Introduction to Forensic Science

Dr. Ghulam Mustafa Kamal,

KFUEIT
 FORENSICS
• Today we use the term to
mean the methods of science
applied to matters involving
the justice system
• Which sciences are forensic
sciences?
– Any science can be a forensic
science if it has some
application to justice
– Criminalistics, Pathology,
Anthropology, Odontology,
Engineering, Entomology
 CRIMINALISTICS
• The term can be used to describe the
comparative forensic sciences such as
fingerprints, questioned documents, firearms
and toolmarks
• Most commonly, however, criminalistics refers
to the myriad of types of physical evidence
generated by crime scenes
– Illicit drugs, blood and DNA, fire and explosive
residues, hairs and fibers, glass and soil particles,
paints and plastics, fingerprints, bullets, and much
more
 PATHOLOGY
• Forensic pathologists determine the cause and
manner of death in cases where someone dies
under suspicious circumstances
• Cause of death – event that directly causes death
– Stroke, drug overdose, auto crash, poisioning, etc.
• Manner of death – the type of death (four only)
– Homicide, natural, accidental, and suicide
• Autopsy (or postmortem examination) is used to
make these determinations
• Pathologists work for medical examiners or
coroners (varies by state)
 ANTHROPOLOGY
• Forensic anthropologists work with skeletal
remains
• If human, they determine from what part of the
body the bone originated
• If they have the correct bones:
– Gender, age, racial characteristics, and even
socioeconomic status can be determined
• If there is an injury to a skeleton or major bones,
the cause of the injury or death can be determined
• It is also possible to build a face onto a skull
using clay and pegs of various sizes
• Facial reconstruction helps find missing persons
 ODONTOLOGY
• Odontology is a fancy name for dentistry
• Bite marks on a victim or other object can be
matched to a suspect
• Forensic odontologists can also help identify
remains from disasters such as plane crashes
– Postmortem dental records are taken and matched
to x-rays taken before death
• It is also possible to distinguish causes of facial
injuries
– Falling down the stairs vs. being struck by an
object
FORENSIC PSYCHIATORY

– The study of human behavior and legal

proceedings in both civil and criminal cases
– In civil and criminal cases, competency
often needs to be determined
– In criminal trials, the evaluation of
behavior disorders is often required in order
to establish the psychological profile of a
suspect.
 ENGINEERING
• Forensic engineers can be valuable in cases
where something has gone wrong with a
mechanical or structural entity or in cases of
automobile crashes
• Failure analysis is one of the major contributions
that forensic engineers make to the justice
system
• The majority of the work of forensic engineers is
in the investigation of traffic crashes
– Accident reconstruction is used to determine speeds,
directions of impact, and who was driving the
vehicle at the time of impact
 ENTOMOLOGY
• Flies (usually blowflies) are usually the first to
arrive at a crime scene
• Flies and other insects lay their eggs in decaying
flesh
– Different insects do this at different times
– Other insects such as beetles and wasps will attack and
feed off the insects and eggs
• This parade of visitors takes place at surprisingly
consistent time intervals
• Forensic entomologists can estimate the postmortem
interval (how long ago death occurred)
• If a person has been poisoned or has overdosed, flies
and other insects will ingest this as well
 Who Are Forensic Scientists?
• Two types:
– Enlisted (sworn police officers)
– Civilian
• As forensic science became more technical,
civilians were hired because it became difficult to
recruit scientists to be police officers
• Forensic scientists have very little function in
evidence collection and rarely attend crime
scenes
• Forensic scientists have two main duties:
– To analyze evidence
– To testify in court
 Testifying In Court
• Lay witnesses testify as to what they have
perceived with their five senses
– They are not to give their opinions!
• Expert witnesses have knowledge or skills
from education or experience that qualify
them to give opinions and draw conclusions
• The judge decides if expert testimony is
needed and who is qualified to offer it
Organization of Forensics Labs
• Typical forensic science labs have
– An intake section
– Analysis areas
– Other sections
 INTAKE SECTION
• An intake officer logs evidence into LIMS and
affixes a barcode (Laboratory Information System)
• Chain of custody for physical evidence must be
authenticated
– There must be proof that the evidence seized at a
crime scene is the same evidence that appears in court
– An improper chain of custody can be grounds to
render evidence inadmissible
• Considerations are made before testing so that one
test does not ruin the conditions for another
– A gun may need to be test fired, fingerprinted, and
have blood removed. The order is important!
 CRIME LAB UNITS

Standard Optional
Physical Science Toxicology
Biology Fingerprints
Firearms Polygraph
Documents Voice Print
Photography Evidence
 ANALYSIS AREA

• This is the familiar laboratory setting

• Each scientist will have a designated area of
the lab for evidence handling
• There are lots of instruments, glassware,
implements, and scientists in white lab
coats and safety glasses
 OTHER LAB SECTIONS
• Some labs may have a garage where cars can
be kept for inspection and searching
• Many firearms sections have huge stainless
steel tanks that are full of water
– These are used to test-fire weapons for comparison
with bullets or cartridges from crime scenes
• Some large labs have collections of seized
weapons as well as ammunition
• There may also be interrogation rooms where
polygraph tests are performed
 CAREERS
• Becoming a forensic scientist requires
education and training
– Crime lab forensic scientist
– Forensic pathologist
– Forensic anthropologist
– Forensic odontologist
– Forensic Engineer