JOHN GERORGE HAIGH TEXAS VS. DOYLE, DOYLE VS.

TEXAS, 1954
 During investigation it became apparent that Haigh was  First time dental evidence is used in court in the United
using the acid to destroy victim’s bodies because he States.
misunderstood the meaning of the term corpus delecti  In a burglary, allegedly left the imprint of his dentition in
(the foundation or material substance of a crime) and a partially eaten cheese.
mistakenly believed that if the bodies could not be found  The analysis of the evidence was made by having the
a number conviction would not be possible. suspect bile into another piece of cheese for comparison.
 Dr. William J. Kemp testifies that the bile in both pieces
 Despite the absence of his victim bodies, there was of cheese matched.
sufficient forensic evidence for him to be convicted for
the murders and subsequently executed. LEE HARVEY OSWALD 1963 AND AGAIN 1981
 Michael Eddowes believed that the body buried in 1963
 A part of a denture of his victim was found and was in Oswald’s grave was really that of a Russian spy.
identified by a victim’s dentist  October 4, 1981, a positive identification was made by
military records.

FACIAL RECONSTRUCTION- KOLLMAN AND BUCHLEY  In 1937 in Chantilly, a murder was convicted on the
 They are the first scientific work in facial reconstruction. evidence of the bite marks that the victim inflicted
during her struggle for life.
 Betty Pat Gatliff of Oklahoma has a taught number of
dentists facial Reconstruction techniques.  In 1946 Welty and Glasgow devised a system in which as
many as 500 cards with dental data could be sorted in
 She also contributed chapters to the excellent and one minute by a computer.
comprehensive text on forensic art published in 2001 by
Karen Taylor.  The following year Taltersall wrote that he advocated
the Hollerith system of punch cards and thought this
ADOLF HITLER would be very beneficial in compiling dental data.
 At the end of World War II, Adolf Hitler and his wife had
been burned by Russian soldiers.  The scope of this specialty has expanded since the end of
 Pieces of Hitler’s jaw were found that showed remnants the 1939-1949 was due to the quarter intensity of
of a bridge with unusual forms of reconstruction. international traffic coincident are destroyed and often
 It was identified by Hitler’s dentist, Hugo Blaschke. teeth and dental restoration are the only means of
identification available.
 - This labor intensive aspect of a medico-legal
HUMAN IDENTIFICATION investigation focuses on the six major questions asked in
- Discovery of an unidentified body requires a significant any such forensic investigation:
effort on the part of public authorities to reach a Who is the victim?
resolution. What are the injuries?
- The key statement here is proof not opinion. There How were the injuries sustained?
needs to be a high degree of scientific certainty related Where did the injuries occur?
to the determination of identity of remains. When did the injuries occur?
- Misidentification-tragic error!! If the injuries were caused by another person, by whom?
- The process of identification and the specific method
used depends somewhat upon the circumstances. AUTOPSY IN INVESTIGATION
- “Autopsies” are designed to discover and preserve
PRINCIPLES OF IDENTIFICATION evidence, document that evidence, analyze that
- It is always important to remember the basic principles evidence, and apply that evidence towards
of identification: reconstructing the events leading to the injury and/or
The identification of victims must be accurate, and based death.
on scientific principles. - Most such investigations focus in physical evidence that
It takes training, organization and experience to identify is deposited or transferred from the victim tom
victims accurately perpetrator and vice versa. This presumed relationship
The difficulty of identification increases exponentially is known as Locard’s principle and is the basis for
with the number of victims. much of what is attempted in the fields of criminalistics
- Forensic identifications by their nature are and forensic chemistry.
multidisciplinary team efforts relying on positive
identification methodologies as well as presumptive or
exclusionary methodologies.
- In the forensic sciences, a great deal of effort is spent on
the identity or confirmation of identity of the victim(s)
and the perpetrator(s).
THE CRIMEL LAB
 Characterized by rapid growth due to
- In US, Supreme Court decisions in the 1060s placing  Document Unit
greater emphasis on scientifically evaluated evidence - Provides the skill needed for handwriting analysis and
- Accelerated drug abuse other questioned document issues
- Initiated of DNA profiling
- 350 public crime lab exist at federal, state, county and  Photographic Unit
municipal levels - Applies specialized photographic techniques for
 History recording and examining physical evidence
- First established in 1910 by Locard
- First police crime lab established in 1923 in Los Angeles, OTHER CRIME LAB SERVICES
CA
- Scientific Crime Detection Lab established in 1929  Toxicology Unit- examines body fluid and organs for
- First FBI crime Lab opened in 1932 the presence of drugs and poisons

CRIME LAB SERVICES  Latent Fingerprint Unit- processes and examines

evidence for latent fingerprints
1. Physical science
2. Biology  Polygraph Unit- conducts polygraph or lie detector
3. Firearms tests
4. Document
5. Photographic  Voiceprint Analysis Unit- attempts to tie a recorded
voice to a particular suspect
 Physical Science Unit
- Incorporates the principles of chemistry, physics and  Evidence Collection Unit- dispatches specially trained
geology to identify and compare physical evidence personnel to the crime scene to collect and preserve
physical evidence
 Biology Unit
- Applies the knowledge of biological sciences in order to
investigate blood samples, body fluids, and hair and fiber
samples.

