Forensic Science

Lab Manual


















Rick Goldstein
Paideia School
2014-2015
(Last edited 6/27/14)

2
Table of Contents



Introduction p. 6


Term 1 Lab Activities:

Unit #1 Chapters 1-4

Lab #1-1 Crime Scene Practical #1 An Introduction p. 7
Handout History of Forensic Science an Abbreviated Timeline p. 9
Handout Forensic Science General Vocabulary p. 11
Lab #1-2 Locards Exchange Principle p. 17
Handout Jascalevich Case Summary p. 19
Lab #1-3 Crime Lab Organization -- Poster project p. 21
Handout Miranda and search warrant quizzes and answers p. 23
Handout Proper Packaging of Evidence p. 27
Lab #1-4 Evidence Collection p. 29
Handout Camarena Case Summary p. 31
Lab #1-5 Crime Scene Practical #2 Surface Recovery p. 33
Lab #1-6 Historical Case Study presentations p. 37
Lab #1-7 Eyewitness Reliability p. 39
Lab #1-8 Witness Identication Follow Up practical reality p. 41
Lab #1-9 Microscopy p. 43
Lab #1-10 Vehicle Lamp Examination p. 51
Lab #1-11 Refractive Index of Glass Fragments p. 55
Lab #1-12 Glass Fracture Patterns p. 59
Lab #1-13 In-Class Writing assignment p. 61
Lab #1-14 Sand Analysis p. 63
Lab #1-15 Soil Testing p. 65
Handout Test #1 study guide p. 69


3
Term 1 Lab Activities (continued):

Unit #2 Chapters 5-11

Lab #2-1 Chromatography of Inks p. 71
Handout GC/MS explanation and example p. 73
Lab #2-2 Fusion of TNT p. 77
Lab #2-3 Hair Analysis p. 79
Lab #2-4 Fiber Analysis p. 85
Lab #2-5 Paint Chip Analysis p. 89
Lab #2-6 Wayne Williams -- Atlanta Child Murders case study p. 91
Lab #2-7 Cocaine in Urine p. 93
Lab #2-8 DUI Lab p. 95
Handout Tylenol Murders case summary p. 99
Lab #2-9 White Powders p. 101
Lab #2-10 Arson Investigation p. 103
Handout TWA Flight 800 Bombings case summary p. 107
Lab #2-11 Explosives Analysis p. 109
Handout Boston Marathon Bombings case summary p. 111
Handout Test #2 study guide p. 113



Unit #3 Chapters 14-16 + polygraph, proling, psychology

Handout Madrid Subway Bombings/Mayeld case summary p. 115
Lab #3-1 Fingerprints p. 117
Lab #3-2 Locks and keys p. 125
Lab #3-3 Tire impressions p. 127
Lab #3-4 Footwear Impressions and Tool Marks p. 131
Lab #3-5 Crime Scene Practical #3 Collective Analysis p. 133
Lab #3-6 Firearms and Bullet matching p. 137
Lab #3-7 Bullet Trajectory p. 141
Lab #3-8 Serial Number Restoration p. 143
Lab #3-9 Questioned Documents p. 145
Lab #3-10 Polygraphs with heart rate monitors p. 149
Lab #3-11 Crime Scene Practical #4 Team Creativity p. 151
Handout Test #3 study guide p. 153
Handout End of Term Self/Course Evaluation p. 155



4
Introduction

The Paideia School Forensic Science Program started in 1998 as a Short Term
class. Students who watched crime investigation TV programs and wanted to
understand the real science behind these shows inspired the rst class. After two
years, the Short Term class evolved into a single Long Term elective lab-based
class for juniors and seniors. A year after that the current full-year format elective
course was created.

In addition to the Long Term high school forensic classes, some Short Term
cross-aged science classes with forensic topics are offered for elementary
students in January. In the junior high, forensic classes are occasionally offered
in their short term. Alums can get a taste of forensic science in the Back To
School evening programs in the spring.

There are three basic components to the high school forensic classes. First, we
do more than 60 hands on practical lab activities found in this Lab Manual.
Second, we have 15 - 20 visits from professionals in the forensic community
each school year. And third, information from the textbook, online resources, and
lectures are incorporated as well.

This Lab Manual is the result of 15 years of rening labs that I have used in
various forms, parts of which have come from many different sources. All sources
have given permission to use, edit and pass on their original work for use in this
educational setting. A Janet Blumenthal Faculty Grant helped to fund some of the
research that went into this work.

I hope you learn from and enjoy the following labs and activities.

Rick Goldstein

August 2014



5
Forensic Science Name ____________________
Rick Goldstein
Lab #1-1 In the Beginning . . . (Crime Scene Practical #1 -- An Introduction)

On this, your rst day of Forensic Science, you will
be asked to investigate a crime scene to the best of
your abilities. You will be given an area and asked to
do what any professional investigator would be
asked to do collect the evidence and gure out
what may have happened. So, you and your group
will have a few minutes to plan out your strategy.
Then go solve your rst crime scene practical.

Lab #1-1 Write up questions:

1. Describe the scene as you rst approached it.




2. List what you did individually for the activity.




3. What do you think happened in this crime scene?




4. Explain purpose of the lab. Why did we start the year doing this lab?





5. Generally, what did you learn from this experience about yourself and how
you function in a group?




6. Specically, what should you individually do differently when facing the next
crime scene practical?


6

7
Forensic Science
Rick Goldstein
Handout: Forensic Science - an Abbreviated Timeline

1000 BCE Chinese used ngerprints to identify documents and
clay sculpture.
1248 Hsi Duan Yu, rst use of medicine to solve crime: drowning vs. strangulation.
1784 First physical matching: newspaper in pistol matched piece in Brits pocket.
1813 Mathiew Orla father of modern toxicology published his book on poisons.
1883 Alphonse Bertillon, a French police employee, invented anthropometry.
1887 Arthur Conan Doyle published the rst Sherlock Holmes.
1889 Alexandre Lacassagne individualized bullets to gun barrel by lands and grooves.
1892 (Sir) Francis Galton published Fingerprints.
1894 Alfred Dreyfus convicted of treason based on mistaken Bertillon handwriting id.
1896 (Sir) Edward Henry published Classication and Uses of Finger Prints.
1900 Karl Landsteiner discovered ABO human blood groups. Nobel Prize in 1930
1903 Will West confused with William West by anthropometry, ngerprinted in 1905.
1904 Edmund Locard: Every contact leaves a trace.
1910 Locard, starts the rst police crime laboratory in Lyons, France.
1910 Albert Osborne published Questioned Documents.
1923 Frye v. US general acceptance standard, polygraph test results inadmissible.
1924 LAPD has the rst U.S. police crime laboratory.
1926 In Sacco & Vanzetti, Calvin Goddard used comparison microscope on bullets.
1929 Calvin Goddards work on the St. Valentines Day Massacre.
1932 FBI created rst national crime laboratory in US.
1937 Walter Specht developed luminol as a presumptive test for blood.
1941 Murray Hill initiated the study of voiceprint identication.
1945 Frank Lundquist developed the acid phosphatase test for semen.
1954 R. F. Borkenstein invented the Breathalyzer for eld sobriety testing.
1971 William Bass starts the Body Farm at UT Knoxville.
1974 The detection of gunshot residue (GSR) using scanning electron microscopy.
1975 Federal Rules of Evidence, relevancy standard to admit scientic evidence
1976 Zoro and Hadley rst evaluated GC/MS for forensic purposes.
1977 Masato Soba developed latent prints using Superglue fuming.
1977 The FBI introduced AFIS with the rst computerized scans of ngerprints.
1978 ESDA developed by Freeman and Foster
1983 PCR rst conceived by Kerry Mullis
1984 (Sir) Alec Jeffreys developed the rst RFLP DNA proling test
1986 First DNA proling case, Jeffreys ids Colin Pitchfork for English girls murders
1986 same case, rst time DNA used to exonerate an innocent suspect
1986 Pestinikas case, rst US PCR DNA testing, autopsy samples from same body
1987 First US RFLP DNA proling. Tommy Lee Andrews sexual assaults in FL.
1991 IBIS, ATF compares marks on red bullets, cartridge cases and shell casings
1991 CODIS, DNA database created
1992 Thomas Caskey discovered forensic DNA STR typing.
1993 Daubert v. Merrell Dow, judge is gatekeeper for admitting scientic evidence
1996 Tennessee v. Ware, rst mitochondrial DNA typing admitted in a US court.
1999 Kumho Tire v Carmichael. Judge is gatekeeper for non-science evidence.
Bold = know for quiz
8

9

10
Forensic Science
Rick Goldstein
Handout: Forensic Science General Vocabulary

These are the basic term that you should know by the time this course is
completed.

Abrasion An injury in which the skin has been scraped off
Accelerant Fuel used to make a deliberately set re burn more
vigorously
AFIS Automated Fingerprint Identication System Scans
ngerprints electronically and plots the positions of their
ridge characteristics, comparing them with prints in a
database.
Algor Mortis The postmortem cooling of the body.
Antemortem Before death
Anthropology Identication and examination of human skeletal remains
Anthropometry The rst system of personal identication by a serious of
body measurements.
Arches Fingerprint ridges that rise above one another at their center
like an arch.
ATF Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, Explosives
Autopsy The internal and external examination of a body after death.
An autopsy is performed to conrm or determine the cause
of death and establish other pre-death conditions, such as
the type of food last consumed and the time it was
consumed.
Ballistics The study of the motion of bullets and their examination for
distinctive characteristics after being red. Examiners can
use this evidence to match bullets or bullet fragments to
specic weapons.
Blood Splatter The pattern of blood that has struck a surface. This pattern
can provide vital information about the source of the blood.
Can help determine the size and type of wound, the direction
and the speed with which the perpetrator or victim was
moving, and the type of weapon used to create the blood
spill.
Caliber The diameter of the bore of a ried rearm, usually
expressed in hundredths of an inch or in millimeters.
Cause of death COD is the action that resulted in death, a blow to the head
or brain hemorrhage
Chain of Custody A list that records every ofcial person who handles a piece
of evidence. Those in the chain put their initials and the date
on the evidence container.
Class Evidence Evidence that is specic enough to identify overall
characteristics but too general for a unique identication
11
CODIS Combined DNA Index System (FBI) Used to share DNA
proles kept in the FBI's National DNA Index System (NDIS)
with law enforcement bodies.
Cold Case An old unsolved criminal case. Many are now being solved
with the advent of DNA test.
Comparison Microscope A microscope that has two compound light
microscopes with an optical bridge, so that two samples can
be viewed in a single eyepiece. It is used to match trace
evidence such as bers and bullet casings.
Composite Drawing A sketch of a suspect produced from eyewitness
descriptions of one or more persons.
Contamination The act of ruining evidence by depositing outside trace
evidence, including DNA, on items from a crime scene or
suspect.
Contusion A bruise in which the skin is not broken.
Coroner Public ofcial who is responsible for investigating any death
that may not have had a natural cause
Crime Scene Investigation Unit Specially trained personnel (civilian and/or
police) to collect and preserve physical evidence to be
processed at the crime lab.
Criminalistics The scientic study and evaluation of physical evidence in
the commission of crimes.
Criminology The study of criminal activity and how it is dealt with by the
law.
DEA Drug Enforcement Administration
DNA Deoxyribonucleic Acid
DNA Electrophoresis The technique by which DNA fragments are placed in
a gel and charged with electricity. An applied electric eld
then separates the fragments by size, as part of the process
of creating a genetic prole.
DNA Proling The process of testing to identify DNA patterns or types. In
forensic science this testing is used to indicate parentage or
to exclude or include individuals as possible sources of
bodily uid stains (blood, saliva, semen) and other biological
evidence (bones, hair, teeth)
DOA Dead on arrival
Entomology Study of insects in relation to a criminal investigation
Evidence Anything that has been used, left, removed, altered, or
contaminated during the commission of a crime or other
event under investigation
Evidence Technicians A person assigned of a suspect collecting and storing
evidence
Expert Testimony A witness who through education and /or expirience has
knowledge on a subject that aids in the incrimination of a
suspect
12
Expert Witness A specialist witness, such as a forensic scientist, who
testies at a trial.
FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation
Fingerprint The unique patterns created by skin ridges found on the
palm sides of ngers and thumbs.
Firearms Unit Examination of Firearms, discharged bullets, Cartridge
shells, shotgun shells, ammunition. Comparison of marks
made by tools. Detection of rearms discharge residues and
approx. distance from target
Forensic Engineering Concerned with failure analysis accident
reconstruction
Forensic Psychiatry Human Behavioral Patterns and Proles
Forensic Science Application of science to the criminal and civil laws that are
enforced by police agencies in a criminal justice system
Fracture A break, crack, or shattering of a bone
Functions of a Forensic Scientist Analysis of physical, Provide expert witness
testimony, provide training in recognition collection,
preservation of evidence
Gas Chromatograph (GC) A forensic tool used to identify the chemical makeup
of substances. The questioned substance is burned at high
temperatures. The temperature at which this material
becomes gas is then charted to determine its makeup.
GBI Georgia Bureau of Investigation
Gene A unit of inheritance consisting of a sequence of DNA that
determines a particular characteristic in an organism.
Genome The complete set of DNA within a cell
Gunshot residue Unburned primer powder sprayed on to the hands of
someone ring a gun, and possibly on to the target
Hemoglobin A red blood cell protein responsible for transporting oxygen
in the bloodstream. Provides the red coloring of blood.
IAFIS Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identication System
(FBI's). Police forces can submit samples to be compared to
those on this computerized database
IBIS Integrated Ballistics Identication System, bullet database
Indented Writing Examination of the visible depression appearing on a sheet
of paper underneath the one on which the visible writing
appears
Jurisprudence The philosophy or science of Law.
Laceration A cut that is deep enough to need stitches
Latent ngerprint A ngerprint made by deposits of oils and/or perspiration, not
usually visible to the human eye.
Polygraphy Lie Detection by means of a machine that charts how
respiration and other bodily functions change as questions
are asked of the person being tested. An attempt to
knowingly provide false answers can cause changes in
bodily functions.
13
Ligature A cordlike object used for strangulation
Livor mortis A coloration of the skin of the lower parts of a corpse caused
by the settling of the red blood cells as the blood ceases to
circulate
Locard's Exchange principle Whenever two subjects come into
contact with one another, materials are exchanged between
them.
Loops Fingerprint patterns consisting of ridges that double back on
themselves.
Luminol A chemical that is capable of detecting bloodstains diluted up
to 10,000 times. Is used to identify blood that has been
removed from a given area.
Manner of Death MOD is a legal classication of how someone died
determined by the coroner. Suicide, natural, accidental, or
homicide
Mass Spectrometry A technique used by toxicologist to identify chemical
compositions. The instrument breaks a chemical down into
its ions and accelerates them in a magnetic eld that
produces a unique spectrum.
Medical Examiner Trained medical practitioner who devotes some or all of their
time to forensic work
Mitochrondrial DNA (mtDNA) is used to trace ancestry. Type of DNA located in
the mitochondrion of most cells. Last longer than nuclear
DNA. Only comes from the mother
Modus Operandi MO is the usual method of operation used by a perpetrator.
Particular weapon used or taking "trophy" items from victims
Ninhydrin Reagent that turns latent ngerprints purple
Nuclear DNA The unique DNA that is inherited from each parent
Odontology Identication based on Dental evidence and bite mark
analysis
Pathology The scientic study of disease and its causes, processes,
and effects.
Pattern evidence Evidence in which the shape or distribution of a substance
provides information rather than the substance itself.
PCR Polymerase chain reaction A "molecular photocopying"
technique that amplies specic regions of a DNA strand,
used to copy DNA
Perimortem At or around the time of death
Photography Unit Digital Imaging, Infrared, Ultraviolet, X-ray photography
Physical Anthropology The scientic study of the origin, the behavior, and the
physical, social, and cultural development of humans
Physical Evidence Any object that can help explain an event under
investigation, Can establish that a crime has been
committed, and Sometimes can provide a link between a
crime and its victim or between a crime and its perpetrator.
14
Physical Science Unit Application of Chemistry, Physics and Geology
to ID and compare crime scene evidence such as Glass,
Drugs, Paint, Explosives, Soil, Mineral analyses and trace
evidence.
PMI Postmortem interval, Time since death
Postmortem After death
Presumptive test Simple test that shows that a sample probably contains the
substance the test aims to identify
Professional Witness A professional person who testies at a trial.
Police ofcer or security guard
Questioned Documents Examination of Handwriting and Typewriting, burned
and charred documents, analyzing paper and ink, erasures
and obliterations, examination of indented writing
Reconstruction Determining the way a crime happened, pieced together
using evidence at the crime scene
Ridge Characteristics Ridge endings, bifurcations, enclosures, and other
ridge details, which must match in two ngerprints for their
common origin to be established
Rigor Mortis A stiffening of the body that occurs after death and continues
for up to 18 hours
Serology Dealing with the properties and actions of serums in blood
Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) DNA Testing that pinpoints ethnicity
Skeletalization The process of a body's soft tissues completely
decomposing to leave only the bones.
Staged crime scene A crime scene where the perpetrator has left false clues to
mislead investigators
Super Glue Fuming Techniques used to develop latent ngerprints on non-
porous surfaces. A chemical in the glue reacts with and
adheres to the nger oils, and then exposes latent prints.
Suspect An individual who might possibly have committed the crime
under investigation. Guilt is presumed or has been proven
TOD Time of death, The time a body died
Toxicology Examination of Body uids and organs for the presence or
absence of drugs and poisons
Trace Evidence Material deposited at a crime or accident scene that can only
be detected through a deliberate processing procedure.
Examples- hairs and bers
Trajectory The path of a projectile. A trajectory can be described
mathematically either by the geometry of the path, or as the
position of the object over time.
Trauma A wound or a physical or emotional shock to the body
Voiceprint Analysis Unit Personal ID by sound patterns produced in speech.
Whorls Fingerprint patterns that resemble small whirlpools revolving
around a point
Witness of fact A member of the general public who testies at a trial

