Learning Objectives

1 Define Forensic Science

2 Explain the limits of forensic science

3 Identify the types of forensic work

4 Describe Locards Exchange Principle

5 Differentiate Reconstruction & Re-enactment

1
2
Diverse subject

A forensic scientist cannot tackle all subjects

Specialists

3
Forensic Medicine vs Forensic Science

M.D. BS / BSc.

DNA
Fingerprinting
Forensic Forensic
Medicine Physical Science Drugs
evidence
Ballistics
The body Documents

Living Dead
4
Forensic Scientist = Celebrity?

Chao Tze Pornthip Sir Bernard

Cheng Rojanasunan Spilsbury

5
Murder Rates Worldwide

Per 100 000 population (reported)

6
 Murder Rates Worldwide
Washington D.C. U.K. 1.23
23.8 Singapore
0.51

U.S.A.
4.7

Honduras
71

Colombia
33

7
What is Forensic Science?

How did they know?

"Strong evidence

Based upon forensic science

Scientific principles

1
What is Forensic Science?

Interpretation

Evidence

2
What is Forensic Science?

1 Interpretation of evidence

Found at crime scene

Physical objects or measurements

3
What is Forensic Science?

Interpretation

Evidence Reliability

4
What is Forensic Science?

2 Reliability of evidence

How evidence can be trusted

To what extent it can be trusted

DNA very reliable

5
What is Forensic Science?

Interpretation

Cannot be Reliability
Evidence
deduced

Can be
deduced

6
What is Forensic Science?

3 Can / cannot be deduced from evidence

Some aspects beyond the

power of forensic science

Limits of forensic science

7
Why Science?

Philosophy of all science

Newton

Observations Natural world /

crime scene
Experiments

8
Why Science?

Observations
& Experiments

Theory
Issac Newton
9
Scientists

Theory Scientific paper

Presentation at
a conference

10
Forensic scientists

Theory Present theory in court

Expert Witness

Convince judge / jury

Wrong theory Send an innocent

person to prison / death
11
Procedures in a case

Evidence from:
Experts, Prosecution
v.s. Defense Verdict
Witnesses,
Police

12
Verdict given by

Judge

Judges
13
Verdict given by

Judge

Jury

Local citizens

Abolished in
some countries Jury
14
Presumption of Innocence

Innocent until proven guilty

Prosecution has to prove guilt

Defense does not have to prove innocence

Reasonable doubt

15
Presumption of Innocence

Innocent until proven guilty

beyond reasonable doubt

16
Felicia Lee

17
September 2009

Randone called the emergency services

Felica Lee found dead

Sent for autopsy

18
Autopsy results

Over 300 blunt force trauma wounds

Randone charged

Murder

Torture

19
Trial
1
Prosecution

1 Torture: Kicked
by Randone

Cause of death:
2 Asphyxia by
smothering
20
Autopsy results

Blood chemistry

Felicia Lees blood contained

gamma-hydroxybutarate (GHB)

21
Trial
1 2 3
Prosecution Defense Verdict

1 Torture: Kicked Expert witness Not

by Randone guilty
Cause of death:
Cause of death: 1 Seizure caused
2 Asphyxia by by GHB
smothering
22
Verdict

Did defense prove Lees death

was caused by a drug overdose?

No

Suggested a reasonable possibility

23
 need to convince court of the validity of
scientific evidence especially since jury
generally not have any scientific training
themselves

Walter Dinivan

1
Bournemouth, England, 1939
64 year old found
unconscious at
home
Walter Dinivan Wealthy

Skull crushed

Died without
regaining
consciousness

2
Problem

Only one witness victim

Dead

Had to rely on forensic evidence

3
Police found
1 2 3

Safe and Crumpled Cigarette

pockets up brown butts on
emptied paper bag the floor
conversation
escalated into a
fight which then
lead to murder

Robbery Held murder Friends?

