Inorganic Evidence In Criminal Investigation

In today’s society, high-tech gadgets and the media have given the impression the essential necessity for forensic evidence in order to convict. Once in a while, cases like the Laci Peterson murder come along with little forensic evidence but a whole lot of circumstantial evidence and motive. In the following paragraphs, I will discuss the forensic evidence discovered that led to the conviction and death sentencing of Laci’s husband, Scott Peterson.

To begin, physical evidence is an important artifact in any base of a murder trial. First off, there is no evidence of Adnan in Hae’s car liking him to her murder. Sarah says, “There was nothing linking him to the crime-no DNA, no fibers, no hairs.” This demonstrates that the conviction of Adnan is unfair because if there is nothing that shows that Adnan is in the car when Hae was killed, he cannot be convicted for this because theoretically, one cannot be convicted of murder without any physical evidence. Sarah says, “There was nothing linking him to the crime,” so how can the jury make an assumption about the murder without any physical evidence? Second, although the state didn’t test many pieces of evidence, the state did test the soil on

The nonfiction book, Jumped, Fell, or Pushed: How Forensics Solved 50 “Perfect” Murders, is an informative and well written book by the author, Stephen A. Koehler. Okay, you get two options, take Mr. Laney’s forensic science class at Lincoln High School or read this book. If you don’t know anything about Forensics, this book gives a sufficient overview of the subject and its counterparts.

Evidence found at the place of the crime can give investigators clues to who committed the crime. For example, investigators can find footprints, fingerprints, or even the murder weapon. In fact, a hatchet was found on property, which detectives believe is the murder weapon(Allard,2013). This is important because the hatchet gives clues to who committed the crimes.

Science has come a long way over the years. It has helped countless every day struggles and cure diseases most commonly found. What you don’t hear about however is the advancement of forensic science. Forensic science has helped solve countless cases of murder, rape, and sexual assault. In the case of John Joubert, it helped solve the murders of three young boys with one small piece of evidence that linked him directly to the crime.

In 1984 Dr. Alex Jeffreys came up with deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) fingerprinting, which is also known as DNA profiling or DNA typing. DNA fingerprinting is the analyzing

Problem-oriented policing, also known as operational strategies, have five core elements: preventive patrol, routine incident response, emergency response, criminal investigation, and problem solving. In addition to the five core strategies, there is also a lone ancillary operation strategy, support services. Law enforcement officers use this to help prevent crime by being pro-active and responding to calls. The first of the core operational strategies is the prevention patrol. Prevention patrol is an active response and most dominate operation of police strategy. It is used to deter people from committing criminal behavior, interrupt crimes that are in the process of being committed, and position police officers in positions for a fast response

A positive aspect of this is that forensic scientists only need a small amount of a sample to get the results they need (“Forensic Science” 12). These samples can come from many other forms of identification other than fingerprints and bloodstains. A few moderate examples include strands of hair, tiny beads of sweat, and a saliva specimen (“Forensic Science” 12). Forensic Science Technicians stated that “crime scene investigators may use tweezers, black lights, and specialized kits to identify and collect evidence.” They also stated that examining autopsies prove to be beneficial in a crime investigation (“Forensic Science Technicians”

There comes a time in the criminal justice system where a law that was written to protect us will be challenged through a court case. That case will eventually make history and will become a reference in future cases with similar dilemmas. In 1983, one particular case met the criteria (Arizona vs. Youngblood). In this case, Larry Youngblood was convicted by a jury in Arizona of child molestation, sexual assault, and kidnapping of a ten-year-old boy. Both a criminologist for the State and an expert witness for the defendant testified as to what they believed the results were from the tests that were performed on the samples shortly after they were collected, they also commented on later tests performed on the samples from the boy’s clothing

In the Casey Anthony trial, a controversial piece of evidence had been brought up about whether or not the “smell of death” from the trunk of Casey’s car can be linked to and used as evidence in the death of her daughter, Caylee Anthony. The smell that was in the trunk of Casey’s car could have been used as evidence in the trial. Why? Because it would have proven that, her daughter Caylee decomposed body was in the trunk of the car. The smell in the trunk of the car was tested and contained a large amount of chloroform and key compounds of human decomposition. Evidence is evidence but not all evidence is good, but the “smell of death” that was in the trunk could have been used as good evidence to the case. Why? Because they did not have any other good evidence to prove that she killed her daughter, but that one piece of evidence alone could have convicted her of murdering her daughter.

The CSI effect describes the way CSI is exaggerated on crime television shows such as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Sherlock which influences public perception. As a result, Jurors have come to have unrealistic expectations about the quantity, quality, and availability of scientific evidence, thereby raising the effective standard of proof for prosecutors. As technology improves and becomes more prevalent throughout society, people may also develop higher expectations for the capabilities of forensic technology. The csi effect creates unrealistic expectations of the public and has raised the juror’s expectations of the crime investigating field.

B) Relevant evidence, blood samples left in the house and on the sock will match

Why did David Payne kill himself though, leaving behind a note that could be interpreted as guilty? Possibly he was expressing sorrow for getting her pregnant, which led her to the site of her death. It could have also been because – being a drunk – his mental condition was not stable enough to handle the death of his fiancé. He was, however, not present at the time of the murder, as the case file states, so does he have a strong alibi? No, but it can be argued that neither did any of the other suspects. It says he was absent at the time of murder but the time of murder was not stated in the information provided. This leaves a range from Sunday night to Tuesday night. During Monday, David was searching for Maggie with Albert. He could not have killed her then because of the company. During his interview, he was drunk, which would not have been wise of him because intoxication might allow for guilt to be slipped. Had he been clever enough to cause an unsolved murder, he would have thought of this too. The general cluelessness of David makes up for any lack of alibi.

Forensic anthropology is the branch of anthropology which deals with the recovery of remains as well as the identification of skeletal remains which involve detail knowledge of osteology (skeletal anatomy and biology). In other words, forensic anthropology is the application of anthropological knowledge and techniques in the identification of human remains in medico-legal and humanitarian context. Forensic anthropology includes the identification of skeletal, decomposed or unidentified human remains. Forensic anthropology may also help determine the age, sex, stature and unique features of deceased from their remains. Personal identification is one of the main aspects of medico-legal and criminal investigations. Identification is important when unknown, fragmentary, burned or decomposed remains are recovered. This becomes more important especially in cases of major mass disasters where numbers of individuals are involved. Personal identification in broad terms includes estimation of age, sex, stature, and ethnicity. These estimations can be done by using various scientific techniques which can narrow down the range of individuals from the pool of possible victims or criminals (Nafte, 2009).

DNA is the carrier of genetic information in humans and other living organisms. It has become a very useful tool in forensic science since it was discovered. In forensic science, DNA testing is used to compare the genetic structure of two individuals to establish whether there is a genetic relationship between them.