Forensic Cases: The Woman in the Suitcase

In November 2002, a walker in Askham Richard, a village near York, in North Yorkshire, made a horrific discovery – the almost naked and decomposed body of a young Asian woman, hidden in a suitcase. A pathologist confirmed that she had been suffocated. Forensic Analysis The forensic analysis began with …

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Connecting DNA to Your Surname

You probably already know that your DNA is unique, but did you know that it could eventually reveal your surname? For those who are familiar with the concept of genetic fingerprinting, you might be interested to know that the laboratory responsible for developing this technique now thinks that the technique …

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Small DNA Samples for Criminal Forensics

Since discovering DNA, the technology and ability to analyse it has changed significantly. Many of the older challenges, such as efficiency and timeliness, have been virtually swept aside as better DNA analysis techniques have been developed over the years. Smaller Sample Sizes From Skin Cells Still, some sample sizes are …

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Processing Rape Evidence

Rape is a horrific experience for a person to experience but we are fortunate today in that forensic science has many tools at its disposal to process rape evidence. In turn, accurate and timely processing can help to identify a suspect and lead to a criminal conviction in court. New …

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New Ways to Detect Lies With Forensics

One of the most challenging tasks for a forensic expert is determining if a person is telling the truth. Over the years, all sorts of testing methods have been introduced – some eventually disregarded while others have become mainstays in Forensic Science. New Techniques In the past several years, however, …

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X-ray Forensics for Guns

In a local story from 2008, a man in the UK received a jail sentence for taking replica guns and modifying them to functional firearms that ended up being used in 50 shootings. Eight of these shootings were ones that left a victim dead. The story has become an important …

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Detecting Evidence After Bleaching

Most people know that forensics involves many different kinds of evidence, whether that is blood evidence or a weapon. However, the evidence can become degraded from a number of things such as time, heat or the use of bleach. Unfortunately, even advanced Forensic Techniques can be challenged by the use …

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Blood and Sperm – How are they Preserved?

Your question is an important one! For evidence to be useful in the legal system, it must first be properly collected and preserved. If this is done correctly, then ideally, a reliable link can be made between a suspected perpetrator and a crime. Blood is a common type of evidence …

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Insects and Flies in Forensic Medicine

An important factor in estimating the time of death of the deceased can sometimes be their surroundings, which includes what creatures are present in those surroundings. Many insects and flies are synonymous with the decaying of a corpse and from the point of view of a pathologist – accompanied by …

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Measuring Body Temperature

Although body temperature can vary between us as human beings, the average body temperature is around 37oC (or 98 Fahrenheit). Measuring Temperature Some people have varying temperatures as a result of variances in their metabolism: the higher the rate of metabolism the higher the temperature and likewise the lower the …

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