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For 20 years, a series of rape cases I helped link together through DNA analysis have gone unsolved.

Today, I received a subpoena to testify against a now identified subject. I know no details, and can’t discuss them if I did, but I can tell you that it is gratifying to see investigative work pay off in cases that have gone unsolved so long.

Some cases stick with you more than others, and certainly serial cases with multiple victims are ones that have a particular since of urgency to solve.

With a DNA profile of the unidentified bad guy in a national database, I often felt that the only piece of mind was knowing that sooner or later, the odds were a match would eventually be found.

Could that be the case in this series of rapes that I worked on for a better part of my career?

I will be meeting with the attorneys in the next few days to discuss the upcoming trial and will probably present my testimony soon after. Then it’s up to the jury to evaluate the evidence and decide, has this 20 year old question finally been answered?

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It was announced today that Zimmerman was arrested on second degree murder charges for the death if Trayvon Martin.

As a forensic scientist, I wouldn’t expect there to be much evidence to analyze, simply because the accused has admitted to shooting the victim. The question put before the jury will be whether or not he was acting in self defense. Blood spatter analysis may be the only physical evidence that could be used to help recreate the circumstances and support or refute this claim.


My question, however, is will it matter? The media and the public seems to have made up their minds on this already. It will be interesting to see how this case unfolds and if the defendant will choose to accept a plea rather than attempt to find an impartial jury.

What do you think? Could you be on that jury?

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New law requires DNA analysis for ALL convicted crimes

New York has passed a bill requiring the collection and analysis of DNA from all convicted criminals. Many states already require DNA collection from convicted felons, but this bill would require a sample and database storage of anyone convicted of anything. The resulting profiles would then be searched on a regular basis to samples collected from any unsolved crimes performed in the state and potentially the country. Is this going too far?

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Pros:

• Many previously unsolved cases would be solved. As the size of the DNA database grows, it only stands to logic that so would the number of matches identified between crime scene samples and people in the database.

Cons:

• Increase cost. Who is going to pick up the bill for collecting, analyzing, and storing all of these samples?
• Invasion of privacy. Do convicted criminals have a right to privacy?
• Is this the tip of the iceberg? Will this make it easier to start collecting DNA samples from everyone?
• Will this result in more people being arrested for petty offenses just so the police can get their profile in a searchable database for comparison to other crimes?
• Increased backlog. Crime labs are already overburdened with cases to work. How will the increased number of samples be prioritized and worked?

What do you think? Is this going too far?

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Here is my list of:

“Top Five TV Shows That Get Forensic Science All Wrong”

Dexter

Dexter

CSI

Wow. This is one show I can’t stand to watch. These guys could probably tell you how the earth was made if you gave them a Big Mac for brain fuel and five minutes to think about it. Forensic Science can do some pretty amazing things but nothing like the insane stretches of reality put forth here.

NCIS

On this show, forensic labs are in their own time warp. DNA analysis can be completed in an hour and fingerprint matches are done on site. Detectives tell the scientist what they need, get back to the precinct and theirs a phone message waiting for them saying the analysis is done and they just need to go to trial. Good thing there’s a lot of action and interesting story lines because the forensic aspect doesn’t hold water.

Pawn Stars

Pawn Stars

Law and Order

Okay, I confess. This is one show that shouldn’t be on the list because they do a good job, but a needed another show to make the top five. This show realistically portrays the time that’s involved for analysis, it talks about preserving the chain of evidence, it has accurate depictions of expert testimony in court and the forensic scientist don’t overstate their conclusions. I actually watch this one.

If you want an accurate depiction of forensic life, I suggest “Forensic Files“, which appears to chronical actual cases with statements from the scientist, detectives and attorneys involved.

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I remember driving down to Carbondale, IL for my initial two hour interview when I applied at the Illinois State Police back in 1991 and wondering this exact thing.

What would being a Forensic Scientist really be like?

Would I work with dead people? Would I go to crime scenes? Would I have to read boring articles all the time? Would it be dangerous? Would it be difficult? Would I like it?

