Introduction To Forensic Science

FORENSIC SCIENCE
AN INTRODUCTION
What is Forensic Science?
It is the application of scientific technology to supply accurate and

objective information reflecting the events that occurred at a crime.
What does a Forensic Scientist DO?
1. Analyze physical evidence.

2. Provide Expert Testimony.
3. Provide training in the recognition, collection and preservation of
physical evidence.
Complex Reasoning In Forensic Science
 Deductive (reasoning from the general to the particular) and
 Inductive Reasoning (reasoning from detailed facts to general principles)
 Classifying
 Comparing and Contrasting
 Problem Solving
 Analyzing Perspectives
 Constructing Support
 Error Analysis
History of Forensic Science
Sherlock Holmes: a fictional character developed by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle; used a great deal of forensic
detection
Mathieu Orfila: toxicology (the detection of poisons)
Alphonse Bertillon: anthropometry (personal identification through body measurements)
Francis Galton: developed 1st fingerprint identification system
Leone Lattes: determined methods of using blood type as a means of identification
Calvin Goddard: firearms examination
Albert Osborn: document examination
Edmund Locard: developed the 1st police lab

Locard’s Exchange Principle
“Whenever 2 objects come in contact with one another, they

exchange some material (dust particles, hair, dead skin cells,
etc…)”
Locard strongly believed that:

every criminal can be connected to a crime by dust particles
carried from the scene
General Crime Laboratory Services
and the Materials each unit Analyzes
 Physical Science Unit: drugs, glass, paint,

explosives, etc.
 Photography Unit: record all physical
evidence.
 Biology Unit: blood and other bodily
fluids
 Toxicology Unit: presence/absence of drugs
 Firearms Unit: ballistics, comparisons
 Latent Fingerprint Unit: fingerprints
 Document Examination Unit:
handwriting, typewriting, questioned  Pathology Unit-
documents (ransom notes, etc.)
 Forensic Pathology
 Investigation of sudden unnatural, unexplained or violent

deaths
 Answer the questions:
Who is the victim?
What are the injuries, when did they occur, and how were they
produced? And how he/she died?
 5 manners of death: natural, homicide, suicide, accident,
undetermined
CORPUS DELICTI
“Body of the Crime”
You must prove:
 that a crime has occurred
 that the person charged with the crime was responsible for the
crime
Top Reasons for Committing a Crime

 Money
 Revenge
 Sex
 Emotion--love, hate, anger
Source of Evidence
 Body
 Primary and/or Secondary Crime Scene
 Suspect(s)
Physical Evidence
Transient Evidence--temporary; easily changed or lost; usually

observed by the first officer at the scene
 Odor--putrefaction, perfume, gasoline, urine, burning, explosives,

cigarette or cigar smoke
 Temperature--of room, car hood, coffee, water in a bathtub; cadaver
 Imprints and indentations--footprints; teeth marks in perishable foods;
tire marks on certain surfaces
 Markings
Physical Evidence - contd
Pattern or Transfer Evidence--produced by direct contact between a

person and an object or between two objects. There are several
ways (at least 7) of classifying evidence. But we will just use :
o Biological
o Chemical
o Physical
o Miscellaneous
 Biological Evidence
 Blood  Tissues
 Semen  Urine
 Saliva  Feces
 Sweat/Tears  Animal Material
 Hair  Insects
 Bone  Bacterial/Fungal
 Chemical Evidence
Fibers Paper
Glass Ink
Soil Cosmetics
Gunpowder Paint
Metal Plastic
Mineral Lubricants
Narcotics Fertilizer
Drugs
 Physical (impression)
 Fingerprints  Printing
 Footprints  Number restoration
 Shoe prints  Tire marks
 Handwriting  Tool marks
 Firearms  Typewriting
 Miscellaneous
 Laundry marks  Photography

 Voice analysis  Stress evaluation
 Polygraph  Psycholinguistic analysis
 Vehicle identification
Physical Evidence (contd)
Conditional Evidence--produced by a specific event or action; important in crime
scene reconstruction and in determining the set of circumstances within a
particular event.
Light--headlight; lighting conditions
Smoke--color, direction of travel, density, odor
Fire--color and direction of the flames, speed of spread, temperature and
condition of fire
Location--of injuries or wounds; of bloodstains; of the victims vehicle;of
weapons or cartridge cases; of broken glass, etc.
Vehicles--doors locked or unlocked, windows opened or closed; radio off or
on (station); odometer mileage
Body--position; types of wounds; rigor, livor and algor mortis
Scene--condition of furniture, doors and windows; any disturbance or signs
of a struggle.
CRIME
What Why Did It Who Did

Happened? Happen? It?
Crime Scene Investigative
Evidence Collection + Stage = Identification
Witness, Suspect and Profiling and Arrest of
Motive Development Means Suspect
Motive
Post Scene Opportunity
Evidence Processing
Cause, manner, time
of death
THEREFORE,
One can die of a massive hemorrhage (the mechanism of death)

due to a fall (cause of death) as a result of being pushed
(homicide), jumping (suicide), falling (accident), or not being
able to tell which (undetermined).
All of which are manners of death.
Just A Thought…
It’s not what you know that hurts you, its what
you think you know and it’s not so….
-Mark Twain
How does this apply to forensic science and crime

investigations?

Introduction To Forensic Science

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Introduction To Forensic Science

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FORENSIC SCIENCE

It is the application of scientific technology to supply accurate and

What does a Forensic Scientist DO?

1. Analyze physical evidence.

 Inductive Reasoning (reasoning from detailed facts to general principles)

 Comparing and Contrasting

Mathieu Orfila: toxicology (the detection of poisons)

Alphonse Bertillon: anthropometry (personal identification through body measurements)

Francis Galton: developed 1st fingerprint identification system

Leone Lattes: determined methods of using blood type as a means of identification

Calvin Goddard: firearms examination

Albert Osborn: document examination

Edmund Locard: developed the 1st police lab

“Whenever 2 objects come in contact with one another, they

Locard strongly believed that:

 Physical Science Unit: drugs, glass, paint,

 Investigation of sudden unnatural, unexplained or violent

Top Reasons for Committing a Crime

Transient Evidence--temporary; easily changed or lost; usually

 Odor--putrefaction, perfume, gasoline, urine, burning, explosives,

Pattern or Transfer Evidence--produced by direct contact between a

 Laundry marks  Photography

What Why Did It Who Did

One can die of a massive hemorrhage (the mechanism of death)

How does this apply to forensic science and crime

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