15

16
Forensic Science Name ____________________
Rick Goldstein
Lab #1-2 Glo and Behold (Locards Exchange Principle)

Frenchman Edmund Locard is known as the Father of Modern
Forensic Science. His phrase, Every contact leaves a trace
is one of the most important to the
science of crime solving. You will be
asked to analyze what you touch using
an alternate light source (ALS). After the
initial activity, you and a partner will be
given a few minutes to design and carry
out your own version of this activity to further demonstrate
your understanding of Locards Principle.

Lab #1-2 Questions:

1. List materials and explain procedures of the demo we did as a class. Include
enough detail that someone not present could reproduce the activity.










2. What does Locards Exchange Principle mean in every day common
language?





3. Clearly connect Locards Principle to the class demo activity. Be very
specic.





4. Using the same materials from class today, come up with your own
procedure for YOUR own version of the class activity. If time permits, go
17
conduct your experiment. Either way, explain your results or projected
results.















5. How might forensic scientists use this kind of demo in the real world? How
practical is this and what kind of results can you expect?











6. What do phones, remote controls, doorknobs, light switches and key pads all
have in common? Yes, they are all smooth surfaces, but delve deeper. How does
this relate to restaurant menus?
18
Forensic Science
Rick Goldstein
Handout: Jascalevich Case Summary

Detection of Curare in the Jascalevich Murder Trial

Concerns the legal and scientic complications of evidence admissibility/value in
the courtroom. One of the most complicated criminal proceedings ever tried in an
American courtroom. Lasted 34 weeks in New Jersey. Directly conicting expert
testimony made the issue an extremely convoluted one, and the trial required
more forensic experts of high stature than had been seen in over a decade.

Victims:
Nancy Savino 4 years old
Emma Arzt 70 years old
Frank Biggs 59 years old
Margaret Henderson 27 years old
Carl Rohrbeck 73 years old

Late 1965 and 1966: All these patients entered Riverdell Hospital between
December 1965 and September 1966 for routine surgical procedures and
succumbed days afterwards.

Dr. Mario E. Jascalevich is accused of murdering these patients of his by
administering a lethal dose of curare. There were no eyewitnesses to the
murders, but Jascalevichs colleagues - Drs. Stanley Harris and Allan Lans -
discovered 18 vials of curare in Jascalevichs surgical locker after breaking into it.
They took their suspicions to the Bergen County Prosecutors ofce in November
1966. A brief but unpublicized investigation is launched. Vials of curare and
syringes are conscated from the surgeons locker for analysis.

Jascalevich tells authorities that he used the curare a muscle relaxant in
animal experiments at the Seton Hall Medical College, presenting to the
prosecutor his medical research papers and other documentation to support this
claim. He also reviewed the medical charts of the dead patients and claimed that
the operations they received had been unnecessary. He states that malpractice
and misdiagnosis were the cause of the deaths.

Early 1967: Dog hair and animal blood are detected on the syringes and vials,
which corroborates Jascalevichs statement. The prosecutors ofce decides to
terminate the investigation, stating that its more necessary to look into
allegations of malpractice than of murder.

Early 1976: a series of New York Times articles are published about a Doctor X
suspected of murdering patients at Riverdell Hospital. Bergen County
19
Prosecutors ofce reopens the case. New York Deputy Medical Examiner
announces his support of exhumation of the patients remains, stating:
The ability to identify [curare] in human tissue was limited at the time of the
initial inquiry in 1966. It is my professional opinion that recent technological
advances now permit the detection of vey minute amounts of curare in tissues
removed from dead bodies. This is because [curare] is a chemically stable
compound that can exist unaltered for many years. Therefore, the
aforementioned new techniques can be applied to tissues removed from bodies
that have been interred for long periods of time.

The prosecutors ofce was granted the right to exhume the bodies of the 5
victims.

March 1976: newspaper article declare that curare has been detected in the
Savino child (age 4).

May 18, 1976: Jascalevich is indicted for ve murders.

February 28, 1978: A panel of 18 jurors is chosen for what was to become the
second longest criminal trial in the nations history.

Osteopathic physicians, nurses, and other hospital personnel employed by
Riverdell during the time of the alleged murders all give their testimony. The
physicians told the assistant prosecutor that every victim had been in recovery
from surgery when they had succumbed. On cross examination, however, the
physicians admitted that they had misdiagnosed their patients conditions and
was inferior postoperative care.

The main issue throughout the trial was whether or not the tests used to detect
the curare in the tissue samples were reliable/the results admissible. After
numerous tests, it was determined that due to various conditions in the presence
of whatever curare may have been in the bodies, the detection of the compound
in the tissue was impossible and overall a tremendous inconsistency.

October 25, 1978: Dr. Mario Jascalevich is set free, deemed not guilty of murder.



20
Forensic Science
Rick Goldstein
Lab #1-3 Crime Lab Organization Poster

Your assignment is to create a blueprint/poster of
an ideal (but simplied) forensic laboratory. 8.5 x
11 inch paper is OK, or poster board (small). Label
each area and include a key (color coding can be
very useful) to what happens in each area. (See me if you need supplies.)

You do not need to turn the following in, but you should use the answers to the
following questions to guide your poster planning.

1. What are the ten most common major and typical sections of most large
forensic science laboratories (and what do they do, if it isnt clear from the
name)? Include all ten of these on your poster.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

2. What are some of the other sections you might include?


3. Relatively, which sections need more space on your blueprint?


4. Which sections should be kept away from the others, based on what happens
in those sections?


5. Based on what they do, which sections should be more central to the other
sections?


OK, now make a plan for your forensic science lab. Dont forget bathrooms,
meeting space/ofces, and parking (you can skip the gym, cafeteria, and sauna).
Time Limit: 30 minutes, not longer.
21

22
#

23
#

24
#

25
#

26
#

27

28
Forensic Science Name ____________________
Rick Goldstein
Lab #1-4 This Time Wont You Save Me. (Evidence Collection)

As you well know from the TV shows and movies you
watch, evidence is everywhere at a crime scene. We have
talked about locating evidence. Now, we address proper
collecting, which is crucial to make a case. You will want to
have Appendix #1 and the relevant sections of the
evidence collection chapter from your textbook available
to answer some of the following questions.

Lab #1-4 Procedure and Questions:

1. List the general items you need to collect all evidence properly.





2. List the basic steps to be followed to correctly collect evidence.





3. Why does it matter IN COURT that evidence was properly collected?





4. You will be assigned two items to collect from the lab countertop. Go to your
area and using the protocol you outlined above, collect your items. List the
item, the proper collection container, and method or precaution for each.
Item container method/precautions
1.




2.



29
5. Pick two items from Appendix #1 (different from the two listed above). List
the item, proper collection containers, and methods or precautions for each.
Item container method/precautions
1.




2.



6. When collecting evidence, what is the take home message from this lab that
you should consider from now through the rest of the course?




7. Your homework is to diagram an imaginary crime scene in any room (it could
be in your home).

(a) Sketch the scene on a separate piece of paper (you may use the green
template guides if you like, dont forget to include N, 2 items, and 2
measured distances in feet and inches. Put the measurements in the key or
on the map).
Done ____________

(b) Get a small paper bag and properly collect an item of evidence from the
crime scene that ts in the bag -- it must be different than anything listed in
question 2 or 3 above and you must be able to describe how to properly
collect it, if asked in class.
List that item here _____________________

(c) Seal and label the bag, using the techniques discussed in the text.
(Include the following on your bag, either using the chain of custody
sticker or on top of the evidence tape

1. Item: 2. Collection method:
3. Collection container: 4. Where item was collected:
5. Date and time collected: 6. Person who collected the item:

(d) Staple the correctly labeled evidence bag and your crime scene sketch to
this lab.

30
Forensic Science
Rick Goldstein
Handout: Camarena Case summary

THE ENRIQUE CAMARENA CASE: A FORENSIC NIGHTMARE

February, 1985: U.S DEA Special Agent Enrique Camarena was
seen by a witness being forced into the back seat of a car outside
of a restaurant in Guadalajara, Mexico. Shortly after, DEA source Alfredo Zavala
was abducted from a car near the Guadalajara airport. These abductions (and
those of 6 American prior to this who were similarly abducted and slain) triggered
one of the largest investigations ever conducted by the DEA, as well as one of
the trickiest in terms of forensic evidence.

Two well-known Mexican drug trafckers, Rafael Caro-Quintero and Ernesto
Fonseca Carrillo became suspects almost immediately, but bribed Mexican
Federal Judicial Police (MFJP) and managed to remain free for months.

A fabricated MFJP plan is hatched: MFJP receives an anonymous letter
indicating that Camarena and Zavala are being held at the Bravo drug gangs
ranch in La Angostura, Michoacan, about 60 miles away. They are to raid the
ranch, eliminate the drug gang, and discover the bodies of Camarena and
Zavala. DEA is notied, case is closed, everyones happy. The Bravo gang is an
easy scapegoat.

MFJP goes through with the plan. They raid the Bravo ranch, shootout occurs,
gang members are all killed along with one MFJP ofcer. Then came the mix-up:
the 2 bodies werent buried on the ranch in time instead, they were simply left
on the side of a road nearby. The bodies were found by a passerby shortly after
the shootout - partially decomposed and wrapped in plastic bags. Bodies are
removed and autopsied, twice, by MFJP.

After much legal trouble from local Mexican ofcials, the FBI is nally allowed to
examine the bodies for identication and evidence. They were in advanced
states of decomposition, and were quickly identied by ngerprints (Camarena)
and dental records (Zavala) as the 2 abductees. The FBI tries to get access to
the clothes, burial sheet, etc. Their request is denied by local ofcials. They are
nally allowed small samples of hair, clothing, etc. was killed by blunt-force
injuries. He had a hole in his skull caused by a rod-like instrument.

The FBI and DEA return to the Bravo ranch where the bodies were supposedly
initially buried. The scene is contaminated. The color of the soil where the bodies
had been deposited is different from the soil removed from the bodies, as well
as having no body uids in it. Forensic team concludes that the bodies had been
buried elsewhere, exhumed, and transported to this site. MFJP ofcials are red.

31
March 1985: DEA locates a black Mercury Gran Marquis, used in the
transportation of Camarena at some point. It had been stored in a Guadalajara
garage with a constructed brick wall concealing the vehicle from the entrance.
Vehicle is traced to a Ford dealership owned by Caro-Quintero and processed for
bodily and ber evidence.

