An Introduction to

Forensic Science
 What is Forensic Science?
□ …the application of science to those criminal
and civil laws that are enforced by police
agencies in a criminal justice system.
 Forensic Science is…
□ Applied Science
□ Often called “criminalistics”
 Forensic Science applies

}
□ Chemistry
□ Biology
to civil and criminal law
□ Physics
□ Geology

Places physical evidence into a professional

discipline.
The development of
Forensic Science
 Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
□ Popularized physical detection
methods in a crime scene
□ Developed the character Sherlock Holmes
 Alphonse Bertillon (1853 – 1914)

□ Father of Criminal Detection

□ Devised the first scientific system of
personal identification, using body
measurements known as anthropometry in
1879.
 Francis Galton (1822 – 1911)
□ Conducted the first definitive study of
fingerprints and their classification.

□ 1892 – Treatise entitled Finger Prints

 Leone Lattes (1887 – 1954)
□ Devised a simple procedure for determining
the blood type (A,B,O,AB) of a dried
bloodstain
 Calvin Goddard (1891 – 1955)

□ Used a comparison microscope to determine if

a bullet was fired from a specific gun
□ Published study of “tool marks” on bullets
 Albert S. Osborn (1858 – 1946)
□ Developed fundamental principles of
document examination
□ 1910 – Treatise Questioned Documents

□ Was responsible for the acceptance of

documents as scientific evidence by the courts
 Hans Gross ( 1847 – 1915)
□ 1893 – Treatise Criminal
Investigation
□ Described the application of scientific
disciplines to the field of criminal
investigation.
□ He described how forensics would be
assisted by the fields of microscopy,
chemistry, physics, mineralogy, zoology,
botany, anthropometry & fingerprinting.
 Edmond Locard (1877 – 1966)
□ Demonstrated how the principles
developed by Hans Gross could be
incorporated into a workable crime lab.
□ Locard's exchange principle states that
once contact is made between two
surfaces a transfer of material(s) will
occur.
Organization of a
Crime Laboratory
 Crime Labs
□ Since the 1960's the number of crime labs
increased due to the courts demanding secure
scientifically evaluated evidence.
□ More crime
□ More drug related crime
□ Greater need for physical evidence
□ Use of DNA profiling (1990’s)
 Services of the Crime Lab
□ Many local crime laboratories have been created
solely for the purpose of processing evidence
□ Currently most of their energy and funds are
used to analyze drugs and DNA.
 Crime Lab Units

Standard Optional
Physical Science Toxicology
Biology Fingerprints
Firearms Polygraph
Documents Voice Print
Photography Evidence
 Basic Services Provided by
Full-Service Crime Laboratories
□ Physical Science Unit:
□ Applies the principles and techniques of
Chemistry
Physics
Geology
to the identification and comparison of crime-scene
evidence
□ Biology Unit:
□ Identifies dried bloodstains and body fluids
□ Compares hairs and fibers
□ Identifes and compares botanical materials such as wood
and plants
□ Performs DNA analysis
 Basic Services (continued)
□ Firearms Unit: examines
□ Firearms
□ Discharged bullets
□ Cartridge cases
□ Shotgun shells
□ Ammunition of all types

□ Document Examination Unit:

□ Analyzes handwriting, paper and printers of documents

□ Photography Unit:
□ Examines and records physical evidence at the crime scene
and at suspects' locations
 Optional Services Provided by Full-
Service Crime Labs
□ Toxicology Unit:
□ Examines body fluids and organs in order to determine the
presence and identification of drugs and poisons

□ Latent Fingerprint Unit:

□ Processes and examines evidence for latent fingerprints
□ i.e. those found on surfaces

□ Polygraph Unit:
□ Uses lie detectors, an essential tool of the crime
investigator rather than the forensic scientist
 Optional Services (continued)
□ Voiceprint Analysis Unit:
□ Involved in cases of telephone threats or tape-
recorded messages
□ Investigators may be able to connect a voice to a
particular suspect
□ Evidence-Collection Unit:
□ Incorporates evidence collection into a total
forensic science service
 The Functions of the
Forensic Scientist
□ Analysis of Physical Evidence
□ The forensic scientist must be skilled in applying the
principles and techniques of the physical and natural
sciences in order to identify the many types of evidence
that may be recovered during crime investigations.
□ Expert witness
□ An expert witness possesses a particular skill or has
knowledge in a trade or profession that will aid the court in
determining the truth.
 The Functions of the
Forensic Scientist
(continued)
□ Specially trained evidence collection
technicians
□ Training in Proper Recognition,
Collection, and Preservation of
Evidence is required so that
the forensic pathologist, as the
medical examiner or coroner,
can determine the cause of
death via an autopsy.
 Other Forensic Services
Death can be classified into five different categories:
natural death, homicide, suicide, accident or
undetermined manner of death.
□ Forensic Pathology
□ The cause of death can often
be determined by
performing an autopsy
 Other Forensic Services - 2
□ Forensic Pathology – continued
□ After a human body expires there are several stages of
death
□ Rigor Mortis
□ immediately following death, the muscles relax and then become
rigid, shortening of the muscles.
□ Livor Mortis
□ when the human heart stops pumping, due to the blood begins to
settle in the parts of the body closest to the ground due to gravity.
The skin will appear dark blue or purple in these lower areas close to
the ground.
□ Algor Mortis
□ the process in which the body temperature continually cools after
death until it reaches room temperature, enabling the medical
examiner to establish the general time of death.
 Other Forensic Services - 3
□ Forensic Anthropology:
□ Primarily involves the identification and
examination of skeletal remains, in order to
determine if the remains are human or another type
of animal.
□ If human, ethnicity, sex, approximate age, and
manner of death can often be determined by an
anthropologist.
 Other Forensic Services - 4
□ Forensic Entomology
□ The study of insects and their developmental
stages
□ Can help to determine the time of death by
knowing when those stages normally appear in the
insect's life cycle
 Other Forensic Services - 5
□ Forensic Psychiatry
□ The study of human behavior and legal
proceedings in both civil and criminal cases
□ In civil and criminal cases, competency often
needs to be determined
□ In criminal trials, the evaluation of behavior
disorders is often required in order to establish the
psychological profile of a suspect.
 Other Forensic Services - 6
□ Forensic Odontology
□ An odontologist can match bite marks to a
suspect's teeth, or match a victim to his dental x-
rays
□ Results in an identification of an unknown
individual
□ Forensic Engineering
□ Used to analyze construction accidents, and the
causes and origins of fires or explosions
 Forensic Analysis
□ Can include organic and inorganic analytical
techniques
□ Organic analysis of unknown substances
□ Includes analytical techniques such as Chromatography,
UV- visible and infrared Spectrophotometry and Mass
Spectrometry.
□ Inorganic analysis
□ Includes techniques such as the emission spectrum of
elements, Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry,
Neutron Activation Analysis, and X-Ray Diffraction
Analysis.