 Firearms Unit
- Investigates discharged bullets, cartridge cases, shotgun
shells and ammunition
CRIME SCENE VOCABULARY CRIME SCENE PROTOCOL
 Crime Scene: any physical location in which a crime has Step 1: Interview
occurred or is suspected to having occurred. The first step in investigating a crime scene is to interview the
first officer at the scene or the victim to determine what
 Primary Crime Scene: The original location of a crime allegedly happened, what crime took place, and how was the
or accident. crime committed, This information may not be factual
information but it will give the investigators a place to start.

 Secondary Crime Scene: An alternate location where Step 2: Examine

additional evidence may be found The second step in the investigation of a crime scene, which will
help identify possible evidence, identify the point of exit, and
 Suspect: Person thought to be capable of committing a outline the general layout of the crime scene.
crime.
Step 3: Document
 Accomplice: Person associated with someone suspected The third step in the protocol involves creating a pictorial
of committing a crime. record of the scene as well as a rough sketch to demonstrate the
layout of the crime scene and to identify the exact position of the
 Alibi: Statement of where a suspect was at the time of a deceased victim or other evidence within the crime scene.
crime
Step 4: Process
This is the last step in the protocol. The crime scene technician
will process the crime scene for evidence, both physical and
testimonial evidence, It is the crime scene technicians
responsibility to identify, evaluate and collect physical evidence
from the crime scene for further analysis by a crime laboratory.
TYPES OD EVIDENCE
1. Testimonial evidence- includes oral or written COLLECTING EVIDENCE
statements given to police as well as court testimony by  CSI’s must analyze the evidence and give to a detective
people who witnessed an event. to put the pieces together.
 CSI’s are there to determine the TRUTH behind the
2. Physical evidence- refers to any material that would be crime!
present at the crime scene, on the victims or found in a - All items must be photographed, catalogued and
suspect’s possession. signed in and out.
- Don’t make a theory – this makes one try to
3. Trace evidence- refers to physical evidence that is make the evidence fit a story. Instead, let the
found in small but measurable amounts, such as stands story fit the evidence!
of hair, fibers or skin cells.
DETERMINING CAUSE OF DEATH
SECURING THE CRIME SCENE  Coroner or medical examiner, make preliminary
 First officers to respond are responsible for securing the appraisal of cause of death,
scene.  If death is of unnatural or suspicious nature, an autopsy
- Victims showing signs of life- emergency is ordered,
personnel are called in.  Coroner pronounces death of a victim
- Victims that are dead are left untouched
- Rigor mortis gives clue to time of death.
- Lividity (discoloration of skin after death) RETRIEVING VICTIM
changes with movement  CSI will cover the head, hands and feet with plastic bags
and secure with tape.
 Preliminary observations and interviews will be done
- Victims are quarantined and questioned, without  Body is wrapped in a sheet and placed in a WHITE body
any physical disturbance. bag.
- Area must be searched.
- Initial officers must be interviewed.  Rooms for autopsy must be kept at 3oC (38 o F) to
- Scene must be described in a report. prevent decomposition and bacterial growth.
- All items must be measured and photographed.
 Average autopsy takes 1-2 hours.
DETERMINING TIME OF DEATH OTHER FORENSIC SCIENCES SERVICE/TEAM
 Average corpse cools down 1 degree every hour. Not
very accurate.  Forensic Anthropology- concentrates on the
 Rigor mortis identification of deceased individuals whose remains are
 Stiffening of the joints between 30 min-2 hours decomposed, burned, mutilated or otherwise
 Begins with eyelids and jaw unrecognizable.
 Last 6-12 hours
 Lividity  Forensic Entomology- is the study of insects and their
 Takes 6 hours for full effect relation to a criminal investigation, commonly used to
establish the time of death
THE CRIME SCENE TEAM
 A group of professional investigators each trained in a  Forensic Psychiatry- work with courts in evaluating an
variety of special disciplines. individual’s competency to stand trial, defenses based on
mental diseases or defects (e.g., the “insanity” defense)
 Team members include and sentencing recommendations.
1. First police officer on the scene
2. Medics (If necessary)
3. Investigator(s)
4. Medical examiner
5. Photographer and or Field Evidence Technician
6. Lab experts