more pressure at the front of the shoe than at the bottom.

Witness Experiment


In this experiment, the class was asked to go through a series of magazines and find similar sized faces. We then cut out the different features of the faces, i.e. forehead, eyes, ears (if possible), nose, mouth, chin and placed them into one large pile. Afterwards, we arranged new faces using the various parts and tested our classmates if they could reconstruct the new faces we created. In doing so it tests' the student's ability to memorize and identify a suspect in a police lineup.

Lipstick Analysis

For this experiment we had to analyze our lips by kissing a sheet of paper with lipstick on. In doing so, we analyze the shape, ridges and other distinct features of our lips. For example, in examining my lips I found that they are/have:
  • For the most part healthy
  • Straight and full
  • A slight arch on the upper lip
  • A space formed which looks like a bird looking upward 
  • No significant deformities
Also we performed paper chromatography on the lipstick. We put a sample of lipstick on the chromatography paper, then placed the paper (proping it up against the inside of the beaker) inside the beaker. The water would dissolve, and move up the paper. When it reached the lipstick sample, it did not dissolve because the lipstick is non-polar.

Drug Testing


Purpose:
Determine whether unknown substances are Cocaine or LSD by using reagents.

Procedure:
Pour a sample and determine the pH with pH paper, using reagents and the colors they turn determine whether they are cocaine or LSD

Data:

Drug
pH
Cocaine Reag. “blue”
LSD Reag.
“Yellow”
1
6
+
-
2
9
+
-
3
3
-
+
4
7.5
+
-
5
6
+
-
6
5
-
+


Research:

Cocaine
Chemical Name: benzoylmethylecgonine
Chemical Formula: C17H21NO4
pH: 8
Biochemical Tests: chromatographic techniques can easily distinguish and separately measure each of these substances

LSD
Chemical Name: Lysergic acid diethylamide
Chemical Formula: C20H25N3O
pH: 4
Biochemical Tests: comparing the hallucinogen LSD with lisuride, a structurally similar drug that also acts on serotonin or 5HT2A receptors but is not hallucinogenic

Methamph
Chemical Name: methylamphetamine
Chemical Formula: C10H15N 
pH: 12.8
Biochemical Tests: Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and photoemission spectroscopy


Conclusion:
We successfully differentiated which drugs tested positive for LSD and which ones tested positive for crack cocaine.

Handwriting Analysis




History of Handwriting


The history of handwriting dates back over 2000 years. The Greek philosopher Aristotle (shown left) noticed similarities between Chinese handwriting and their personalities. However the first book on handwriting analysis was published in 1622 by Camillo Baldi, a professor at the University of Bologna, which he titled A Method to Recognize the Nature and Quality of a Writer from His Letters.

A couple of centuries later in the 1890's in Germany a man by the name of Dr. Ludwig Klages (below, left) took gestalt theory (higher order cognative processes) and applied it to handwriting analysis. A Swiss professor named Max Pulver used psychoanalysis (the comprehensive theory of human nature, motivation, behavior, development and experience) in hand with handwriting analysis. These two individuals broadened the study of handwriting analysis.



Handwriting Characteristics

There are twelve different characteristics that one could you to differentiate different forms of handwriting:

1. Line Quality
2. Spacing of Words
3. Spacing of Letters
4. Pen Lifts
5. Word Separations
6. Connecting Strokes
7. Unusual Letter Formation
8. Slant
9. Baseline Habits
10. Flourishes
11. Embellishment

12. Didactic Placement

Analysis of Handwriting Templates

There are two ways one may forge handwriting: free-handing forgery and trace forgery. Free handing forgery is when an individual copies another's handwriting without the aid of tracing, stencils or other means of copying handwriting. Trace forgery is when an individual tries to copy another's handwriting by using trace paper, a stencil or other means outside just their hand to successfully replicate another's handwriting.
In a lab we attempted both free-hand and traced forgery.

1st: Each student received a scratch sheet so they are given the opportunity to copy another sutdent's handwriting.
2nd: Each student was asked to write the sentence "The Quick Brown Fox Jumps Over The Lazy Dog." Writing this sentence is good practice for copying another person's handwriting because it contains every letter in the alphabet. Each student free-hand forged and trace forged the sentence of another student, then provided analysis on the characteristics of the handwriting.  
3rd: Next, each student received three fake blank checks. The student was suppose to create a fake name, with a signature to go along with it. We then tore up the checks and passed them along to another table. Using the first handwriting analysis sheet as a guide, we pieced the checks back together.

Famous Case

In 1928 a family Bible that was inscribed with the birth-dates of the children of the family. The mother of the children said that she wrote the dates shortly after their births, which were 1887 and 1889. However, analysis of the handwriting showed that the Bible was copyrighted in 1890, making her claims invalid.

Hair And Fiber

 

History of Hair and Fiber Analysis
One of the first reports of hair analysis was in the year 1857, in France. Later, in the early 20th century, hair and fiber analysis became more recognizable. In 1931, John Glaister published “Hairs of Mammalia from the Medico-legal Aspect” which quickly became a distinguished source for information pertaining to hair analysis. A little over 40 years later John Hick published “Microscopy of Hairs: A Practical Guide and Manual” provided a blueprint to analyze hair evidence by a forensic examiner. (John Glaister to the right)


Diagram

Major Fibers
Five types of fibers are:
1. Carbon Fiber- a very strong material that's also extremely lightweight. It is about 5 times as strong as steel and weighs about 66% less. It is thinner than human hair and can be woven together like yarn, which in turn could be woven together like cloth. Some popular examples of using carbon fiber is on parts for tuner cars, Kevlar vests and paintball equipment. (Carbon fiber hood below, right)


2. Cotton- A fluffy staple crop that grows in bundles. It is estimated that 25 million tonnes are produced annualy, which translates to 2.5% of the world's ariable land.
3. Rayon- Originally created as an alternative to silk. The rights to it were acquired by DuPont Chemicals, which quickly turned the product into a household name. Common uses for it are drapes inside the home.
4. Nylon a synthetic fabric made from petroleum products. It was developed in the 1930s as an alternative to silk, although it quickly became unavailable to civilian consumers, because nylon was used extensively during the war.
5. Polyester a plastic that was invented in Britain in the early 1940s. In the 1950s, it became popular as a textile because of its easy care, its drape and its versatility. An example of a common of polyester are household curtains (shown below, left).



Hair and Fiber Collection Techniques

One method to collect and analyze hair and fiber is through the use of neutron activation analysis. Some of the hair sample is bombarded with neutrons while inside a nuclear reactor. The neutrons make contact with the hair sample, which causes it to release a certain level of gamma radiation. By using this forensic scientists are able to measure every part of the sample, regardless of its size.



Another method to use is picking up the sample with tape.


Reliability of Hair and Fiber Samples

As of recent, the analysis of hair and fiber samples have been very inconsistent as of late. Some studies have shown a sample of  hair of having 9.8% sulfur. Some of the reasons why is because from enviornmental factors to hair dyes and perms.

Famous Cases

In 1982 Robert Anthony Buell was convicted for the rape and muders of multiple women. Fibers were collected with tweezers from a woman's hair. The color of the fabric matched the fibers found in Robert's home.

http://altmedicine.about.com/cs/govtregulation/a/HairTests.htm
http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/serial_killers/predators/williams/33.html
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-rayon.htm
http://www.enotes.com/hair-analysis-reference/hair-analysis