Forensic Vocabulary 2

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Forensic Vocabulary 2
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Fingerprint

• The unique patterns created by skin ridges found
  on the palm sides of fingers and thumbs.

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Latent fingerprint

• A fingerprint made by deposits of oils and/or
  perspiration, not usually visible to the human
  eye.

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Ridge Characteristics

• Ridge endings, bifurcations, enclosures, and
  other ridge details, which must match in two
  fingerprints for their common origin to be
  established.

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AFIS

• Automated Fingerprint Identification System.
• Scans fingerprints electronically and plots the
  positions of their ridge characteristics,
  comparing them with prints in a database.

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IAFIS

• Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification
  System (FBIs)
• Police forces can submit samples to be compared
  to those on this computerized database

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Super Glue Fuming

• Techniques used to develop latent fingerprints on
  non-porous surfaces.
• A chemical in the glue reacts with and adheres to
  the finger oils, and then exposes latent prints.

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Ninhydrin

• Reagent that turns latent fingerprints purple

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DFO

• 1,8-diaza-9-flurenone
• Latent fingerprints
• Glows blue-green

C11H6N2O
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Arches

• Fingerprint ridges that rise above one another at
  their center like an arch.

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Whorls

• Fingerprint patterns that resemble small
  whirlpools revolving around a point.

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Loops

• Fingerprint patterns consisting of ridges that
  double back on themselves.

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Henry System

• A system used for classifying 10-fingerprint
  collections
• Developed in 1899 by Sir Edward R. Henry with the
  British police in India

Henry Classification 1 (Sum of whorled, EVEN
finger value) Primary Grouping Ratio System
Formula 1 (Sum of whorled, ODD finger value)
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DNA

• Deoxyribonucleic acid
• Double helix strand
• Genetic code (fingerprint)
• 50 from mom and 50 from dad
• ACGT

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DNA Electrophoresis

• The technique by which DNA fragments are placed
  in a gel and charged with electricity.
• An applied electric field then separates the
  fragments by size, as part of the process of
  creating a genetic profile.

The gel with UV illumination, the ethidium
bromide stained DNA glows pink
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DNA Profiling

• The process of testing to identify DNA patterns
  or types.
• In forensic science this testing is used to
  indicate parentage or to exclude or include
  individuals as possible sources of bodily fluid
  stains (blood, saliva, semen) and other
  biological evidence (bones, hair, teeth)

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Gene

• A unit of inheritance consisting of a sequence of
  DNA that determines a particular characteristic
  in an organism.

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Genome

• The complete set of DNA within a cell

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Mitochrondrial DNA (mtDNA)

• Used to trace ancestry
• Type of DNA located in the mitochondrion of most
  cells
• Last longer than nuclear DNA
• Only comes from the mother

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Nuclear DNA

• The unique DNA that is inherited from each parent

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CODIS

• Combined DNA Index System (FBI)
• Used to share DNA profiles kept in the FBIs
  National DNA Index System (NDIS) with law
  enforcement bodies.

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PCR

• Polymerase chain reaction
• A molecular photocopying technique that
  amplifies specific regions of a DNA strand
• Used to copy DNA

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CART

• Computer Analysis and Response Team
• FBI
• Examines computers during investigations.

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CCTV

• Closed-circuit television
• Surveillance camera used to record crimes being
  committed, to find lost persons, or to prevent
  crime.

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FISH

• Forensic Information System for Handwriting
• A database for handwriting samples

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CPR

• First aid method of cardio-pulmonary
  resuscitation.
• Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation is combined with
  chest compressions.

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Cold Case

• An old unsolved criminal case.
• Many are now being solved with the advent of DNA
  test.

Hall-Mills Murder 1922
This unsolved mystery was full of scandal
involving Reverend Edward W. Hall (the pastor of
the Episcopal Church of St. John the Evangelist
in New Brunswick, New Jersey) who was carrying on
a romantic tryst behind his wifes back, with
Eleanor Mills who sang in the church choir (her
husband was the sexton at St. Johns). The couple
were found brutally slain on an abandoned farm
near the outskirts of town. There were many
suspects in the case, but all were eventually
acquitted. The case still remains unsolved.
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FOA

• First officer attending a crime scene

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SOCO

• Scene of Crime Officer

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Staged crime scene

• A crime scene where the perpetrator has left
  false clues to mislead investigators

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Reenactment of a crime

• The use of ordinary people or actors to recreate
  a crime.

In the 18th century a public punishment was how
people were punished for committing a crime even
as simple as stealing a bottle of wine. The
actors that work at the Fortress of Louisbourg in
Cape Breton, Nova Scotia are performing a
reenactment of this public punishment so that
visitors can see how the law worked in the
earlier years.
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Reconstruction of a crime

• Determining the way a crime happened, pieced
  together using evidence at the crime scene.

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Suspect

• An individual who might possibly have committed
  the crime under investigation
• Guilt is presumed or has been proven

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Modus Operandi (MO)

• The usual method of operation used by a
  perpetrator
• Particular weapon used or taking trophy items
  from victims

Jack the Ripper's MO Victim Type - prostitutes,
mid age. Areas - dark secluded streets of
Whitechapel, in London's East End(exception Marie
Kelly). Murder - throat cut from left to right,
victim mutilated. Victim After Murder - body not
concealed or moved, body organs
missing(cannibalism/fetishism?).
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Composite Drawing

• A sketch of a suspect produced from eyewitness
  descriptions of one or more persons.

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Expert Witness

• A specialist witness, such as a forensic
  scientist, who testifies at a trial.

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Professional Witness

• A professional person who testifies at a trial
• Police officer or security guard

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Witness of fact

• A member of the general public who testifies at a
  trial

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Which is which????

• What type of fingerprint pattern is each?