April 1985: MFJP informs DEA that they have located the residence where
Camarena and Zavala had been held 881 Lope De Vega. FBI is dispatched
immediately to Guadalajara, but is not allowed in the house until the MFJP
forensics team processed the scene. Since the 2 abductees had been held there,
the residence had been cleaned, painted, and occupied, (is all of the evidence
contaminated?) Finally, the FBI is allowed inside. They survey the house and the
surrounding grounds, processing all hairs, bers, ngerprints, etc. In one of the
tennis court drains, a folded license plate is found and photographed. The MFJP
seized the license and the Americans were not allowed to conduct any further
searches. They had already collected several large bags worth of evidence,
including: Camarenas burial sheet, portion of pillowcase, a piece of unsoiled
rope from patio, a piece of rope used to bind Camarena, forcibly removed head
hairs from Camarena all found in the guest house, and Two types of polyester
rug bers that matched bers found on the bodies. It is ultimately determined by
testimony and forensic evidence that Camarena was tortured/held in the
guesthouse.

July 1988: After an 8-week trial with hundreds of witnesses and conducted under
tight security, all of the defendants were found guilty on all counts and were
sentenced to lengthy sentences.


Postscript:

August 2013: The three judges of the Mexican Court of Appeals (There is
concerns of bribery by the cartels) release Caro Quintero after 28 years of his 40-
year sentence on procedural grounds. There was no mandatory 10-day hold to
make sure there were no outstanding warrants and Caro Quintero was released
and disappeared. His whereabouts are unknown.



32
Forensic Science Name ____________________
Rick Goldstein
Lab #1-5 Searching For Somebody (CSP #2 - Surface Recovery)

Processing a crime scene involves collecting physical
evidence. To give you a sense of what that is like to
process a crime scene, your group will be responsible
for a crime scene location. Divide up tasks within your
group, but everyone is responsible for understanding all
of the jobs. Information on what each group should do
to process the crime scene and a list of needed
materials follow. Before going anywhere or doing anything, meet with your group
and collectively decide on a plan of action. Remember that the list below is
sequential and not equally divided. Plan wisely.

There is a very specic procedure that must be followed in order for the
physical evidence from a crime scene to be usable in court. The procedure is
divided into ve necessary steps.

1. Securing the Crime Scene. Tape off the crime scene to ensure that no one
unnecessarily enters the area until the evidence collection is completed.

2. Recording the Crime Scene. Photograph, sketch, and take notes on the
scene. Use a digital camera to take photos of scene and all evidence.
Remember substrate controls and rulers or scaling devices for reference. Your
rough sketch should be as accurate as possible (use the tape measure.) There is
no need to do a nished sketch. Written note taking should also be as accurate
as possible. (See text if unsure.)

3. Searching for Evidence. Choose an appropriate search pattern based upon
the terrain and the number of searchers and be ready to defend your choice.
Search for evidence.

4. Collecting Evidence. The kind of evidence you collect will depend on the
nature of the crime. Keep your eyes and your mind open for what you might nd.
Once you spot a piece of evidence, you will need to photograph it with a scale,
measure it from two xed points, carefully collect it, and package it. Your group
should aim for a minimum of 7 and a maximum of 10 pieces of evidence to be
collected. Label correctly.

5. Maintaining the Chain of Custody. It is crucial to maintain the chain of
custody of evidence. Check with me for the location and nature of the classroom
Evidence Lockup. You are responsible for the evidence until it is logged in and
secured in the Evidence Lockup.
Materials needed:
Crime scene tape
33
Digital camera
Meter stick/ trundle wheel/ tape measure
Clipboard, notepad and pen
Evidence Collection kit
Latex Gloves

Presentation
When you have completed processing the crime scene and the evidence
is properly admitted to the Lockup, you should begin to prepare the presentation.
Your groups presentation will be made to the Division Chief in the form of a
brieng. You need to explain what happened and what you uncovered in a
presentation that is appropriately formal, detailed, and concise for the head of
your investigative branch. You can assume that the Division Chief (me) is an
experienced investigator, so focus on the content. As members of the
investigative team, each of you should be able to explain how the scene was
processed. You will have 10 minutes to make your presentation tomorrow.


Lab #1-5 Procedure and Questions:

1. Explain why mapping of each piece of evidence is important for court?





2. What was your role in the investigation of this scene?






3. How did your group as a whole do, compared to the lab on Day 1?




4. As a class, what can you still do better? Give a detailed example.


5. Even though someone in your group drew the detailed crime scene sketch,
you still need to make a simple sketch of the crime scene below. Include: (a)
north arrow, (b) any three items found, and (c) two xed points for each of
the three items, (d) indicate what those two xed points are, (e) and draw
lines from each object to each xed point.
34

















6. In a table below, list the three items collected in question #5 and the
distances (approximate distances are ne) to each xed point for each item.

Item Distance 1 from xed object Distance 2 from xed object
(ex: knife 5 feet from NW corner of house 7.5 feet from re hydrant)








7. Theory of the Crime: What do you think happened here? Use the evidence
to make a guess at what this crime scene was all about. Spin your tale below.



35

36
Forensic Science
Rick Goldstein
Lab #1-6 Historical Case Presentations

This assignment grew out of a chorus of comments from past students who said
that they wanted an opportunity to investigate a case of their choosing. They
wanted to go a little further in depth and really investigate a case that had some
aspect they found interesting. So, here it is: your opportunity.

The nature of the assignment is individual presentations. The presentation dates
will be spread out across both terms. You can sign up for the week that best ts
with your schedule.

The basics of the assignment are simple:

______ You pick a case.

______ You clear it with Rick.

______ You sign up for a presentation day or week.

______ You read about the case.

______ You become very familiar with it.

______ You come up with a really good way to present the case to the class.

______ You create a fact lled, science lled, and very interesting presentation.

______ You practice your presentation.

______ You enthusiastically present your case, complete with visuals.


Ask Rick if you get stuck, there are plenty of cases out there and he has lot of
books lled with possible cases.

Brainstorming ideas:

37

38
Forensic Science Name ____________________
Rick Goldstein
Lab #1-7 Oh Nah Nah, Whats My Name? (Eyewitness Reliability)

Many crimes are witnessed. If the
witness makes good observations, has a good
memory, can be identied and is interviewed,
useful information can sometimes be gathered
from the witness statements. Sometimes, that
is not the case. There are often reliability
issues that could make or break the case.
Does it make you wonder, How observant am
I? Well, we will be nding out.

Lab #1-7 Procedure and Questions:

1. Briey describe the two memory activities that involved visitors to the class.
Describe how well you did.













2. Attach to this lab the list of questions I asked in class about you and the
classroom and me. After your original response, include the correct
response, if your answer wasnt.



3. Explain the purpose of these memory activities in the context of a crime
scene.




4. What does this say about how our legal and judicial systems might be awed
when it comes to how eyewitness identications are used as evidence in a
courtroom case? Why does this matter?
39










5. Give an example of a case here in Georgia in the last few years where
eyewitness testimony was a crucial issue in the outcome of the case. You
may have to look one up. Give the case details (minimum 100 words).

40
Forensic Science Name __________________
Rick Goldstein
Lab #1-8 Tiffany is Toast The Trial (Witness ID Follow Up)


The Tiffany Assault Case is working its way through the court system. First, you
should do a quick review of the facts in the case. You should have some notes
that you made immediately following the attack. Feel free to add to them as you
remember details of the conversation, the physical appearance of the attacker,
and anything else from the scene. These cases can nally come to trial months,
even years later. Detailed notes are important for refreshing the recollection of
eyewitnesses during the trial.

1. Add notes here:











Investigators made great progress in the hours following the attack. Based on
evidence found at the scene, it was determined that the attacker was a Georgia
State Law Student. You will be provided with the link to the GS Law Schools
internal web site where photographs of the students currently enrolled in the 1L,
2L, and 3L classes are. We do not know yet what class he was in, but we are
condent that he is a current student. Take some time in your groups to go
through the mug shots and narrow down all of the suspects to the top 4-6. Copy
those four to six mug shots and print them out on one page. Attach the page to
this lab before turning in.

2. Attached mug shot page to this lab _________________________.

3. List the top 4-6 perpetrator candidates below (their mug shot photos on your
attached paper should NOT have their names on them.):





4. What is your condence level that you and your group can decide who the
correct perpetrator of the crime was?
41





5. Can you pick one person from the mug book? If so, who?
_______________. If not, why not?






Now you get to make a determination of guilt or not based on a witness ID. You
are the witness so it is your ID. After discussing the case as a class, how
condent are you that you (collectively) have picked the right person? What
would you (individually) say to the other jurors in the deliberation room to support
your opinion? Write your short argument below.









Now comes the sentencing phase of the trial. Based on your ID and the
conviction that resulted from it, you now have to decide legally appropriate
punishment. The minimum and maximum guidelines for punishment for crimes
like these is 18-30 years. What sentence would you give him and why?








All phases of the trial are over, how do you now feel about the decision?

42
Forensic Science Name__________________
Rick Goldstein
Lab #1-9 Look At Me Now. (Microscopy)

The microscope is one of the most valuable tools of
forensic scientists. It is used to study hair, bers, seeds,
soils, metals, paints, and many other objects. Engravers
used glass globes lled with water as magnifying glasses
at least 3000 years ago. The simplest microscope is a
magnifying glass. Optical microscopes magnify because
light rays reected from an object bend (refract) as they
pass through one or more lenses.
How big you can make the object depends on the refractive index
(bending power) of the glass in the lens. Hand lenses are 3 to 10X. Since the
light rays are dispersed out when an object is magnied, the magnied object is
not as bright as the original. To make it as bright as it was originally, additional
light must be used. This is the purpose of having a mirror under the lens of the
microscope. It collects sunlight or light from an auxiliary lamp. The condenser
focuses the light collected by the mirror onto the sample.
Suppose that you took a small section of a magnied object and place a
second lens over it. This magnied section could then be further magnied and
we would have a compound microscope. In working with a compound
microscope, you should know the following:

Working distance - the distance between the specimen and the tip of the
objective lens. The higher the magnication, the shorter the working distance.

Depth of focus - the thickness of the object that is simultaneously in focus.

The higher the power of magnication, the smaller is the depth of focus.

Field of View - the area or diameter of the specimen that is in view. The
higher the power of magnication, the smaller is the eld of view.

Magnication - to determine the magnication of a microscope multiply the

magnication of the eyepiece by the magnication of the nosepiece.

Materials per pair: In a plastic bag, 1 per group:
1 Microscope, compound 1 Matchbook
1 Microscope, stereoscopic 2 other matches
2 Microscope slides and cover slides Lens paper
1 Forceps 1 Newspaper page section
1 Scissors Dried leafy sample
Water in a small cup 1 Pipette
Part A: The Compound Microscope

43
1. Get the compound microscope (orange tape on the front) from the cabinet,
and carry it (with one hand on the arm and one underneath the base) back to
your seat at the table.

2. With a piece of lens paper, lightly wipe any dust or grease from all the exposed
glass surfaces. Never use anything else to do this job.
$
3. Spend the next few minutes becoming familiar with the names and locations of
the various important parts of the instrument; gure below will help.


The gure to the right shows
the basic parts of a compound
microscope.

4. Note the following when
using the compound
microscope procedures to
follow:

To nd an object, start
your examination with the
low-power objective (red
4X). The low-power
objective shows an area of
the slide 20 times greater
than the high-power,
making it 20 times easier
to locate the desired
object.

To bring the object into

focus, always focus
upward (moving the
platform up), with the
coarse adjustment. Keep
your eye at the ocular
(eyepiece). Dont focus
down, as you might crush
the specimen, the slide or
the lens.

When using the higher-power objectives (10X or 40X), never use the coarse
(big) adjustment.
I. Compound Microscope Procedure

44
1. Cut a small, lower case letter e from the text in the newspaper. Place it as
you would read it on a clean slide, and with a medicine dropper, place one drop
of water on it.

2. Hold a cover slide at about a 45-degree
angle to the slide and then slowly lower it. A
gentle tapping will usually remove any bubbles
that may be present. Make sure the letter is
right side up and straight.

3. Place the slide on the stage and clamp it
down. Move the slide so that the letter is in the middle of the hole in the stage.
Make certain that the low-power objective is in place. Viewing the stage from the
side, use the coarse adjustment wheel to lower the objective until the objective is
about 2 cm from the cover slide.

4. Turn on the sub-stage illuminator of your microscope. Open up the diaphragm.

5. Now, looking through the ocular, slowly raise the tube with the coarse
adjustment knob until the letter is in focus. If you cannot see the object, center
the slide more carefully and repeat the whole procedure. The focus maybe made
sharper by a slight turn on the ne adjustment knob.

6. The image is in focus 3 to 4 mm above the eyepiece, so no need to press your
eye to the ocular.

7. To change to medium-power (yellow 10X), make sure that you have focused
sharply under low power (red 4X) on the object and centered it in the eld. Then
carefully swing the medium-power (yellow 10X), objective into place. The
microscopes are parfocal. This means that once the image is brought into sharp
focus under low power, it will remain in focus when a different objective is turned
into position. A few turns of the ne adjustment knob, either up or down, should
bring the letter into sharp focus. If it does not, go back to step 3 again.


II. Compound Microscope Exercises

1. Under the low power, examine the e slide.

a. Is the image still right side up? ____________

b. Move the slide to the left: Which way does the image seem to move?

c. Sketch what your letter looks like when viewed using this
microscope.

45





The total magnication of the image
formed by the microscope is
determined by multiplying the
individual magnications of the
ocular and the objective. The magnifying power of these lenses is clearly
marked as 4X, 10X, or 40X.

d. What is the total magnication under low power (red 4X)? _____________

2. Under medium power (yellow 10X), examine your letter.

a. Note the many clear spaces within the letter; these are obviously caused
by imperfect contact between the press and paper. The higher power lens is
able to resolve these imperfections. The microscope then does two things: It
enlarges the object and resolves distinctly between closely situated structures
in the object (note that magnication and resolution are not the same).

b. Take particular note of the brous texture of the newspaper. When you
focus on different levels by turning the ne focus knob, you will notice that
some bers go out of view and others come in view. This is useful to
determine whether a particular object is located above, below, or in the same
plane as another object.

c. What is the total magnication at the medium power (yellow 10X)? ______

3. Return the compound microscope to the cabinet.


Part B: The Stereoscopic Microscope

Get a stereoscopic microscope (light green tape on front) from the cabinet, and
carefully carry it (with one hand on the arm and one underneath the base) back
to your desk or bench. Use the lens paper to clean the lenses. Familiarize
yourself with the parts of the microscope. See gure below. Caution: the lamp
gets really, really hot.


