Forensic Evidence

1
Forensic Evidence

• In its infancy

2
Introduction

• Today the modern police force takes for granted
  many of the forensic science techniques used to
  catch serial sexual psychopathic killers. But how
  did these techniques develop

3
Fingerprinting
Fingerprinting is an important method of
identifying people. This is because everybody
has a unique individual fingerprint. The first
person to discover that people had individual
fingerprints was a man called Francis Galton in
1892. However, the first person to use
fingerprinting as a system of identification in
England and Wales was Sir Edward Henry in 1901.
4
Adipocere
Adipocere is the name given to hydrolysed fat.
The formation of this on a body tells us that it
has been in anaerobic or oxygen depleted
conditions e.g. bogs, submerged locations or a
lead coffin. The amount of adipocere formed can
also determine how long a body has been dead.
5
Cold Environments
Soft tissue can be preserved over long periods in
the frozen state. The photograph is of John
Torrington who died whilst on an ill fated arctic
expedition between 1845-48. As the body was well
frozen, when it was eventually exhumed in 1984
his body was well preserved with the exception of
the eyelids and lips.
6
Footwear Impressions

• FWIs are virtually left at every crime scene
  since entry/exit requires intruders to put their
  feet down. Peter Pan does not exist Nobody
  flies Tom Cruise is an exception in mission
  impossible. Not all FWIs are visible to the naked
  eye.

7
Evidence

• Edmund Locard was the first person to discover
  the value of trace evidence and its usefulness in
  solving crimes and convicting criminals. The rule
  is simple and is called Locards Exchange
  Principle
• Every contact leaves a trace. Criminals will
  always take with them a trace of something from
  the crime scene and will always leave behind some
  trace of having been there.

8
Glass Fragments Blood spatter
Tyre tracks and FWI
Fibres wool, nylon
What type of evidence exists
Insects, finger, ear and palm prints
Hairs human/animal bitemarks
Cigarette ends, Saliva DNA
Seeds, spores related to Specific places
Bullets, tools, knives and screwdrivers
9
Luminol/Heme Stix

• HEMATA-STIX and LUMINOL were both developed to
  provide the investigator with a fast, convenient,
  sensitive and reliable presumptive test to
  identify blood at crime scenes.