What I found out may surprise you.

It was most definitely NOT boring, I very seldom worked with actual bodies, I read a lot but mostly during training, it could be dangerous, I sometimes when to crime scenes and I LOVED it. But, I also hated it.

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As a matter of necessity, this meant that the most awful, horrific, violent cases were the most important and were at the top of the queue. Nothing was more important than finding those people responsible for these crimes and putting them behind bars so the rest of society could be safe. What that meant for me, however, on a personal level was that for ten hours a day, every day, I was submersed in the nitty gritty details of the most evil part of society.

The very idea that one person could be so cruel to another was depressing to say the least. When that other person was a child, I found it VERY difficult to forget about at the end of the day. So mentally, it stunk.

When we solved a case, though it was very rewarding, and that’s the part I loved. Every single case was different. I analyzed hundreds of sexual assaults and hundreds of homicides but I can remember details of every one.

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Some people have careers that involve doing the same thing day in and day out. While a forensic scientist may perform the same procedures day after day, the evidence they perform it on is never the same. The scenario is always different, the story is unique and the challenge evolves with each piece of the puzzle.

In a typical day, I would have in my mind what cases I would work and that either involved examining the evidence to find body fluids like blood or semen, or running test on stains that I had identified earlier. Some days would involve no actual lab work or exams, and would be strictly devoted to writing reports or reviewing other scientist’s test and conclusions.

This was a typical day and a normal game plan, however nearly every day was interrupted by something unexpected.

For example, detectives stopped by the laboratory several times a day, bringing evidence from new cases. If the case was one that involved body fluids, I may be required to meet with the detective to discuss the alleged crime scenario, discuss the evidence collected, and then accept the evidence for later examination.

All of these cases eventually go to court, get settled or remain unsolved. If they go to court, the forensic scientist may have to go testify and tell the judge and jury what they did, what they found and why it’s important.

Upon returning to the lab, the scientist may discover they are running low on chemicals or supplies and may spend the day making solutions, and contacting vendors. Scales may need calibrated, instruments tested and equipment cleaned.

A defense attorney may call and need to discuss results and schedule a deposition. In the mean time, a colleague may need your opinion on a case they are working on and you spend an hour consulting with them.

A day in the life of a forensic scientist is never routine. It is awesome, stressful, exciting and rewarding.

I’d come home from work and when my husband asked about my day, I’d say something like, “Well, today I examined a pair of 20X spandex underwear, a bloody knife and a teddy bear. What sounds good for supper?”

Still interested? Tell us about it. Leave a comment below.

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Forensic Biology is the analysis of body fluids, stains and other bodily materials to help solve a crime.  Typically, this involves the positive identification of blood, semen, or saliva and further genetic testing (DNA) to determine who the material may have originated from, typically the alleged victim, suspect or other involved party.

Many times an alternate light source, such as a laser is used to find stains on articles such as bed sheets or clothing. A piece of the stain is cut out and tested for identification. The most common types of tests performed are those for semen and blood, although they may also do tests for other body fluids like urine or saliva. A forensic scientist must know how to perform the test,and how to interpret the results. Some tests are definitive, for example if a stain is in fact blood. Others can only provide a “likely” answer, like in the case of saliva, where there is no absolute conclusion. A positive analysis for this type of test means only that a substance is indicated (probable).
A Forensic Biologist must use care not to overstate their conclusions.

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Once a stain is identified, the scientist is often asked perform DNA analysis to determine who its possible origin. The resulting profile is compared to the DNA profile of persons of interest, typically a victim and suspect. If the profiles “match” and the next step is to figure out what that match means. How many other people could be expected to have the same profile? Depending on amount of detail discovered in the DNA profile, this could range from a lot of people, to one in several billion, or essentially only a single person. With this type of strong match, DNA analysis if very similar to a fingerprint, and the analyst is able to testify in court that the substance originated from a specific individual.

 
For more information about forensic biology and other forensic disciplines, I find the best resource to be ForensicScienceHQ.com .

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