III. Stereomicroscope Procedure
46

1. Make a second slide
with a small lower case
letter a. Make sure
the letter is right side
up and straight under
the cover slide.

2. Place the new slide
onto the microscope
base (stage). Turn on
the illuminator.

3. Turn the objective lens
to the highest power
(4X). Look through the
right eyepiece and
adjust the focusing
knobs until the letter is
sharp.

4. Turn the objective lens
to the lowest power
(2X). Without touching
the focusing knob, look
through the left
eyepiece and, using
only the left eye, turn
the eyepiece, adjusting
ring clockwise or
counterclockwise until the image is sharp.

5. The adjustment knob allows you to change the power continuously to exactly
the best magnication for a given specimen. The stereoscopic microscope
allows you to scan an object at a lower power and then to concentrate on
some particular detail increasing the power gradually to the desired value.


VI. Stereomicroscope Exercises

1. Examine the second slide (the a) under the higher stereoscopic microscope
setting.

a. Is the image right side up? ___________
b. Move the slide to the left: which way does the image seem to move?
47

c. Sketch the a under the high power.

d. What is the total magnication under high power?
____________

e. How does the sketch from this stereomicroscope
differ from the sketch using the compound
microscope (other than it is a different letter)?


V. Proscopes

1. Get a US currency bill of any denomination.

2. Using a proscope and either a 50x or 100x lens look at the bill.

a. As you adjust the bill, does the image move like an
image seen through a compound microscope or more
like the image seen through a stereomicroscope?


b. Sketch what you see.

c. What magnication did you use? ___________

3. Examine the tip of your non-dominant forenger using the Proscope and either
a 100x or 200x lens. Locate the ridges that form your ngerprint.
Locate the sweat pores that exist on these ridges. (Yeah,
your actual sweat pores.)

a. Sketch part of the ridges and sweat pores of your
forenger.

b. What magnication did you use? ___________

4. From time to time a forensic laboratory may be asked to determine whether a
torn-out paper match, usually from a crime scene, comes from a partially used
book, usually taken from an accused person.

Matchbooks contain two pieces of cardboard secured to a cover in the
matchbook with a staple. The individual match body is formed by a series of
partial cuts in this cardboard: thus each layer of matches was originally a single
piece of cardboard. The obvious rst attempt to match a torn-out match to a
partially lled matchbook requires physically tting the torn edges of the match to
the corresponding portion of the torn book. If that does not work, a forensic
48
examiner will then try to compare the suspect match with matches remaining in
the book in order to establish an adjacent relationship.

The most signicant features to look for in the comparison of paper
matches are: overall color, width and thickness; contents of the reprocessed
cardboard, including colored brous material, and aluminum foil; and the
presence of continuous bers between adjacent matches.
PLEASE DO NOT REMOVE ANY MATCHES FROM ANY MATCHBOOKS IN
THIS LAB.


a. Match bag # ______________

b. Sketch the ber patterns on your two matches when looked at on the wide part
of the match stick (not the thin way.)
Match A Match B








c. The match (pick either A or B) that matches the matchbook is _____________.
(tongue twister?)

d. What did you base your decision on? Explain.



1. Optional:
Examine one of the other items available either under
the microscope or the Proscope. Sketch and describe
what you see. (wasp eye, moss, scab, really
anything.)

Describe:





49
Forensic Science Name __________________
Rick Goldstein
Lab #1-10 All of the Lights (Vehicle Lamp Examination)


In this lab, you will determine whether a light bulb
from a vehicle involved in an accident was on at the time
of impact. This is useful forensically to determine the
facts in a car accident and potentially assign fault. The
following method works for regular lights, high beams,
brake lights, and turn signals. After that you will match
shards from broken headlights to eliminate possible
matches, a useful tool for possibly placing a vehicle at a
crime scene.

Light bulbs, which will be referred to as lamps, have two coils called
laments. The small lament in the lamp controls the taillights, while the large
laments control the turn signal or hazard light. A normal lamp has a bright
(or grey colored) lament, the coils are even spaced, and the glass will be clear.
However, when examining lamps from crash scenes several types of
abnormalities can be found to help the investigator determine whether the lamp
was lit or not. These abnormalities include lament deformation, lament
separation, and broken glass.

Filament Deformation: The glass will be unbroken, both laments will be
bright (or grey colored) and there will be a similar amount of distortion and
stretching in both laments that
are caused by (1) amount of
shock, (2) size of lament, (3)
age of lament, and (4) the
temperature at which the
lament operates. If deformation
or stretching is found on a
lament that indicates that the
lamp was subject to a hot impact
shock (meaning the lamp was on preceding the impact see gure on left
above). If the deformation is extreme, the lament can stretch out to the point of
breaking. This is called lament burnout. (See gure on right above.)

Filament Separation: this is a cold fracture or
break in the coil when the lamp is off before the impact.
The key difference is that the lament is not elongated or
misshapen. It just snaps or breaks, but otherwise retains
its shape.

Broken Glass: After the glass has been broken,
50
the lament oxidyzes, molten glass particles form and stick to warm or hot
laments. If molten glass beads are found on a lament, that indicates that the
lamp was turned on during the accident. Glass will not adhere to a cold lament.
So if the bulb glass is broken and there is no molten glass beads on the lament,
but the lament is broken, you can conclude that the light was off at the time of
the accident.

By examining the laments in the lamps, investigators can reach one of
the following conclusion: the lamp was on at sometime before the accident, the
lamp was not turned on around the time of the accident, or unable to determine
whether the lamp was on or off. You can see the worksheet (at the end of the
lab) that Crime Scene Investigators use in real life to make these same
determinations (but you dont need to use it, it is only here to be used as a
reference). OK, Your turn.

Lab #1-10 Materials, Procedure and Questions

Part 1: Was it on?
Investigate tree lamps from lamp kit and determine if each was on during
the accident. Pick three very different looking bulbs. List the numbers or letters of
each of the lamps and draw one of the following conclusions: the lamp was (a) lit
during the accident, (b) unlit during the accident, or (c) indeterminable. Then
indicate which of the following is your reason for your conclusion: (d) lament
deformation, (e) cold fracture, or (f) adherance of glass particles. If there are two
laments in any of the bulbs (ie. High and low beams), indicate your conclusion
for each one. Finally, make a brief sketch of each of your three bulbs.

Lamp # ______ sketch:

Conclusion _______ (a,b, or c)

Reasoning _______ (d,e, or f)

Lamp # ______ sketch:

Conclusion _______ (a,b, or c)

Reasoning _______ (d,e, or f)

Lamp # ______ sketch:

Conclusion _______ (a,b, or c)

Reasoning _______ (d,e, or f)
Part 2: Do they match? Physical Matching of Head light Glass fragments

51
You will be given a small collection of broken headlight glass (collected
from the local junk yard). Your task is to determine which sample matches the
one from the crime scene. Or if you cant determine if there is a match, can you
exclude one or more sample as not matching the crime scene sample?
To decide if there is a match, you will be using edge thickness (measured
with your ruler) and edge shape (think how different puzzle pieces differ from
each other). Start by measuring the edge thickness of each of your samples.
Then sketch the shape of each sample. Enter the data below:

Edge thickness (in mm) draw edge shape below

Known _________:


Unknown _______:


Unknown _______:


Unknown _______:


Unknown _______:


1. Based on the edge thickness, which fragments could you exclude as a match
with your known?


2. Based on the edge shape, which fragments could you exclude as a match with
your known?


3. Edge thickness of glass fragments:
class characteristics or individual characteristics? (circle one)
Explain.


4. Edge shape of glass fragments:
class characteristics or individual characteristics? (circle one)
Explain.
The following worksheet is an example of one used in actual police work. There
is nothing you need to do with it, other than to notice how much you understand
52
about it.
#
53
Forensic Science Name____________________
Rick Goldstein
Lab #1-11 Oh. My. God. Becky, Look at that line. It is SO BIG. (Refractive
Index of Glass Fragments)


The analysis of glass chips sometimes involves
measurements of the refractive index (RI) of the glass.
Refractive index is a measure of the bending of a ray
of light as it passes from air into a solid or liquid. Every
material has its own
characteristic refractive
index. Determining the
RI can show the
possibility common origin
of two samples or help
disprove this possibility.

Immersion Method:
When a transparent
object such as a glass chip
is immersed in a liquid, it is
seen by the unaided eye or
under a microscope as
having a bright or colored
boundary, a sort of halo
bordering the piece of glass.
This is called the Becke line
(pronounced like the girls
name). The intensity of this
visible boundary around the glass depends on the difference in refractive index
between the glass and the liquid.
In general, the greater the difference between the refractive index of a
specimen and that of a surrounding medium, the more distinct is the Becke line.
As the refractive indices of the specimen and liquid approach equality, the Becke
line will tend to disappear. Indeed, if the indices are equal, the specimen will be
practically invisible (see above). A difference in refractive index of 0.002
between the glass chip and the immersion liquid can be readily observed.
The Becke line indicates a difference between the indices of the glass and liquid
and which possesses the higher value. This observation allows an examiner to
properly select a liquid that most closely matches the refractive index of glass.
.
The BECKE LINE moves towards the medium of HIGHER RI,
if the focus of the microscope is RAISED.
Standard Immersion Liquids:

54
Although the refractive indices of glasses may vary considerably (Table 1),
the refractive indices of most glass samples encountered in practice lie between
1.47 and 1.53. Olive oil (1.47), caster oil (1.48) and clove oil (1.54) were used to
make the standard solutions for this lab.

Lab #1-11 Table 1: Brackets and Refraction Index of Glass Types

Lab #1-11 Materials and Procedure:

7 standard solutions of known RI with labeled glass pipette dispenser
(purple 1.5430, blue 1.5300, green 1.5175, yellow 1.5050, orange 1.4920,
red 1.4820, and brown 1.4667) (Will also be put on board)
1 unknown glass sample in powder form with coffee stirrer as scoop (A-H)
(Either: mirror, window, eyeglass, TV, light bulb, jar, headlight, or slide)
7 glass slides (one for each known RI solution, prelabeled with the color)
1 compound microscope

a. Put one drop of each of the known RI liquids (the colored labeled solutions in
brown glass bottles) on one of seven different slides using the dedicated
capillary tubes. BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO CROSS CONTAMINATE THE
STANDARDS. When you are done, you should have seven slides, each with
one drop of a different known RI solution. Label each with the RI of the liquid.
Get Rick to initial here that you are ready for the next step ___________.

b. In pairs, you will be assigned an unknown glass sample (#1-8). Your Q is
________. You will use the Becke lines to narrow the RI range of that sample.
Each pair will use one prelabeled coffee stirrer with their unknown sample.
No other pair will have your same sample. No cover slides are needed.

c. Using the dedicated stirrer for your unknown glass sample, add a very small
amount (one corner of the stirrer is plenty about the amount that would t on
Glass Type: Standard solution brackets Index of Refraction
Headlight glass Brown Orange (1.471.49)
Television glass Red Yellow (1.481.50)
Mirror glass Yellow Orange (1.49 1.51)
Window glass Yellow Blue (1.501.52)
Jar glass Yellow Green (1.501.52)
Light bulb glass Blue Green (1.511.53)
Eyeglass lenses Blue Green (1.521.53)
Slide glass Blue Green (1.521.54)
55
the tip of a sharpened pencil) of the crushed glass from your unknown to each
of your slides.
d. Look at one of the slides under the microscope and nd the Becke Line. If you
are having trouble seeing the line, mover the diaphragm to let in less light.
Determine if the Becke line goes out to the liquid or in to the glass fragment.
This should help you determine if the known standard solution is of a higher
or lower RI than your unknown sample.

e. Repeat step d. with the other known standard solutions slides until you have
bracketed the unknown with the smallest range of RIs that include the
unknown. Note which standard solution has a RI that is just above and which
is just below your sample, this is your range.

Your unknown sample __________ has a RI greater than the RI of standard

(color) ________ and a RI less than the RI of standard (color) ____________

So, our unknown sample has a RI between #_______ and #_______.

f. Conrm that your known and unknown glass samples match, by showing that
the two slides have the same bracket colors of RI standards. (for example:
both are between red and yellow and one is the known TV glass, the other
must also be TV glass.)
Conrmed ___________

Lab #1-11 Questions:

1. Is the RI of a piece of glass a class or an individual characteristic? Explain.








2.A forensic chemist made a slide using a standard of known RI = 1.5290. Your
unknown sample had a Becke line that moved away from the glass and into
the liquid as the focus was moved up. Does this mean that the glass fragment
has a higher or lower RI than 1.5290? What is the most likely type of glass
this sample came from?





56



57
Forensic Science Name____________________
Rick Goldstein
Lab #1-12 T-Pane (Glass Fracture Patterns)

Many crime scenes have glass evidence
present. Some of those include high velocity
projectiles (usually bullets) impacting the glass. As
scientists investigating the scene, it is helpful to be
able to tell the direction the bullet was red from
and if more than one bullet is red, the order that
they were red.

Procedure:
You will be given sets of bullet holes in different panes of glass. The bullet
holes are labeled with letters and the panes are labeled with numbers and
Inside and Outside. Your mission is to gure out the order (rst, second, etc.)
that each bullet was red and whether it was red from inside of the building
(moving out) or from outside (moving in). Use the chart below (you should list
the rst bullet red (by letter), whether it was red from inside or outside, then the
second bullet red, and so on). If there are more than four holes, just list the rst
four. Complete two blue (B1-B4) taped examples, two of the white (W5-W9)
window examples and two of the truck (T10-T15) windows.

Be sure to write the number of the window in the chart below.


Lab #1-12 Questions:
Pane # !

Letter of 1
bullet:
in/outside:

Letter of 2
bullet:
in/outside:

Letter of 3
bullet:
in/outside:

Letter of 4
bullet:
in/outside:
Ex:T16


C
In


A
Out


D
Out


B
In
B__ B__ W__ W__ T__ T__
58

1. How can an investigator determine which of two bullet holes in a pane of
glass came rst? Explain and sketch.








2. How can an investigator determine which direction a bullet came through a
pane of glass? Explain and sketch.








3. In the examples you looked at, why is it not always clear the order of bullets in
a pane of glass?





4. In the spring of 2009, a bullet was found on the oor of a third oor ofce 18
inches away from the windows edge in a pile of glass shards. The window
was double paned and had a smaller hole higher up on the exterior pane and
a larger hole lower down on the interior pane. The difference in the height of
the two holes was 1.75 inches. The inside edges of both windows were
beveled and both holes were larger on the inside. Based on the evidence,
draw a sketch and give a reasonable theory of what happened.