weapon?
so that wont leave any fingerprints
4
Investigation

Suspect

Joseph
Williams Poor

Came into
money
From Walter
Dinivan?
5
Few years ago

Discovery

Use saliva to determine blood type

True for most of the population

6
Using new technology

Cigarette Test the

Saliva
butts blood group

Rare Blood type AB

7
Investigation

Suspect

Blood Joseph
group? Williams Poor

Came into
money
From Walter
Dinivan?
8
Joseph Williams

Police followed him into a pub

Bought him beer Gave him cigarettes

Collected glasses & cigarette ends

Extracted saliva

Analyzed blood group

9
Investigation

Suspect
AB
Blood Joseph
group? Williams Poor

Came into
money
From Walter
Dinivan?
10
Investigation

Motive Reasonable evidence

Joseph Williams arrested,

charged and taken to court

Police presented evidence

11
Defense

Saliva Cannot be used to

determine blood group

Jury persuaded to disbelieve forensic evidence

Verdict Not guilty

12
After the trial

Williams went Confessed

Drunk
celebrating to a journalist

Published story after

Williams death

13
Madam Jetkor
Miang Singh

14
Singapore, 1996

Madam Singh Murdered

Stabbed in the neck

Evidence Cigarette butts

No technology Evidence stored away

15
Singapore, 2005

Cigarette Saliva DNA

butts extracted extracted

Verdict: Evidence Zulkarnian

Guilty presented Kemat

16
Court case

Have to show

1 Criminal action was committed

2 Intention to commit the criminal action

1
Limits of Forensic Science

Actus Reus Mens Rea

1 A guilty action A guilty mind

1
or intention
Evidence from
2
crime scene 2 In someones head

2
Dick Cheney Frank Whittington
3
In Texas

Quail hunting trip

Dick Cheney fired at quail

Shot Frank Whittington by accident

4
Forensic Science

Could have shown that Dick

Cheney shot Frank Whittington

Footprints in the ground

Fingerprints on the gun

Pellet from Frank Whittington

5
Forensic Science

Why did Dick Cheney do it?

Accident?

Motive?

6
Physical evidence only
shows Actus Reus
7
Forensic Science

Tells you about Actus Reus

Does not tell you about Mens Rea

Actus non facit reum nisi mens sit rea

The act does not make a person

guilty unless the mind is also guilty
8
What is Forensics?

Application of science to

Law

Criminal justice

Lady Justice
9
What is Forensics?

Analysis of evidence

Physical

Chemical

Biological Lady Justice

10
Forensic Science can...

Reconstruct past sequence of events

11
Forensic Science can...

Forensic
evidence

Fibres Fingerprints Broken glass

Hair Shoeprints Fibres
Blood Paint flakes

12
Forensic Science can...

Reconstruct past sequence of events

Link a suspect to a crime scene

13
Deciding the charge

Koh Kailin Had a baby

Dumped the baby

Baby found

Mother was traced

and investigated
14
Deciding the charge

Dead baby Murder?

Pathologist Very premature baby

Stillborn?

Murder charge reduced to a less serious charge

15
Bukit Merah, Singapore, 1972

Boy run over by a train

Suicide?

Accident?

Forensic medicine specialist

Bukit Merah
Inconsistent injuries train tracks
16
Blood spatter

Living body Pressurized arteries

Severed artery Blood will spurt out in

considerable quantities

Dead body Arteries not pressurized

Lesser blood will spurt out

17
Blood spatter

Too little blood at the scene for a living body

Police investigation

Boy was murdered

Made to look like a suicide or accident

Murderer caught and convicted

18
Uses of Forensic Science

Art

1
Uses of Forensic Science

Art

1818 paint

Shakespeare
(1564 1616)

