Monthly Archives: March 2014

Wis. college creates body farm for forensic research

Posted on March 31, 2014 by | Comments Off on Wis. college creates body farm for forensic research

Fox Valley Body FarmAPPLETON, Wis. — Fans of the CBS drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation undoubtedly will take interest in Fox Valley Technical College’s latest venture: the creation of a cold-weather body farm.
A body farm is an outdoor research facility where forensic scientists place animal carcasses and donated human cadavers in various settings — in the open air, in a shallow grave or in a sleeping bag — to study the decomposition of bodies by digestive enzymes, bacteria, insects and scavengers.

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Posted in Forensic Industry News

Senate Consideration of the Justice for All Reauthorization Act of 2013

Posted on March 31, 2014 by | Comments Off on Senate Consideration of the Justice for All Reauthorization Act of 2013

Justice for allMar 29,2014 – Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee, On Senate Consideration of the Justice for All Reauthorization Act of 2013

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Posted in Forensic Industry News, Funding

Black Death skeletons unearthed by Crossrail project

Posted on March 31, 2014 by | Comments Off on Black Death skeletons unearthed by Crossrail project

CarverSkeletons unearthed in London Crossrail excavations are Black Death victims from the great pandemic of the 14th Century, forensic tests indicate.
Their teeth contain DNA from the plague bacterium Yersinia pestis and their graves have been dated to 1348-50

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Posted in Ancient DNA

3,000 DNA Test Results To Be Reviewed At Columbus Crime Lab

Posted on March 28, 2014 by | Comments Off on 3,000 DNA Test Results To Be Reviewed At Columbus Crime Lab

Crime LabCOLUMBUS, Ohio – Columbus Police officials say an internal review has found issues in evidence documentation in the crime lab.

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Posted in Forensic Industry News

Rape victims file lawsuit against city, county

Posted on March 28, 2014 by | Comments Off on Rape victims file lawsuit against city, county

96 well plateSHELBY COUNTY, TN – (WMC-TV) – Victims of rape whose evidence was not tested by the City of Memphis and Shelby County have joined forces to sue for damages.

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Posted in Forensic Industry News

Push to Expedite Rape Kit Testing

Posted on March 28, 2014 by | Comments Off on Push to Expedite Rape Kit Testing

DNA Strands2SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Sexual assault advocates are demanding changes in the handling of crucial evidence from rape cases in California.
It’s estimated tens of thousands of rape kits are sitting on evidence shelves waiting to be processed.

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Posted in Backlogs, Current Cases, Database

Paper Details New Pre-PCR Method for STR Analysis of Forensic Samples

Posted on March 28, 2014 by | Comments Off on Paper Details New Pre-PCR Method for STR Analysis of Forensic Samples

helix2An Australian duo has developed a pre-PCR technique to improve results in forensic DNA analysis. The method, published this month in BioTechniques, is designed to eliminate stochastic sampling effects resulting from the miniscule amounts of starting material and possible contamination common in crime scene analysis. This is accomplished by initially increasing low-abundance template copy number in a linear, rather than exponential, manner.

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Posted in DNA Research, Forensic Industry News

Bosnia finds wartime mass grave

Posted on March 27, 2014 by | Comments Off on Bosnia finds wartime mass grave

ICMPSARAJEVO, March 27 (Reuters) – Forensic experts have found a mass grave in Bosnia believed to contain the remains of up to 147 Bosnian Muslims killed by Bosnian Serb forces during the 1992-95 war, an official said on Thursday.
The victims are believed to be Muslim civilians killed in 1992 in the northwestern town of Kozarac, said Lejla Cengic, a spokeswoman for the Institute for Missing Persons.

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Posted in Mass Disaster, Missing Persons

Boxer on death row for 48 years proven innocent after a DNA test

Posted on March 27, 2014 by | Comments Off on Boxer on death row for 48 years proven innocent after a DNA test

Justice and DNA1A former professional boxer who was on death row for 48 years has been freed after DNA tests undermined a key piece of evidence against him.
Iwao Hakamada was released after the tests proved blood-stained clothing used in his prosecution did not belong to him. The 78-year-old has a Guinness world record as the longest-serving death row inmate of all time.

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Posted in Innocence Project

New ECU forensic science program aims to get students jobs, higher salaries

Posted on March 27, 2014 by | Comments Off on New ECU forensic science program aims to get students jobs, higher salaries

DNA AnalystsGREENVILLE, N.C. – A new degree program at East Carolina University focuses on forensic science and promises to give graduates an advantage in the job market.
The program just launched this semester and is a Bachelor of Science degree in multidisciplinary studies with a focus on forensic science. It requires more coursework in chemistry and criminal justice than any other program in the state.

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Posted in DNA Education

UNH forensic scientist targets worldwide sex trafficking through DNA

Posted on March 24, 2014 by | Comments Off on UNH forensic scientist targets worldwide sex trafficking through DNA

DNA Helix StructureNEW HAVEN >> Victims of human trafficking are often stripped of their passports, identification, and ultimately, their identities.
DNA is the one thing that remains with a victim, and for that reason and others, it can be a powerful tool in combatting human trafficking, according to forensic scientist Timothy Palmbach.

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Posted in Missing Persons

Stay away, don’t try to play with us: Dubai Police tell Pink Panther gang

Posted on March 24, 2014 by | Comments Off on Stay away, don’t try to play with us: Dubai Police tell Pink Panther gang

pinkpnaantherDUBAI // Dubai Police worked closely with the production company behind a film about the notorious Pink Panthers jewellery thieves to get the message across that criminal activity will not be tolerated in the UAE.

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Posted in Cold Cases, Current Cases

State initiatives fuel Madison Crime Lab expansion

Posted on March 24, 2014 by | Comments Off on State initiatives fuel Madison Crime Lab expansion

DNA imageWI- The Madison Crime Lab, one of the nation’s first state-level laboratories, will be expanded in April to accommodate the recent DNA at arrest initiatives.
A project approval earlier this month by the Wisconsin Building Commission under Gov. Scott Walker has allowed for the expansion of the lab, which could lead to more criminal cases getting solved.

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Posted in Forensic Industry News

Nebraska Supreme Court denies convicted man’s request for DNA testing of evidence in his case

Posted on March 23, 2014 by | Comments Off on Nebraska Supreme Court denies convicted man’s request for DNA testing of evidence in his case

CourtOMAHA, Nebraska — The Nebraska Supreme Court on Friday nixed a request for DNA testing of evidence gathered in the case of a man serving life in prison for shooting another man to death at an Omaha restaurant drive-thru.

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Posted in Current Cases, Innocence Project

Soldiers killed during WW1 named via DNA from relatives

Posted on March 23, 2014 by | Comments Off on Soldiers killed during WW1 named via DNA from relatives

UK- WWITen soldiers who died in World War One and whose bodies were found in France five years ago have been named after DNA analysis of samples from relatives.

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Posted in Mass Disaster, Missing Persons