59
Forensic Science
Rick Goldstein
Lab #1-13 End of Unit 1 In-Class Writing Assignment

You have seen and heard, and done a lot this unit, now comes the time to put
words to paper and summarize your experience. In this assignment, you will be
writing about what you have learned about the science of crime scene
investigation so far.

You will have part of a class period on _______________(you may also use
outside of class time as well) to make notes, brainstorm, outline, and organize
your ideas. You may use your notes, your textbook, and your labs. No Internet
resources. No team or group work here. This is not a cooperative venture. This
must be your own work. Consider this your reminder that the Honor Code applies
here.

Then you will have the whole class period on ____________ to write an in-class
essay explaining the step by step overview of how to approach a crime scene
(any type of scene is ne, you pick) with the reasons for each step.

within that overview, include three (Identify them by putting them in bold**)
important scientic tools/instruments used in forensic science, you should
discuss how each works and its importance,

also within that overview, include a discussion of at least two (Identify

them by underlining them**) forensic cases that relied on scientic
analysis (maybe the same kind of analysis that could be directed towards
evidence in your crime scene.), why were these cases important? what did
forensic science learn from them?

2 full page minimum, no maximum, 1.5 space, 12 font.

You may use your notes, your book, your labs, and your outline to write
this, but write it you must during this class period.

Computers without internet capability will be provided for you to use in

class to write this assignment. No personal laptops or other internet-
capable devices are allowed for this writing.

This will count as two lab grades.

Start your brainstorming here:

60


61
Forensic Science Name____________________
Rick Goldstein
Lab #1-14 Look at me, Im Sand(ra Dee) (Sand Analysis)

In this lab, you will be determining the different colors,
textures and structures of 5 sands samples, so that
you can use those known samples to determine the
possible origin(s) of a sand sample taken from a
suspects car oor.

Lab #1-14 Materials and Procedure:
Stereomicroscope Sand samples, knowns and unknowns

Examine the known samples provided. Give the color and texture descriptions in
the chart below and then sketch each under the 4X of the stereomicroscope

Part 1: The Known Samples
Color: Texture:
Sample#1:

Sample#2:

Sample#3:

Sample#4:

Sample#5:

Draw what you see in the microscope for each of the known samples.

#1 #2 #3



62
#4 #5






Part 2: Samples taken from suspects car oor:

Q sample # __________ Color:

Texture:

Best guess as to origin of sand source(s):

Explanation:





Q sample # __________ Color:

Texture:

Best guess as to origin of sand source(s):

Explanation:



63
Forensic Science Name____________________
Rick Goldstein
Lab #1-15 Ridin Dirty (Soil Analysis)

Soil can be important evidence at a crime scene
because it is easily and inadvertently transferred
(remember the Locards Exchange Principle).
Like other trace evidence, the forensic
examination of soil involves comparison of
samples in order to establish a link or
relationship: the more characteristics that can
be matched, the greater the probability of
common origin. Low-power microscopy can be
used to examine mineralogy, while other
characteristics of soil can help to uncover
geological processes and geography. Comparative analysis uses physical
properties such as density, magnetism, particle size as well as chemical
properties, such as pH.

Soil is one of the most common materials in the world. The three major
components of soil are sand, silt and clay. These major components determine
many of a soils properties. Slow anaerobic decomposition of vegetative matter
forms a dark organic soil; such as found in swamps and bogs.

The forensic denition of soil includes any artifacts mixed in with the soil,
such as fragments of glass, cinders, asphalt, paint, metal, concrete, bricks, etc.
as well as natural products. Often, it is the presence of artifacts that make a soil
sample unique to a particular location, thereby providing a link to another sample.
For example, soil from either side of a galvanized fence usually contains zinc; dirt
below an asphalt shingle roof may show shingle stones; potting soils often
contain slow-release fertilizer tablets.

Lab #1-15 Materials and procedure:

1 Small bag of soil 1 Metric ruler 1 Glass stirring rod
1 Soil Color guide Crayons or colored pencils 1 Apron
1 pencil 1 100 ml Graduated cylinder 1 Crucible tongs
1 vial Dry Calgon Distilled water 1 marker for baggie
1 pH color test kit 1 Magnifying glass 1 Striker
1 Blacklight 1 Electronic Balance (.01) 1 Goggles
1 Forceps 1 Magnet in plastic bag 1 Ring clamp
1 Test tube, plastic 1 Bunsen burner set up 1 ring stand
1 Clay triangle 1 Funnel (extra, extra large) 1 scoopula
1 Crucible and lid 1 Weigh boat, foldable 1 pippette for H2O

1. Label the bag of soil with your name, date collected and the specic location.
64

Date collected: Location:


2. If two soils are from the same location, they should contain particles of similar
densities. Remember that d = m/v. To determine the density of a small
amount of your soil you will measure a set volume of soil and then weigh it.
Put a weigh boat on the balance and push TARE. Gently add 30 mL of soil to
the weigh boat. Fold weigh boat and add soil to a 100 ml graduated cylinder.
Do not compact the soil.

Mass of 30 ml of your soil in grams: Density of your soil (show units):


3. To determine the relative amounts of sand, silt and
clay composition of your soil sample you will nd
how fast the soil particles settle. To the 30 ml of dry
soil in the 100 ml graduated cylinder in part 2, add
1.5 g of Calgon powder. Then ll the cylinder with
water to the 90mL mark. Cover the cylinder with
your hand and shake the graduated cylinder for two
minutes to thoroughly mix the sample. Place the
cylinder on the table and wait for forty seconds.
Measure the volume (in
ml) of material that has
settled to the bottom of
the cylinder. That is the
volume of sand in your
sample. Set this aside,
move on to part 4, but
after thirty minutes have
passed come back and measure again. The silt
measurement is the difference between the top of
the new layer and the top of the sand layer. Set
your sample aside overnight (make sure it is on a paper towel with your
name on it.) The next day, take the measurement from the top of the new
(clay) layer to the top of the silt layer. Add the three volumes together. This is
the denominator for determining percents.


a. ml sand measured:

b. ml silt measured:

c. ml clay measured:

d. total ml measured (a + b + c):

e. % sand (a./d. x 100) =

f. % silt (b./d. x 100) =

65
g. % clay (c./d. x 100)=




4. To determine the percent of the soil that is organic
material, you will need to heat the sample in a
crucible. First weigh the crucible lled about % with
the soil sample in it. Then put the sample and
crucible on a clay triangle on a ring clamp on a ring
stand and heat it with a Bunsen burner. Heat until
organic matter burned off. Let cool before placing on
balance. This should take 5-7 minutes. If you are not
familiar with this procedure, please ask.

a. Mass of the crucible before adding
the soil to the crucible:

b. Mass of the soil sample and crucible before heating:

c. Mass of the soil sample and crucible after heating:

d. Subtract c. from b. to get the mass of the organic matter burned off:

e. Divide d/ (b-a) and multiply by 100 to get the percent by mass of the
organic matter of the soil:


5. Using crayons or colored pencils to indicate the color of your original sample
still in the bag, NOT the color of the soil heated in the crucible (in #4).

Color:

6. Compare the color of the original soil sample in your bag to the color chart in
the guide booklet.

Letter/number combination of closest match:


7. The color of the soil is generally related to the presence of particular minerals
or organic matter. Red soils are associated with highly oxidized iron; black
soils with organic matter. Wet soil is usually darker than dry soil.

What the color of your soil indicates about the content of the sample:
8. Using a magnifying glass, identify and list the variety of materials found in
your sample. This list might include seeds, sand particles, roots, insects, etc.

List contents of your soil:
66


9. Shine the ultraviolet light on the soil sample. Note what particles uoresce, if
any. Some minerals, as well as bers, plastics and paper will also uoresce.

Parts of your sample that uoresce:


10. Pass a magnet (wrapped in a plastic bag, please dont open the bag) through
the soil to collect and identify any iron that may be present.

Is there iron present? How much (a little? A lot?)


11. To determine the pH of your soil sample place a small amount of the sample
in a test tube (to the soil line). Using a pipette, add distilled water (to the
water line), shake with your thumb over the open end of the tube. Let it settle
and then dip the pH paper into the liquid for ve seconds. Compare pH paper
to the color chart, estimate and record the pH.

Estimated pH of your soil:


Lab #1-15 Questions

1. Which tests from this lab would be most helpful forensically?



2. Based on your tests above, what are the two most distinctive
characteristics of your soil sample? List and explain.





3. Based on all of this information gathered in this lab, describe the soil
sample you tested.

67
Forensic Science
Rick Goldstein
Handout: Unit #1 Test study guide, chapters #1-4

Review all information from: class notes, power points notes, labs, and guest
speakers on the following topics:

1. Introduction to Forensic Science (Denition, Scope, History basics,
Locard, Crime Lab sections and organization, CSI Effect, witness IDs)
2. Crime Scenes (how to process remember Appendix 1 has good info)
3. Physical characteristics of evidence
4. Trace evidence (Glass, sand, soil)

You should be generally familiar with the following cases (ie. What basically
happened, or why it is important):

Major Cases:
Jascalevich
Camarena

Other cases to know:
Ted Bundy
Frye v US
Daubert v. Merrill Dow
Kumho Tire v Charmichael
JonBenet Ramsey
Mincey v Arizona
Michigan v Tyler
Green River Killer
OJ Simpson
Horse Chestnut Tree
(Skip the Wayne Williams case, we will go into it in much more detail in the
next unit.)
And any other cases discussed in class.


It would be good to review the labs in this unit before the test.

68


69
Forensic Science Name ____________________
Rick Goldstein
Lab #2-1 Aww, You Guys Made Me Ink. (Chromatography of Inks)

In this lab, chromatography will be demonstrated as a
laboratory technique for comparing two substances, in
this case inks, to either exclude them as a match or say
that they are consistent with each other. You will be
given three suspect pens and asked to determine which
pen(s) wrote a questioned writing.

Lab #2-1 Materials:
3 known pens (#1, #2, and #3) (Ks) 15 blank lter paper strips
1 jar of isopropyl alcohol iso (1 cm deep) 1 pencil
1 jar of methanol meth(1 cm deep) 1 jar of water (1 cm deep)
4 lter paper strips cut from questioned document (Qs)

Lab #2-1 Procedure:
1. Get a Ziploc bag with strips of lter paper, pens, and questioned documents.

2. Record your name and either water, iso, or meth in pencil at the top of
each of three 10 cm length of lter paper. Total 9 strips.

3. Put a large dot (3-5 mm) of each of the three K pens 2 cm from the bottom of
each of three of the strips (one from each uid.)

4. Suspend or rest each strip so that the dot is just over the uid level, but deep
enough for the uid to touch the paper. Keep the strip in contact with the
liquid until liquid is drawn up to the pencil markings near the top. Remove
and let dry.

5. Test your Qs, one in each solution. Which K (or Ks) made the Q.

6. Verify that you have the correct pen or pens, by using the known (s) to
recreate the questioned document. Make a total of three of these. Test one in
each of the three uids.

7. Chose one uid, then for your Q and all of the Ks, note the starting place for
the top of the dot with a line across the strip. Note the highest point the ink
traveled with a line across the strip. Note the highest place the liquid rose up
with a line across the strip. The distance between the lowest line and the
highest line is your denominator and the distance between the lowest line
and the middle line is your numerator. Divide your fraction to get a decimal
and that number is your Rf value for that ink in that substance. Rf value is
how far your substance traveled compared to how far the liquid moved. See
example to the right for calculations. Record in Question 3 below.
70


Lab #2-1 Questions:

1. Chromatography is based on density. How
does this apply to inks?



2. A. Which pen(s) was/were involved in the questioned writing? ____________
B. How did you decide?



3. Calculate the Rf values (distance substance traveled divided by distance uid
traveled) for one of your Qs and for the K or Ks you think was/were used to
make the Q. Show your two calculations here.
Q: K-1 K-2 K-3







4. Do the Rf values you calculated above support your answer to question #2?
Explain.




Staple the 3 original Q strips tested and the 3 lter paper strips you created in
step 6 below.







(If you worked with a partner, indicate whose lab has the strips for your group.)

71
Forensic Science
Rick Goldstein
Handout: GC/MS explanation and example


This handout should help you understand how a gas chromatograph and mass
spectrometry (GC/MS) works and how to read the graphs that result from it.
Please take your time and really try to understand this now. It will make learning
about drugs and arson and explosives much easier down the road.

First, the substance to be
analyzed is placed in a GC, where it is
separated into its component parts or
molecules by heating it and vaporizing
the substance in the oven. The smaller,
lighter components are pushed, or
drawn, through the long coil, called a
column in the oven faster, the larger
are drawn through slower. Then,
following the oven is the mass
spectrophotometer and detector where
each different molecule of the substance is blasted by electrons and break apart
into small fragments. The fragments are also separated by mass.

The GC printout tells us what components or molecules are present in the
original substance and are arranged by density, In the example of lemongrass
essential oil below, it is made up of different chemicals, A, B, C, D, and E. Note
that the X axis is time and
the Y axis is abundance or
percent or how much of that
component is present. By
time, we mean relative
retention time (RRT) or how
long it takes for that
component to reach the
detector, lightest are retained
the shortest time and are
seen on the left part of the X
axis. The largest molecules
are retained the longest are
the slowest to come out and
are seen on the right side of
the X axis. So, Molecule A is
the smallest and Molecule E
is the largest. Molecule D is
the most common or abundant and Molecule B is the second most abundant.
72
Next, each molecule A through E as it is spit out of the CG (remember
they come out based on how small they are, smallest rst) goes to the MS. The
MS part of the GC/MS breaks the molecules into small fragments and the
detector attached to it counts the fragments as they go by, smallest rst and
largest last. Each molecule breaks into a unique set of fragments and so the
pattern of those fragments is also unique to that molecule. Imagine a box of
uncooked spaghetti being broken and each broken piece of spaghetti is
measured and like sized fragments are counted together. So, the fragments
identify the molecule and the molecules identify that sample being tested.