William Shakespeare?
2
Uses of Forensic Science

Art

Archaeology Reconstruct past events

Sport Drug tests

International politics

3
Uses of Forensic Science

Art

Archaeology

Sport

International politics

Bosnian conflict Bosnian conflict

4
Uses of Forensic Science

Art

Archaeology

Sport

International politics

Disasters 2004 tsunami

5
Forensic Science

About 100 years old

Being done in fiction books

before being done in reality

6
Fictional character
created by Sir Arthur
Conan-Doyle

7
Arthur Conan-Doyle

Eye doctor

Wrote stories
to pass time

Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle

8
Edmond Locard
(1877 1966)

9
Locards Exchange Principle

Wherever he steps, whatever he touches, whatever he leaves,

even unconsciously, will serve as a silent witness against him. Not
only his fingerprints or his footprints, but his hair, the fibers from his
clothes, the glass he breaks, the tool mark he leaves, the paint he
scratches, the blood or semen he deposits or collects. All of these
and more, bear mute witness against him. This is evidence that
does not forget. It is not confused by the excitement of the
moment. It is not absent because human witnesses are. It is
factual evidence. Physical evidence cannot be wrong, it cannot
perjure itself, it cannot be wholly absent. Only human failure
to find it, study and understand it, can diminish its value.
Professor Edmond Locard (1877-1966)
10
Locards Exchange Principle

Wherever he steps, whatever he touches, whatever he leaves,

even unconsciously, will serve as a silent witness against him. Not
only his fingerprints or his footprints, but his hair, the fibers from his
clothes, the glass he breaks, the tool mark he leaves, the paint he
scratches, the blood or semen he deposits or collects. All of these
and more, bear mute witness against him. This is evidence that
does not forget. It is not confused by the excitement of the
moment. It is not absent because human witnesses are. It is
factual evidence. Physical evidence cannot be wrong, it cannot
perjure itself, it cannot be wholly absent. Only human failure
to find it, study and understand it, can diminish its value.
Professor Edmond Locard (1877-1966)
11
Every contact leaves a trace

Edmond Locard (1877 1966)

12
Locards Exchange Principle

Wherever he steps, whatever he touches, whatever he leaves,

even unconsciously, will serve as a silent witness against him. Not
only his fingerprints or his footprints, but his hair, the fibers from his
clothes, the glass he breaks, the tool mark he leaves, the paint he
scratches, the blood or semen he deposits or collects. All of these
and more, bear mute witness against him. This is evidence that
does not forget. It is not confused by the excitement of the
moment. It is not absent because human witnesses are. It is
factual evidence. Physical evidence cannot be wrong, it cannot
perjure itself, it cannot be wholly absent. Only human failure
to find it, study and understand it, can diminish its value.
Professor Edmond Locard (1877-1966)
13
Obvious traces

Some traces are more

obvious than others

London, 2007

A burglar left his

false teeth behind
False teeth
14
Elliotts Builders
Merchants

15
Obvious traces

More than one way

to leave fingerprints
behind

Elliotts Builders Merchants

16
Obvious traces

Diesel in Attached razor wire

Stolen
backyard to the back wall

Culprit was Hospitals Severed

arrested & contacted finger found
convicted

17
Roberto Calvi

1
Murder or suicide?

Banco
Ambrosiano

Gods banker

U.S. $1.2
billion missing
Roberto Calvi
2
Murder or suicide?

11 June

Disappeared
from Milan

19 June

Hanged under
Blackfriars Bridge Roberto Calvi
3
Blackfriars Bridge
4
Roberto Calvi

Got a false passport

Shaved his moustache

Adopted a false name

Escaped to London

5
Police

Roberto Calvi

Unable to answer for the missing money

Unable to escape

Committed suicide

6
Roberto Calvis Son

Was convinced that Roberto

Calvi did not commit suicide

Inquest Suicide

Second inquest

7
Police

1 Bricks in suit pocket For drowning

2 U.S. $14 000 in wallet

3 False passport Opportunity to travel

4 Bags packed Going to travel?

8
Pathology

1 Neck not broken

2 No drugs in blood

3 No signs of a struggle

4 No water in lungs Not drowned

5 Watch stopped at 1:52 am Time of hanging

9
Murder or suicide?

Blackfriars Bridge under maintenance

Surrounded by yellow painted scaffolding

Climbing up and down the scaffolding

Get yellow paint flakes and

rust marks on clothes or body
10
Forensics

1 No paint flakes

2 No rust marks

Roberto Calvi did not climb down

May have been raised up to scaffolding

11
Questions

1 Why a rope and bricks?

2 Where did he get the rope?

3 Why no paint flakes on him?

4 Why choose a cold river and not the hotel?

5 How did he travel from hotel to bridge?

12
13
Questions

Not a suicide

Likely to have been murdered

Not sufficient evidence to convict anyone

Who killed Roberto Calvi?

