Pamela Foddrill: Examining the Investigation Introduction The tragic abduction and death of Pamela Foddrill beginning on August 18th, 1995, relied on investigators from the Indiana State Police, FBI, multiple Greene County police agencies, and Greene County Prosecutors to arrest and convict the five individuals who committed this heinous act. Those who were arrested and eventually convicted for different criminal offenses are Roger Long, Jerry Russell Sr., John Redman, Wanda Hubbell, and Plynia Fowler. One could look at the investigations these agencies completed and evaluate them in two phases, forensic evidence and investigative processes. The former being defined as the evidence collected in order to convict or rule out suspects, and the latter being defined as the way the investigators developed the investigation and how it evolved throughout the ensuing years. In order to evaluate these two different subjects, one needs to examine the similarities and differences between this investigation and theories about how investigation of this type develop, the nuances of this investigation not able to be explained by theory, investigatory elements that …show more content…
The evidence one could observe where there is a major difference between the theory and the reality of the case is how the mode of death was discovered and how that played a role in the trial and later appeal. According to Michael D. Lyman, author of Criminal Investigation: the Art and the Science, the type of death and how the individual dies can, “be discovered through careful examination of both the deceased and the crime scene” (275). However, Foddrill’s corpse was in bad condition due to her being kept in the shed. This decomposition made it difficult for investigators to be certain how she died. For example,
On November 20th, 1986 a young lady, that was seventeen years old, named Madeline Ponds also known as Midge, came up missing. Madeline came up missing one night while she was working at a convenience store called PJ’s one stop, in Columbus, Mississippi. Her mother brought her dinner to the store since she was working late, after her mother left not even five minutes later she was gone. A customer came into the store and started complaining about no one tending the front of the store. There was money taken but it didn’t seem like any foul play went on a detective said.
Gary Ridgway’s first charge was on killing Wendy Coffield. She was sixteen years old, living with a foster family. She disappeared on July,1982, and found by two young boys, floating in the the water of the Green River. An autopsy confirmed she was strangled to her death. Debra Bonner was the next victim.
Comparing simple techniques simply to retrieve a piece of evidence is completely different as we learn more about the science and learn from the mistakes made in the past. Looking back at the 1800’s and comparing the technology of the 21st century, the difference is certainly huge. The increase in technology makes information more vast and more ideas can be shared easily. Many sciences are based off many “what ifs” while forensic science is more factual and attempt to solve puzzling occurrences and events and get down to what truly
Accessed 29 Jan. 2018. Newton, Michael. Unsolved Crimes. Chelsea House, 2008. Infobase eBooks.
after the body was found the crime scene was heavily compromised which resulted in evidence being compromised or destroyed. The way that the body was found and how she died is the first major reason that the case remains unsolved, as it is unclear if the cause of death was strangulation, or blunt force trauma to the head. Another confusing lead is that jonbenet had eaten a single piece of pineapple, what makes the clue confusing is that no one in the house recalled eating pineapple, despite the fact that a bowl of pineapple was found in the kitchen with Burke and Patsy's finger prints on
Although this case is unsolved still, it is an important resource for comparing the forensic development we have made as a
In the novel Abducted by Lisa Hoodless and Charlene Lunnon, we are introduced to some of the horrible things that happen around the world. Readers discover how the authors Lisa and Charlene are strong enough to share their tragic moments. In London two girls named Charlene and Lisa were abducted by a man named Alan while walking to school in the morning. The two girls were taken around town in the trunk of a car. They were taken to the abductors parents house and soon to his apartment in another city outside of London.
Slide 8 On February 4th, 1974, a kidnapping shocked the nation. Patricia Hearst was a 19 year old girl, the granddaughter of a wealthy man named William Randolph Hearst. William became wealthy as a magnate for the newspaper. On February 4th, a day like no other happened to Patricia.
At the crime scene no evidence was found, which shows that instead of law enforcement following the right principles of the law they took advantage and tried to diminish the suspects. There are certain procedures that must be followed
The corrections system played a role in the case in 2008, when a credible jail informant tipped of correctional staff about an incident in which the informant claimed that the Aisenberg’s sold him a boat to disposed of Sabrina’s body at sea (Mikkilineni, 2009). The case was later reopened and brought back into the public’s eye for consideration. To this day, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s office along with the department of National Center for Missing and Exploited Children still receive leads regarding the whereabouts of Sabrina. Sergeant Samuel Balley from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office who leads the investigation says that “there have been over 4,000 interviews conducted on the case at this point” (Mikkilineni,
For over 20 years, millions of Americans have been following the twisted and unsolved murder of six-year old beauty contestant JonBenet Ramsey. Christmas of 1996 brought terror to Boulder, Colorado as the world watched the crime scene unfold as Little Miss Colorado was found strangled in the basement of her family’s home. Pieces from the brutal murder such as a lengthy ransom note are unheard of, leaving the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) shocked. Two decades later, the case remains a mystery due to police mishap, mishandled evidence, and an abundance of conspiracy theories. Suspicions have ranged from her parents, John and Patsy Ramsey, to the outrageous, Santa Claus.
The murder of child beauty pageant winner JonBenet Ramsey in Boulder, Colorado has not yet been solved despite years of investigation on local, state, and even national levels. The six year old childs murder has never been forgotten. Her murder has caused debate over child abuse, the sexualization of young children, the cons of beauty pageants, and the frustration over unsolved murders of young people in the U.S. The murder has been the subject of many news programs, documentaries, and books. Suspects have been named and hounded in all of these.
Holeman, Jerry, CJ4820, 270 Introduction: This project report pertains to the Delphi Double Homicide Investigation. The homicides of a 13 year old white female and a 14 year old white female. Both were found dead in a wooded area near the Monon High Bridge trails in Delphi, Indiana. The investigation revealed that the 13 year old female had died from one sharp force trauma to the neck.
Going downstairs she found a two and a half page ransom note on a set of stairs in her home. The note read that a couple of individuals had abducted her daughter (JonBenet) and that she will be returned safely if Patsy and John were to withdraw $118,000 from their bank account (Brennan, 2013). Patsy called the police at approximately 5:52 a.m. (Brennan, 2013). Once police arrived, they did not do a full search of the property (Crime Museum, n.d.).
As a digital forensic investigator, I was assigned to a case where my expertise where needed. My role in the investigation was to search the suspects digital evidence to help find more helpful information and advance the case. Overall my job as a digital forensic investigator was to recover and analyse the digital evidence so that it could be used in the criminal prosecution. Approach to Case My method of investigating a case was using a systematic approach as this is the accepted procedure to follow.