In our Lemongrass example, peak A (molecule A) came out of the GC at a
RRT of 8.62 minutes. (Go back to the GC diagram at the top and look at the X
axis under A.) Here is the isolated peak for A.

#

Once component A goes to the MS the following print out shows that it is
the molecule linalool.

The MS patterns are described by the most common fragment masses of the
molecule. (The X axis in MS graphs is mass in atomic mass units and the Y axis
is amount or abundance.) Look at the graph below and nd the three highest
peaks. Linalool is 93.3, 91.1 and 79.1.

73
Then Peak B is analyzed. Then Peak C and Peak D and so forth
Go back to the original GC printout and look at Substance C. What is the
RRT for peak C? (You should have read 13.3.) That peak is a molecule called
Geraniol. The GC isolated peak (or what a pure sample of Geraniol would look
like) is found below.

#

After Geraniol comes out of the GC, it goes into the MS and the MS for Geraniol
is found below.

#

What are the highest three peaks associated with Geraniol? (Did you nd 93.2,
69.1, and 91.1?)

74
The MS for cocaine is 182, 82, 198, 303. Can you picture it? Draw it and label
the X axis and the Y axis, dont worry too much about the actual height of the
peaks, just get the relative heights correct..





















Why do you think there can be no larger fragments for cocaine than 303? (Hint:
the molar mass of cocaine is 303 AMUs.)

















(You do not need to turn this in, but do it for the practice and understanding.)
75
Forensic Science Name ____________________
Rick Goldstein
Lab #2-2 Color Me Happy (Fusion of TNT)


Finding crime scene trace evidence is often easy to
do, as there is often so much of it. Figuring out what to
do with it can be more difcult. Different light
wavelengths and different lenses can show
characteristics and properties of the component
compounds and elements. In this lab you will look at
several chemical samples under polarizing lenses.
This cannot be used to make an identication, but to
show comparable samples or to eliminate inconsistent
samples.

Lab #2-2 Materials and Procedure:

Prepared slides of different samples: TNT, DDT, Anthracine, others
Compound microscope matches
2 Polarizing lenses colored pencils
Alcohol burner goggles

1. Place the TNT slide on the compound microscope
with the 4X (red) lens. Focus it. The total
magnication is 40X. Below, sketch the TNT slide
at 40X, without any polarizing lenses.



2. Add one polarizing lens on light source and describe what the TNT slide
looks like under a compound microscope, 40X total magnication, with one
polarizing lens on light source.





3. Add a second polarizing lens by holding it slightly
above the stage or platform. The rst lens should
still be sitting on the light source. Sketch the TNT
slide under a compound microscope, 40X total
magnication, with two polarizing lenses, one on
light source and one above stage. (Use colored
pencils or crayons.)

76
4. Now light your alcohol lamp with the match.

5. This is where team efforts will be needed. One partner will need to be heating
the TNT on the slide (Must wear goggles while heating). The other partner will
rotate the lter between the lens and the stage and observe through the
microscope.

6. The goggled partner should CAREFULLY, while holding the side of the slide
with the label on it, wave the center of the slide above the ame, moving it
constantly. If you overheat the slide, the solid will sublimate (form a gas) or
the slide could shatter in your hand. (That would be bad.) Once the TNT is
melted, quickly place the slide on the microscope and observe. If the TNT has
solidied before you can observe it, melt it again carefully and view again.

7. If time permits, view the other chemicals provided on slides, but DO NOT heat
the others. You should see VERY different looking results.


Lab #2-2 Questions:

1. What physically happens when you melt the TNT and then let it cool down?





2. Why did the TNT look different when you added a second lter? Make sure
you explain what the second polarizing lter does.





3. Why does every substance (TNT, DDT, and any other chemical compound)
have a unique look as it melts and solidies?





4. How might what you have seen in this lab be useful forensically?



77
Forensic Science Name ___________________
Rick Goldstein
Lab #2-3 Its So Fluffy Im Gonna Die! (Microscopic Examination of Hair)

Hair is a very common form of evidence in many
cases of homicide, sexual assault and burglary. Hair
evidence can link a suspect to the scene of the crime,
indicate the entrance or exit route of the criminal,
show contact with the victim, or serve to identify
clothes or shoes of the suspect.
Hair from any part of the body exhibits a range of
characteristics, such as color, length, and diameter.
Even hair from different parts of the same area, the crown, sides, and rear of the
head, for example, will differ somewhat. It is, therefore, necessary for the forensic
examiner to keep this in mind when collecting reference hairs and to obtain an
adequate supply to compare with the suspect's hair. Usually, the collection of
several dozen hairs from relevant parts of the body will sufce.
The parts of a hair that are easily seen by use of a microscope under
magnication are the medulla, the cortex, and the cuticle as shown in Figure 1.
Many animal hairs are easily distinguished from human hairs by the size and
shape of their medullae and the patterns
of their cuticle or scale structure.
Synthetic bers have no medulla or scale
pattern and are therefore readily
distinguishable from animal hair. Figure 2
shows several scale patterns.


Figure 1: Cross Section of hair Figure 2: Scale patterns of
hair

This lab is a qualitative exercise to determine characteristics of hair samples.


Lab #2-3 Materials:
3 Microscope slides glass Compound microscope
3 Cover slides - glass Microscope tissue paper
Clear nail polish (for scales) Forceps
Glycerin or water (for wet mounts) Hair samples (human and animal)
78

79
Part A. Human Hair characteristics

1. Pull a strand of your head hair and place it on a glass microscopic slide.

2. Place a drop or two of glycerin or water on the hair in order to hold it in place,
and put a cover slip over the hair. This is known as a wet mount.

3. Place the slide on the stage of the compound microscope, and adjust the
magnication to 100x. (Yellow lens)

4. Locate the root end of the hair, if it has one. If the hair has been forcibly pulled
out, you will likely see a bulb-shaped enlargement. This is the hair root, and
adhering to it, you will see small pieces of esh and tissues, which surround
the hair root.

5. Make a sketch of the root end of your hair.



6. Observe if the medulla is fragmental (that is, present in
isolated spots), interrupted (long columns with open
spaces now and then), or continuous (unbroken column). Is it
entirely absent? At higher magnications, some hairs may show irregularly
shaped air spaces, known as cortical fuzi, dispersed throughout the cortex.

7. Describe your medulla:



8. Make a sketch of the medulla you observe. If you dont
have one to look at, go nd a classmate who does and
sketch his or hers (his or her name
_______________. )


9. Describe the (a) color, (b) relative diameter, and (c)
pigment distribution of the hair in the above question. Go
look at other students to compare and gure out the relative diameter
of your hair.
(a)

(b)

(c)
10. Examine the tip (external end) of the hair. This end can be determined by the
gradual tapering of the hair. If the hair had been cut recently, you will see a
80
square appearance at the end. If hair has split ends it is normally due to
articial waving, bleaching, although repeated brushing may also produce this
effect. (See power point slides.)

11. Sketch the external end of your hair.








Part B: Animal Hair Characteristics Animal: ____________

12. Make water mounted slide of an animal hair and sketch of the root end and
sketch the external end of the animal hair.
Root External end








13. Describe the medulla of the animal hair.





14. Sketch the medulla of the animal hair.









Part C: Scale Patterns

Scale patterns are of little value in human hair comparisons as we all have
very similar scale patterns, but these patterns can aid in distinguishing animal
81
hairs. In human hair, the scales overlap smoothly, whereas in other mammalian
species they protrude in a rough, serrated form. It is difcult to examine the
scales directly, so what is most often done is to prepare a cast of scales.

Follow these instructions:
1. Smear the center of a glass slide with a thin layer of clear nail polish.

2. Before the clear nail polish dries, which takes place very quickly, place a
strand of animal hair on the surface of the polish.

3. Before the polish has thoroughly dried, but after the surface becomes partially
solidied (a few seconds), lift the strand of hair off the slide. You should now
see an imprint of the hair in the polish.

4. Place the slide on the microscopes stage, focus, and observe the scale
pattern of the imprint.

5. Now observe the scale pattern on a strand of hair placed on a slide.

6. Is the imprint of the hair OR the actual hair itself easier to view the scale
pattern?



7. Make a sketch of the scale pattern impression.







82
Part D Slide Collection

1. Examine the human hair slides (red dots) from the slide collection. Match
both Qs to Ks. Explain why you think they match. Sketch both Qs.

Q _____ = K _______________,
Reason: Sketch:






Q _____ = K _______________,
Reason: Sketch:







2. Examine the animal hair slides (green dots) from the slide collection. Match
both Qs to Ks. Explain why you think they match. Sketch both Qs.

Q _____ = K _______________,
Reason: Sketch:






Q _____ = K _______________,
Reason: Sketch:







83

84
Forensic Science Name ____________________
Rick Goldstein
Lab #2-4 Moral Fiber: Pull the Thread, Watch it Unravel (Fiber Analysis)

Fibers may become important evidence in incidents that involve personal
contact, like homicides, assaults, or sexual offenses. Cross-transfers may occur
between the clothing of suspect and victim. The force of
impact between a hit-and-run victim and a vehicle often
leaves bers, threads, or even whole pieces of clothing
adhering to parts of the vehicle. Fibers may also
become xed in screens or glass broken in the course
of a breaking-and-entering attempt. Regardless of
where and under what conditions the bers were found,
their usefulness depends on whether their origin can
be reduced to a limited number of sources or a single
source. Given the mass production of garments and fabrics, it is hard to nd a
ber with individual characteristics.

Early in the twentieth century, the rst manufactured ber, rayon, was
made. It was followed in the 1920s by the introduction of cellulose acetate. Since
the late 1930s, scientists have produced dozens of new bers. In fact, the
development of bers,
fabrics, nishes, and other
textile-processing
techniques has made
greater advances since
1900 than in the ve
thousand years of
recorded history before the
twentieth century. Today,
such varied items as
clothing, carpeting,
drapes, wigs, and even
articial turf attest to the
predominant role that manufactured bers have come to play in our culture and
environment. This lab will investigate several ways to analyze ber evidence.&

Lab #2-4 Materials:
1 Tea candle
1 packet of matches
1 Forceps
1 Scissors
1 Bag of known and unknown bers [bag includes aluminum foil in it]

Part 1 Flame tests

85
Lab #2-4 Procedure:

1. Get one bag of unknown bers.

2. Look at the numbered known bers in the folder & decide which three most
closely visually match the crime scene letter assigned to you. Each person
need their own unknown.

3. Cut off a very small piece [5x5 mm about half the size of a pencil eraser] of
ber from each of your suspect samples.

4. Fold the piece of aluminum into a bowl-like shape.

5. Place the tea candle on the aluminum.

6. Light the candle.

7. Holding the rst known ber in forceps, close to, but not touching, the ame.

8. Record your observations in the data table below: does it ignite, melt, or curl?

9. Holding the ber in forceps, touch the ber to a ame.

10. Record your observations in the data table below: does it ignite quickly or
slowly? Does it sputter, drip, or melt?

11. Remove the ber from the ame and describe how it behaves. Does it self
extinguish, continue to burn, or continue to glow?

12. Observe any odor associated with the ber in the ame.

13. Repeat steps 7 - 12 for the other two of the closest known bers.

14. Then repeat steps 7 - 12 for the crime scene unknown. (Be careful, you only
get one chance to do this.)

15. Once you have melted and burned all the unknown pieces of ber, blow out
your tea candle. And, clean up.

16. Attach the unused portion of the sample to this lab. Attached? ___________


86

Lab #2-4 Data Table 1
Lab #2-4 Questions:

1. Based on the information from your data table above, which known matches
with the crime scene unknown? ___Q - ____K

2. What was the strongest evidence you used to make the match?




3. Does ber evidence exhibit individual and/or class characteristics? Explain.





4. Explain why it is unlikely to nd two indistinguishable colored bers coming
from randomly selected sources (see Text p. 230)




Fibers
[
Approaching
ame
In ame Removed from
ame
Odor
K Suspect
# ____



K Suspect
# ____



K Suspect
# ____



Q Crime
scene letter
____



87
5. Explain the difference between manmade & natural bers. Give two examples
of each.
a. Difference:


b. 2 examples of man made bers:


c. 2 examples of natural bers:



Part 2 Microscopic examination of ber evidence

Under the compound microscope, examine the textile ber slides (yellow dots)
from the slide collection and identify the three unknowns assigned to you. Sketch
each and explain how you visually determined the matches.

a. Unknown (Q) ____ is a match with
the known (K) slide _______________.
Reason:






b. Unknown (Q) ____ is a match with
the known (K) slide _______________.
Reason:






c. Unknown (Q) ____ is a match with
the known (K) slide _______________.
Reason:
88
Forensic Science Name
____________________
Rick Goldstein
Lab #2-5 (C)hips Dont Lie (Paint Chip Analysis)

Paint chips found at many crime scenes are
often very small, but can pack a large evidentiary
punch. Paint chips can be matched using their
layers, shape, and chemical composition. They can
connect a vehicle to a crime scene. In this lab, you
will be looking at the microscopic layering of
unknown chips of automobile paint and
matching them to known samples.

Lab #2-5 Materials and Procedure:

Various automobile paint chips in prepared wax slices
Stereomicroscope colored pencils

1. You will be given a set of wax slices each with a small chip of automobile
paint that has been cut in cross section. BE CAREFUL NOT TO OVERHEAT
these wax samples, if you do, the sample will be of no further use to anyone.

2. View each slice IN THE ORIGINAL CONTAINER under the lowest
magnication of the stereomicroscope. DO NOT REMOVE THE CHIPS
FROM THE SMALL CONTAINERS.

Lab #2-5 Questions:

1. Sketch a cross section of each of the known (K) reference samples and the
one unknown (Q) sample. Use colored pencils.

Known _____ Known _____ Known _____





Known _____ Known
_____ Unknown _____





89

2. Using words only, without additional sketches present your evidence of how
you determined the identity of the unknown paint chip. ID the Q.
__ Q = __ K. Why?







3. Explain why paint chips can be useful forensically. Are individual and/or class
characteristics both demonstrated in paint chips? Explain.