14
Buck Ruxton & the
Jigsaw Murders

1
Moffat, Scotland, 1935 Moffat

Packages found in river

Numerous body parts

wrapped in newspaper

2
Questions

1 How many bodies?

Two female bodies

2 Who were they?

Newspaper wrappings

3
Answers Moffat

Special edition
of Morecombe
newspaper

Police contacted

Mrs. Ruxton Morecomb

e
& her maid
4
Skeletal remains
Face
mutilated
Flesh and distinguishing
features removed

How to identify the body?

Fingers
removed

5
Identifying the bodies

Photographs of the women

Look at the angles the women posed in

6
Identifying the bodies

Superimposed
the two photos

Bodies proved to be
Mrs. Ruxton & her maid

Buck Ruxton arrested

7
Other evidence

Bloodstains in the
Ruxton house

Ruxton claimed innocence

Jury did not believe claim

Convicted of murder Buck Ruxton

8
Other evidence

Controversial case

Photographs not good

enough as evidence?

Buck Ruxton confessed

Validated technique Buck Ruxton

9
Around the World

1910 Lyon, France

Set up by Edmond Locard

1915 Germany

1923 Austria

U.S.A. (L.A.P.D.)
1
Around the World

1925 Holland

Finland

Sweden

1932 U.S.A. (F.B.I.)

1935 U.K. (Scotland Yard)

2
In Singapore

Chao Tze Cheng Pathology lab

1960s

1929 Chemical analysis service

Straits Settlements Police

Now all part of the Health Sciences Authority

3
 Physical Science Unit Voiceprint Polygraph
DNA Lab Firearms Unit Latent Prints
Biology Unit Documents Unit Photography Unit

Forensic Science Laboratories

Forensic Engineering Psychiatric profiling Forensic Geology
Forensic Anthropology Forensic Odontology
Forensic Entomology Toxicology Computer
& Electronic
Facial Reconstruction
Forensics
4
Physical Science Unit

Chemical and physical analysis

Chemical tests, spectroscopy, microscopy,

drugs, material fragments, explosives

Biology Unit
Biological samples

Hair, plants
5
DNA Lab

Essential

DNA analysis services

Firearms Unit

Guns, bullets, cartridge cases, firearm damage

6
Documents Unit
Determine faked or forged documents

Analysis of handwriting, prints, paper, ink

Photography Unit
Recording & presenting of evidence

Determine real & fake photographs

7
8
Photography Unit

Discontinuous
1
black line

Not genuine?
Different angle
2
of shadows

Pixels are
3
mis-matched
9
Photography Unit

Surgeons photograph

Loch Ness Monster?

Genuine photo

Loch Ness Monster?

Model monster
10
Toxicology
Drugs and poisons in body fluids and organs

Fingerprinting
Visible and latent prints

Polygraph
Can we scientifically detect a lie?
11
Voiceprint analysis

Proving that a
voice belongs to a
particular person

Audio recordings
of his voice?
Osama bin Laden

12
Voiceprint analysis
Clifford Irving claimed to
possess Howard Hughes
authorised biography

Denied by Hughes

Teleconference

Recordings compared
Howard
Irving convicted of fraud Hughes
13
Psychiatric Profiling

What can we tell about the criminal

from the way they commit the crime?

Computer Forensics

Retrieving deleted data

Following of electronic trail

14
Forensic Engineering

Minneapolis I-35 bridge collapse

Why?

Corrosive effect of pigeon droppings?

Design fault of bridge Minneapolis

I-35 bridge
15
Forensic Entomology

Using insects to provide information

Forensic Geology

Soil analysis

Mineral content

16
Forensic Anthropology

Analysis of skeletal remains

Skeletal remains

When people die in remote places

Only found after the body has decomposed

17
Abbeville, 2011

Human skeleton found

in an old chimney

Identified as Schexnider

Disappeared in 1984
Joseph Schexnider
No other evidence
18
Facial Reconstruction

Take skull and rebuild flesh

See how person looked

like when they were alive

19
Facial Reconstruction

Skeleton found

Reconstructed
face shown on TV

Victim recognized
immediately Karen Price

20
Facial Reconstruction

Killed in 1987

15 years before
he was identified

Difficult to tell age

Alexander Fallon

21
Facial Reconstruction

Used modelling clay

Now done electronically

22
Forensic Odontology

Using teeth to provide information

1 Identification of victim remains

2 Identification of criminals

23
Forensic Odontology

Ted Bundy

Bite mark on victim

Comparison to his
teeth impressions

Convicted & executed

24
Acid Bath Haigh

25
J. G. Haigh

Acid Bath Haigh

Killed 9 people

J. G. Haigh
26
J. G. Haigh

Acid Bath Haigh

Killed 9 people

Olive Durand-Deacon
Olive Durand-
Led to his capture Deacon

27
J. G. Haigh

Had a countryside shed

Lured Mrs. Durand-Deacon

there with talk of investments

No conviction for a
crime without a body?

28
J. G. Haigh

Misunderstood the concept

Must be the body of evidence to

prove the occurrence of a crime

Haigh: No murder charge

without a real body

29
J. G. Haigh

Destroyed victims bodies

Dissolved them in sulfuric acid

30
Evidence of murder

1 Gall-stones

2 False teeth Individualised

Dental records

31
Identification & Individualisation

Identification

1 What is it? Looking at it

Chemical or
biological tests

1
Identification & Individualisation

Identification

1 What is it?

2 Classification? Class characteristics

2
Identification & Individualisation

Identification
1 What brand?

E.g. A shoe 2 What type?

Mens or
3
ladiesshoe?

3
Identification & Individualisation

Identification

1 What kind of fibre?

E.g. A shoe
Cotton,
E.g. A fibre wool, nylon?

4
Identification & Individualisation

Identification

1 What kind of bullet?

E.g. A shoe
2 What calibre bullet?
E.g. A fibre

E.g. A bullet
5
Identification & Individualisation

Identification Individualisation

1 What is it? 1 Narrowing class to one

2 Classification?

6
Identification & Individualisation

E.g. A shoe Identify shoe brand

Identify whose shoe it is

Not always possible to do so

7
Identification & Individualisation

Individualisation

E.g. Clothing Who is the

1
manufacturer?

8
Identification & Individualisation

Individualisation

1 Serial number?
E.g. Clothing

E.g. Tool 2 Fingerprints?

9
Identification & Individualisation

Individualisation

E.g. Clothing 1
Trace elements
or impurities?
E.g. Tool

E.g. Of chemical origin

10
Identification & Individualisation

Individualisation
1 Blood type?
E.g. Clothing
2 DNA analysis
E.g. Tool

E.g. Of chemical origin

E.g. Biological samples

11
Comparison leading to Association

Forensic
evidence

Fibres Fingerprints Broken glass

Hair Shoeprints Fibres
Blood Paint

12
Reconstruction & Re-enactment

Reconstruction Re-enactment

Understanding 1 Part of reconstruction

1
past events
Re-do one of
2
the events

13
 July 2005
London Bombings

14
2005 London Bombings

July 7 bombings

4 bombs exploded
on public transport

52 people killed
After the bombing

15
2005 London Bombings

July 21 Failed repeat bombing

Terrorists arrested

Abandoned bomb found

16
2005 London Bombings

Abandoned bomb found

How the bombs

1
were constructed Detonator

2
What the bombs Home made
were made of explosive

17
Bombers

Four attempted to detonate their bombs

One abandoned his bomb

18
Bombers

Numerous forensic and CCTV evidence

Defense Cannot claim those people

were not the bombers

Motive Hoax bombs

19
Mens Rea

What was their intention?