4. Explain how paint generally is applied to a surface (see text p 232).







5. Explain how automobile paint particularly is applied (see text p 234). Be sure
to explain the four organic coatings.

90
Forensic Science
Rick Goldstein
Lab #2-6 Wayne Williams: Atlanta Murdered and Missing Children Case

Here we have a unique opportunity to see an
important historical forensic science case from
the perspective of one of the original scientists
who worked the case many years ago. Larry
Peterson was a relatively new GBI trace
evidence examiner in 1979, when the evidence
started to emerge that someone was murdering
young men and boys in Atlanta. This city went
into full panic mode, with parents not letting their
children go out alone. And national and international news media descended on
Atlanta. As the bodies were discovered, Peterson was called out to collect and
analyze the evidence, working with local, state and federal authorities in a
taskforce, he started to build a prole of the killer. Eventually Wayne Williams
was arrested (you will hear that story from Larry Peterson) and the GBI had to
make the case. Peterson testied at the proceedings and at every subsequent
hearing related to the trial for the last 36 years. Only months ago, he was called
to testify at the latest parole hearing.

Peterson is an annual visitor to this class and will be talking about this case. You
get to ask the expert (he is somewhat of a rock star - my words in the forensic
science community) anything you want about this case. But, rst you need to do
your homework to get up to speed. What follows is an abbreviated list of the early
victims. You will be assigned one (or more) of them. Look them up before our
visitor comes to talk. Find out who they were and how they t into this horrible
case. Know the basic outline of the case and the background of your person (or
people). The victims names listed below are in rough chronological order.

1. Alfred Evans
2. Eric Middlebrooks
3. *Clifford Jones
4. *Charles Stephens
5. *Lubie Geter
6. *Terry Pue
7. Patrick Baltazar
8. JoJo Bell
9. Larry Rogers
10. John Porter
11. *Jimmy Ray Payne
12. William Barrett
13. *Nathaniel Cater


91
For background purposes, what follows is some of the information from the
original evidence posters used in the Wayne Williams trials:

1. Summary of all of the victims in order, with pertinent information about how
and when they were found.
#

2. Here is the poster that was used to show how much similar evidence was
found on so many of the victims. Mathematically, this sealed Williams fate, as the
overlapping circles of probabilities of this happening quickly pointed to Williams
as the perpetrator.
#

92
Forensic Science Name ____________________
Rick Goldstein
Lab #2-7 Dont Eat the Yellow Snow (Cocaine in Urine Lab)

Background: You should become familiar with the differences between the
following tests.
Screening/preliminary v secondary/conrmatory tests
Presence/absence v quantitative tests
Color tests v microcrystalline tests
SEM microanalysis

Lab #2-7 Materials
Well plate
20 microliter micropipette
10 micropipette tips
8 A vials of urine samples (1A -- 8A)
Orange vial of anti-human antibodies
(labeled ANTI.)
Purple vial of enzymes (labeled ENZ.)


Lab #2-7 Procedure
1. Take well plate and orient it with letters and numbers so you can read
them.
2. With an unused micropipette tip place 40
microliters of urine sample 1A in well plate hole
1A.
3. Repeat step 2 with a clean micropipette tip and the
other urine samples into well holes 2A through 8A.
Careful not to contaminate the samples.
4. You now should have the eight urine samples in
eight different well holes.
5. With a clean micropipette tip place 20 microliters
of anti-human antibodies (labeled ANTI) in each
well hole that has a urine sample. You can use the
same micropipette tip for all eight samples, but be
very careful not to cross contaminate the samples, by touching the
micropipette tip to any of the well holes or urine samples.
6. With a clean micropipette tip place 20 microliters of enzymes (labeled
ENZ)in each well hole that has a urine sample. You can use the same
micropipette tip for all eight samples, but be very careful not to cross
contaminate the samples, by touching the micropipette tip to any of the
well holes or urine samples.
7. If cocaine is present in a sample, you should now be able to see the
bright pink results of a positive test. Negative results of this test would
appear clear, but slightly cloudy.
93
8. Note which suspects showed a positive result for cocaine in their A
sample.

Lab #2-7 Questions:
1. Given the possibility that an unknown white powder taken from a crime
scene could be cocaine, tests like the one you performed today would
be useful. What does the result of the tests you ran indicated about the
8 suspects. (Indicate here which tests were positive.)




2. Describe the tests you ran in terms of the basic categories of tests.
Indicate which one of each pair describes your test and WHY.
a. Screening/preliminary vs. secondary/conrmatory tests






b. Presence/absence vs. quantitative tests






c. Color vs. microcrystalline tests






3. Are the results of your tests (and tests like yours) enough to get a
conviction in court? If so, why? If not, why not?



94
Forensic Science Name ____________________
Rick Goldstein
Lab #2-8 What seems to be the problem, Osifer? (Alcohol limits and DUI)

This is one of those labs that can really hit home for some folks. Teens are
not allowed to possess, consume, transport, or be under the inuence of alcohol
in the State of Georgia. There are testable limits for alcohol found in your blood
for a DUI: if you are under 21 the level is 0.02%, from 21 or over it is 0.08%, and
there is a special limit for commercial drivers (MARTA, taxis, trucks, etc.) See the
table below to gure out how many drinks it takes to get to that limit.


The State of Georgia has what is called an "Implied Consent Law". This
law requires Georgia drivers to submit to (your consent is implied by you having
the license and being on a road in the state.) chemical tests of blood, breath,
urine or other bodily substances to determine if you are under the inuence of
alcohol or drugs. If you refuse to take such a test you will have your drivers
license suspended for one year.

Georgia also has an "Open Container Law". The open container law
prohibits an alcoholic beverage container that contains any amount of alcoholic
beverage in it from being inside a moving vehicle. This includes containers with
broken seals or containers that have had the alcohol partially removed in a
vehicle on the roadway or shoulder of any public highway. The ne for violating
the open container law is $200.

There are two basic types of tests that law enforcement uses to determine
if you are over the DUI limits. There are initial, eld, or preliminary tests,
sometimes called screening tests and more detailed secondary lab tests,
sometimes called conrmatory tests.
Weight 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
100 0.032 0.065 0.097 .0129 .0162 0.194 0.226 0.258
120 0.027 0.054 0.081 0.108 0.135 0.161 0.188 0.215
140 0.023 0.046 0.069 0.092 0.115 0.138 0.161 0.184
160 0.020 0.040 0.060 0.080 0.101 0.121 0.141 0.161
180 0.018 0.036 0.054 0.072 0.090 0.108 0.126 0.144
200 0.016 0.032 0.048 0.064 0.080 0.097 0.113 0.129
220 0.015 0.029 0.044 0.058 0.073 0.088 0.102 0.117
240 0.014 0.027 0.040 0.053 0.067 0.081 0.095 0.108
95

96
Field tests
The three scientically validated Field tests by National Highway Trafc Safety
Administration (NHTSA) are:
Horizontal gaze nystagmus test, which
involves following an object with
the eyes (such as a pen) to
determine characteristic eye
movement reaction
Walk-and-turn (heel-to-toe in a straight
line). This test is designed to
measure a person's ability to
follow directions and remember a
series of steps while dividing
attention between physical and
mental tasks.
One-leg-stand.

Alternative tests, which have not been scientically validated, include:
Modied-position-of-attention (feet together, head back, eyes closed for thirty
seconds; also known as the Romberg test).
Finger-to-nose (tip head back, eyes closed, touch the tip of nose with tip of
index nger).
Recite part of the alphabet
(Finger count) touch each nger of hand to thumb counting with each touch (1,
2, 3, 4, 4, 3, 2, 1).
Count backwards from a number ending in a number other than 5 or 0 and
stopping at a number ending other than 5 or 0. The series of numbers
should be more than 15.

Breathing into a "portable or preliminary breath tester"
or PBT is also an acceptable preliminary test used by
law enforcement. These are commonly known as
Breathalyzers. A breathalyzer is a device for estimating
blood alcohol content (BAC) from a breath sample. The
scientic validity for this estimation is the fact that there
is a direct correlation between the amount of alcohol in
your blood and the amount that is exhaled from your
lungs. The breathalyzer estimates this by mixing
several s chemicals with a sample of the breath in
question, which produces an electric current and
displays the alcohol content of the sample.

Conrmatory tests:
97

Blood Tests:
In a lab or hospital, a blood sample is drawn and analyzed for alcohol content.
This is generally considered the most accurate of intoxication tests.

Intoxilyzer:
These devices are used as conrmatory
devices for those who are suspected of
DUI. Using infrared spectroscopy, which
identies BAC levels by the way that the
alcohol absorbs light; the Intoxilyzer
processes breath samples and reliably
displays the correct BAC (Breath Alcohol
Level). These have been reliably used in
courts for many years.


Lab #2-8 Materials and Procedures

Drunk Busters Impairment Goggles
Ball to toss
Objects to step over or around

A. With the Drunk Busters Impairment Goggles and in groups of three, take turns
trying to catch a ball, step over an object, walk in a line, touch your nose, and any
other of the eld tests above that involve movement. Please be careful and have
a spotter on either side of you when you
attempt any of these tasks. You can fall and
hurt yourself, so only do these with
spotters.

B. Without the Drunk Busters Impairment
Goggles, while you are waiting to use them,
try to recite the alphabet backwards, or start
from someplace in the middle and go
forwards, or count by 3s or 7s from some
number not 1. Do this under a time pressure or while someone is talking to you
or singing to you or counting while you do it. Or try some other confusing
variation of a simple verbal task.



98
Lab #2-8 Questions

1. At your age what is the legal limit for BAC? _____________________

2. At your weight, what is the approximate number of alcoholic drinks you would
have to consume to be over that limit? ___________________

3. What activity did you attempt while wearing the Drunk Busters Impairment
Goggles?



4. How did the goggles change how you thought you were doing compared to
how your spotters saw you performing?





5. What verbal activity did you try?



6. How did you do (presumably sober)?




7. What personal take home message did you get from this activity in general?
















99
Forensic Science
Rick Goldstein
Handout: Tylenol Murders Case Summary

In 1982, seven people in the Chicago area collapsed
suddenly and died after taking Tylenol capsules that
had been laced with 90% pure potassium cyanide.
These ve females and two males, all relatively
young, became the rst victims ever to die from what
came to be known as product tampering.

The poisoned capsules had been placed on shelves
in six different stores by a person intent on killing innocent people at random.
Some of the Tylenol packages had 5 or less poisoned capsules. One had 10
poisoned capsules. The stores were in varied locations from suburban to inner
city, from predominantly white to predominantly non-white neighborhoods. The
victims still appear random. One victim was a 12 year-old girl who had a cold.
Another victim had just returned from the
hospital after giving birth to a baby boy. The
tragedy was compounded for one family
who lost three members. Overcome by grief
at the sudden inexplicable death of a close
relative, two other family members were
offered Tylenol capsules from the same
bottle, not yet aware that poison was the
cause of death. The case has never been
solved, and the $100,000 reward offered by
Johnson & Johnson remains unclaimed.
The Tylenol killer has never been caught. Many believe he never will be caught.
A somewhat bumbling suspect who attempted to cash in on the unprecedented
publicity was arrested and charged with extortion, but not with the murders. The
police concluded he was merely an opportunistic extortionist, and could not be
the murderer. Too many details and circumstances suggested he could not be
the poisoner. James Lewis was released in 1995, after serving 13 years of a 20-
year sentence.
A wave of copycat tamperings occurred afterwards: Lipton Cup-A-Soup in 1986,
Exedrin in 1986, Tylenol again in 1986, Sudafed in 1991, and Goody's Headache
Powder in 1992. Deaths resulted in these cases. Prior to 1982, tamper-proof
capsules and tamper-proof packaging were essentially unknown. The technology
evolved rapidly in response to the threat, and today such packaging is a familiar
sight to all.

100

101
Forensic Science Name ____________________
Rick Goldstein
Lab #2-9 Popped a Molly (White powder lab)


In this lab you will determine the identity
of unknown white powders found at the
crime scene by testing, comparing and
analyzing known white powders provided
to you. You must design your own testing
procedures. This is intentionally left open
ended for you to demonstrate your
creativity and adherence to sound
scientic principles and lab techniques.


Lab #2-9 Materials and supplies available for you:

Materials:
Well plate Spatulas Droppers
Aluminum foil Hot plate Test tubes

Chemicals:
Acetic Acid Ferric Nitrate Bicarbonate Solution


Known white powders samples to test:
Baking Soda Salt Powdered sugar
Baking powder Corn starch Sugar


Your Procedure (must be OKd by Rick before beginning):











(See over for the questions for this lab.)
102
Questions for Lab #2-9

1. Given the tests you conducted in the
dichotomous key above, what is your
best guess for the unknown(s)
assigned to you?


a. Unknown ______ is substance __________________
Reason:




b. Unknown ______ is substance __________________
Reason:




c. Unknown ______ is substance __________________
Reason:





2. Is the system used in this lab workable for real crime labs? Why or Why
not?




3. What do the GC/MS and other chromatography tests do that go one step
further than the white powder tests you did in this lab? (ie. How are they
more specic and therefore more able to distinguish different white
powders?)

103

Forensic Science Name ____________________
Rick Goldstein
Lab #2-10 Fire Burning, Fire Burning (Arson Investigation)

In re scene investigation, there is often more
evidence than can be collected and processed
in a reasonable time. Burned material, smoke,
and water are everywhere and in some
structures upper levels have collapsed onto
lower levels, complicating the investigation
even more. Investigators need to be able to
locate the most likely spots to collect debris. In
this lab, you will be trying to understand the
way structures burn (and collapse) so you can determine where the likely Point of
Origin is and center your investigation there.

To start with you and a partner will be building a
standard structure along with all of the other pairs. After
completed, you will be given an accelerant and a location
to pour it. You will light the accelerant and burn down the
structure. Once all groups are done, you and your partner
will be assigned a charred structure to investigate. You
may refer to your lecture notes, the text or internet
references. Your job is to locate the likely Point of Origin
and explain why you have reached that conclusion.


Lab #2-10 Materials and Procedures:

90 Popsicle sticks aluminum tray
Compass paper and pencil
Elmers glue sand
20 ml Accelerant matches
Spray bottle with water re extinguisher (just in case)


1. Using 90 Popsicle sticks and the Elmers glue, construct a structure that uses
all of the sticks and only the glue to hold them together. No tape or any other
material is allowed.