Use forensic science to determine if bombs were

Built for hoaxes?

Built to cause destruction?

20
Mens Rea

Reconstructed bomb

Re-enactment of explosion

Not a hoax

Intention to cause death and destruction

21
Brides in
the Bath

22
George Smith

1 Marry women

2 Steal their money

3 Murder them

George Smith

23
Smiths wives

Died the same way Took a bath

Had an epileptic fit

Drowned

No sign of struggle
Bathtub or bruising
24
Brides in the Bath

Married seven women

Three died

Question Drowned accidentally?

Murdered?

25
Brides in the Bath

If murder by drowning

Should have a violent struggle

Leaves a lot of bruising

No signs of bruising

26
Sir Bernard Spilsbury

Re-enactment Female divers

Pull their feet

Heads went underwater

Unconscious

No struggle
27
 Gareth
Williams

28
Gareth Williams

Cryptographer working
for British Intelligence

Found in his apartment

in August 2010

Dead for 9 days

Gareth Williams
29
Investigation found

1 No signs of a struggle

2 No traces of poisoning

3 No sign of asphyxiation

30
Evidence

Body found
1
in sports bag

81 x 48 cm

2
Padlocked on
the outside

3 In the bath Sports bag

31
Gareth Williams

Question Locked by someone else?

Re-enactment

Yoga experts unable to lock and

padlock ownself from the outside

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkirbdxzkq8

32
The Woodchipper
Murder

1
The Woodchipper Murder

Married

Helle Crafts Richard Crafts

2
The Woodchipper Murder

Married

Hired P.I. 1 Guns

Had trouble
2 Machinery
with money
3 Travel
3
1986
P.I. contacted
Helle dropped off at home the police

Nov 18th Dec 1st

Nov 19th

Only Richard answers the phone

Richard sent the children to his sisters house

4
Police investigation

1 Richard: wife disappeared Passed a lie

detector test
2 Carpet fragments No blood

3 Strange purchases Chainsaw

Freezer

Woodchipper
5
Christmas Day 1986
Crafts house searched

1 Bloodstains on mattress Matched Helles

blood type (O+)

Witness placed wood-chipper at Lake Zoar

1 Searched river bank Human hair

Letters
6
Search of the lake

Reservoir with a dam

Water level lowered

to facilitate search

Lake Zoar

7
Search of the lake

1 Chainsaw

Human tissue

Human hair

Blue clothing fibres

Serial number restored Richard

8
Search of the lake

1 Chainsaw

2 2660 strands of bleached hair Helles

hair color
3 69 slivers of human bone O+

4 5 droplets of human blood

5 2 teeth One proved to be Helles

9
Search of the lake

6 A truncated piece of human skull

7 3 oz human tissue

8 A portion of a human finger

9 1 human fingernail

10 1 portion of human toe nail

10
January 1987

Evidence of murder of Helle Crafts

Richard Crafts arrested

Bail posted at $750 000

How did Richard Crafts kill his wife?

11
Reconstruction of events

Police assumption

1 Helle beaten to death on early Nov 19th?

2 Body preserved in freezer

12
Richard Crafts murder plan
Lake Zoar
Made up a story about
electricity problems

Sent children to sisters

house in Westport

Returned to Newtown to
dispose of Helles body
13
Reconstruction of events

Police assumption

1 Helle beaten to death on early Nov 19th?

2 Body preserved in freezer

3 Used chainsaw to cut up Helles body

4 Ran Helles body parts through woodchipper

14
Re-enactment

Effect of woodchipper on a human body?

Used a pig carcass

Put it through a woodchipper

15
Re-enactment

16
Re-enactment

Pig remains

Consistent with
human remains
found in lake

17
Network of Evidence
hair
tissue
fibres (rug) rental
(serial number restored)

body parts, hair, tissue

rental
tooth

witness

Richard Crafts sentenced to 50 years in prison 18

Summary

1 Types of forensic work

2 Comparison leading to Association

3 Reconstruction & Re-enactment

4 Locards Principle:

Every contact leaves a trace

19