2. Fill the aluminum tray 1 inch deep with sand. Place the completed structure
on the sand.

3. Draw a simple sketch of your structure (before it was burned) below, draw an
N for north, and write the number or the name on your structure. = _______
104












4. Once the class is in the garage and you have been assigned a location, orient
your tray with your sketch so that the north arrow you drew agrees with the
compass (including the angle of declination we will go over how to do this in
class.)

5. Next, you will be given a corner location to pour your accelerant (either NW,
NE, SE, or SW). This is your Point of Origin. Pour all of the uid on the
appropriate corner of the structure and immediately light it.

a. Corner assigned to your structure _________________

b. Accelerant used _______________________

6. Stay with the structure while it is burning. When it is about 75 - 80% burned
(your call on this one), douse the ames with the spray bottle of water.

7. After your structure is extinguished, sketch your burned structure below. Mark
your Point of Origin on your sketch with a POO.










8. Take a photo of the remains of your burned structure and attach it to this lab.
Attached ? __________
9. You will be investigating two of the other groups scenes, sketching your
observations, and determining the Point of Origin for each.

105
10. Below, make simple sketches of the remains of the two houses that you are
investigating with the number or names of the house at the north side (and
the top of your drawing, and a N arrow) and your best guess as to the Point of
Origin marked with POO.

Number or name of house: __________ Number or name of house: __________
Sketch: Sketch:


Lab #2-10 Questions:

1. List 5 major clues found at the scene of a house re that would indicate a high
likelihood of arson, not accident?









2. How is the Point of Origin determined? (If you are not clear, look it up.) List
three factors to look for.





3. In the work above, you decided where the POO was for the two houses you
investigated. Justify your choice of Point of Origin in both cases, using your
powers of observation and what you have learned in this unit of the course.























106
Number or name of house ________ Number or name of house ________
Justication: Justication:



4. You will be given a GC/MS print out that you can assume came back from the
lab from an arson case. Using any written or electronic resources, determine
the most likely accelerant used in the arson and how you made your
determination. Attach to this lab: 1. The original GC/MS given to you and 2. A
print out of your research -- the GC/MS you found that you think matches the
one given to you. (Hints for search words: chromatogram, gas
chromatograph, accelerant patterns, and GC/MS.) Top accelerants used in
arson are: diesel fuel, ethyl alcohol, gasoline, isopropyl alcohol, kerosene,
methyl alcohol, turpentine, and mineral spirits. (Second hint: you can scan the
GC/MS image and use Google images to see what it matches.)

a. GC/MS given to you (Unknown number/letter): _________________.

b. Best guess for accelerant used: _____________________

c. Reasoning:


























107
Forensic Science
Rick Goldstein
Handout: TWA Flight 800 case summary


On July 17, 1996, just minutes after taking
off from JFK Airport, TWA Flight 800 crashed into
the Atlantic Ocean off Long Island Sound, killing
all 230 people aboard. One of the initial theories
was that the New York to Paris 747 plane was
brought down by a bomb.

In the rst few days and weeks, there was
a great urgency to getting the debris from the plane and its contents on dry land
to attempt to locate tell tale traces of explosives. As parts of the plane and
luggage and other debris were brought up, they were tested. However, the salt
water had erased any possible traces.
Investigators then looked for the patterns
in the metal: pock marks, tearing, or other
witness material. An example of
witness material could have included
metal pushed in where a missile would
have penetrated the side of the plane.

The four year long investigation by the
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined that a center-tank
explosion caused the crash. The nal report indicated that explosion was most
likely caused by a spark from a short
circuit in the wiring. The report played
down the possibility of a bomb causing
the explosion. No witness material was
discovered that could support the missile
theory.

More than 95% of the plane and its
contents have been recovered and
painstakingly reconstructed. Some of
the recovered pieces were as small as a
coin, others were as large as a bus and
weighed several tons. The
reconstruction now sits in an airplane
hangar on the grounds of the NTSB in
Virginia. The reconstruction took 2
108
months to build. 18 investigative teams were formed to look at different aspects
of the accident, like systems, structures, propulsion, ight data recorder, medical
forensic, re and explosion, and Airplane operations.. Several books were written
on the crash and a made for TV movie
was also produced. The discussions
continue.

In 2013 just before the 17 year
anniversary of the crash and the
pending release of the movie based on
it, investigators from the Air Line Pilots
Association petitioned the NTSB to
reopen the investigation, citing newly
available radar evidence from the
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
We dont know who red the missile,
but we have a lot more condence that it was a missile, said one investigator.
The NTSB has agreed to revisit the case and consider the new information. The
case is still under investigation.


109
Forensic Science Name ____________________
Rick Goldstein
Lab #2-11 This Place About To Blow (Explosives Analysis)

Following the lecture and having read the text chapter,
you should be able to answer some basic questions
related to explosives and explosives analysis.

Lab #2-11 Questions:

1. What are the two basic types of explosives?

a. Give an example of each not listed on this lab.


b. Explain how you can tell which is which.



2. Pick one of the explosives demonstrated in this unit in the chem. lab. Which
one of the two types in question #1 is it and how do you know? (Correct
vocabulary, especially verbs, is important here.)



3. Pick a different explosive of the other type demonstrated in this unit in the
chem. lab. Which one of the two types in question #1 is it and how do you
know? (Correct vocabulary, especially verbs, is important here.)



4. Your group was given an object that was destroyed for our class by ATF.
a. What is the object? ________________

b. It appears that the object was blown up and not dropped from a great
height or shot by a bullet. Give three clues.
i. One:


ii. Two:


iii. Three:


5. You are the investigators. Reconstruct the object in question #3.
110

a. Determine the exact make and ________________________

b. Model number of the object. ____________________________

c. Attach a picture of the object to the back of the lab. Attached? _______

6. What are ideal characteristics that trainers look for in a bomb detection dog
and how would those characteristics be different than the ideals for a drug
detection dog?





7. In the video of the ATF Post Blast Explosives School, a large truck tire was
used in a demo. What were the two explosives used in the demo and how
were the two types of explosives used differently?





8. If you were investigating the 1996 crash of TWA ight 800, what would you
look for to determine:
a. If it was an explosion versus some other cause (re, pilot error, etc)?






b. If the explosion came from the interior of the plane (fuel tank) or
exterior (missile) of the plane?

111
Forensic Science
Rick Goldstein
Handout: Boston Marathon Bombings


On April 15, 2013 during the Boston
Marathon, two pressure cooker bombs lled
with shrapnel exploded at 2:49 pm. Three
people were killed by their sustained injuries
and 264 were badly injured. The bombs
exploded around 12 seconds apart and 200
yards away from each other near the nish
line of the marathon. The bombs were IEDs
(improvised explosive devices) and were
imbedded with shrapnel that included bits of
metal, nails, and bearing balls. Fortunately, at
that late point in the race, only a few of the
runners were near the nish line.

After the bombs went off, the marathon was abruptly halted by the police
and local authorities, who diverted runners away from the nish line and onto
alternate routes. The FBI immediately took over the investigation. Based on the
analysis of thousands of video clips submitted by the public within hours of the
bombing, two suspects were identied: Chechen brothers Dzhokhar and
Tamerlan Tsarnev. After their photos were released to the police and to the
public, the brothers were located near Watertown, Massachusetts. They engaged
in gunre with the local authorities. During the altercation, Tamerlan Tsarnev died
from his gunshot wounds and Dzhokhar escaped. The manhunt that took place
for Dzhokhar after the gunght
was almost unprecedented. A
20-block radius in Watertown,
Massachusetts was closed off
and searched. He was
discovered hiding under a tarp
on a boat in a backyard,
bleeding from his injuries. He
was promptly arrested and
pleaded not guilty. Dzhokhar
said he and his brother were
motivated by extremist Islamic
beliefs and by their reactions to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. They had
planned to bomb Times Square in New York City after their attack on Boston.
They had no formal connections to any terrorist organizations.

112

113
Forensic Science
Rick Goldstein
Handout: Test #2 Study Guide chapters 5-11

Review all information from: class notes, power point notes, labs, and guest
speakers on the following topics:

8. Organic Analysis (types of tests)
9. Inorganic Analysis (types of tests)
10. Microscopes (types, how to use, parts of)
11. Trace evidence (hair, ber, paint)
12. Drugs (schedules, types, including alcohol)
13. Toxicology (types of tests, DUI)
14. Arson (Accelerants, origins, GC/MS patterns)
15. Explosives (types, how they work)

Major cases to really know:
Tylenol Murders,
Wayne Williams,
Kennedy Assassination
TWA ight 800

You should be generally familiar with the other cases in this unit (ie. What
basically happened, or why it is important):
Napoleon p 160
Lindberg Baby case
Jeffrey McDonald p 206, 229
Central Park Jogger p 215
Ennis Cosby case p 218
Telltale Rabbit p 223
CBS murders p 240
Pablo Escobar p 246
Harold Shipman, Dr. Death p 278
Schmerber v California p. 296
Oklahoma City Bombings p 310
World Trade Center bombing p 330

It would be good to review the labs in this unit before the test.

114

115
Forensic Science
Rick Goldstein
Handout: Madrid Bombings Case Study


On March 11, 2004 10 nearly-
simultaneous bombs detonated
during the peak of Madrids rush hour
on four commuter trains between 7:00
and 8:00 in the morning. The nal
result was 191 people killed by the
explosion and 1,800 seriously injured.
All four trains were traveling on the
same line and had a nal destination
at the same station. Thirteen IEDs
(improvised explosive devices) had
been placed in backpacks and other
pieces of luggage stored on the trains, and ten
successfully detonated at the time of the initial attack.

The IEDs were made from military explosives and nails
and screws packed around the bombs to be used as
shrapnel. The devices were detonated by a cell phone.
The attack itself took place two and a half months after the
September 11th attacks in New York and a mere three
days before Spains general elections, sending Spanish
politics into a frenzy of
action and reaction.

On the day of the attack a
plastic bag was found several blocks from
the bombing site in a van that had been
reported stolen earlier. In the bag were detonators
like the ones used in the bombings. On the bag
were latent ngerprints (see print from bag to the
right) that the FBI ran
through IAFIS. 7
points on the
ngerprint matched
Brandon Mayeld.
Mayeld was a former US soldier with a clean
record. He was also a recent Muslim convert.
Mayeld was arrested on the opinion of the
latent print examiner that the 7 matching points
constituted a 100% match.

116
Days later, the Spanish investigators were
able to link the prints to an Algerian national, who
was arrested shortly afterwards. The Spanish
miners who sold the explosives to the perpetrators
were also arrested though they had no part in the
orchestration or fulllment of t he attack. After 21
months of investigation, Jamal Zeyam and several
associates were convicted of carrying out the
bombings.

Mayelds case was dismissed and the FBI
issued a very unusual and ofcial apology. Following this case, the standards for
using ngerprints to make a
match were called into
question and to this day
continue to be under review.
No longer are 7 characteristics
enough to make a match. Also
examiners must review each
others work without bias
(double blind analysis). The
National Science Foundation
report on Forensic Science
also called for more testing of
the procedures for determining matches and greater scientic accountability and
peer review.

117
Forensic Science Name _____________________
Rick Goldstein
Lab #3-1 Im Leaving My Fingerprints on You (Fingerprints)

Fingerprints are a very common form of physical
evidence. It requires considerable expertise to be able to
accurately classify prints and match prints with each
other. If a suspects ngerprints match those found at a
crime scene, this is highly conclusive proof of link
between the two.
In this experiment you will investigate the methods
used in developing and lifting latent ngerprints from a
number of objects, made of a variety of materials. You
will also try to match the prints with inked prints. Latent
prints are those invisible prints left on an object by a person. These must be
developed using dusting powders or chemical solutions. Inked prints are those
taken directly from a persons ngers with an inkpad or block. Plastic Prints are
those in a soft substance (like clay), where the print is imbedded in the
substance.
The origin of the use of ngerprints is lost in history, although it is known
that the Chinese used ngerprints thousands of years ago. In 1886, a Scottish
physician, Henry Fauld, rst published the view that ngerprints could be used for
identifying individuals. We owe the beginnings of our present system to Sir
Francis Galton in the 1880s.
Sir Edward Richard Henry
developed a simplied system
for classifying ngerprints,
which was adopted by
Scotland Yard in 1901.
There are a number of basic
ngerprint patterns (arches,
loops, whorls). The ngers on
a persons hand may contain
a number of patterns. These
patterns are shown in Figure
1. You should know the
characteristic appearance of
each of the patterns for this
exercise.
Figure 1 Basic
Fingerprint types: #3, #4, #6,
and #7 could be radial or
ulnar loops depending on the
side.

118
FBI Card to be used in Lab #3-1, Step 5. Fill your name in below.
#

119
Lab #3-1 continued. Name ______________

The tips of a persons ngers have small friction ridges on them. Along
these ridges are small pores that secrete salt (NaCl), water, and proteins. It is
those substances, along with oil that may be picked up by touching the hairy
portions of the body, which will be deposited on objects that come in contact with
the surface of our ngers.

There are a variety of ngerprint dusting powders. The choice of powder
color depends to a large extent on the color of the object being investigated for
prints. We will make use of three colors of dusting powder: white for use on dark-
colored objects and black for use on light-colored objects, and uorescent for
multicolored objects.

Latent prints developed by powders and lifted from the object by use of
transparent tape and hinged lifters. Lifters are available with black, white, or
transparent to the adhesive surface of the tape. The tape is placed on a paper
whose color will provide a suitable contrast with the print. The transparent tape
also provides an immediate positive print. You will use both transparent tape and
hinge lifters in this activity.

The hinged lifter consists of a plastic, adhesive-backed sheet attached to
a colored paperboard. When the examiner is ready to lift the print, a lifter is
selected. (This will be determined by the color of the powder used.) The backing
is removed from the plastic sheet, exposing the adhesive. The plastic sheet is
now pressed against the developed print, allowing the print to be picked off of the
surface. The plastic sheet is then pressed against the colored paperboard.

You may not be able to obtain really clear latent-print development in this
exercise, and perhaps this will serve to illustrate to you the importance of
technique in this operation. Practice is very important.

You will develop a few of your own latent prints in the beginning of this
exercise. If you should nd that your skin is quite dry and does not deposit prints
very well, this can be remedied. Handling paper dries the skin very quickly. If this
is the case, rub your ngers along the side of your nose to pick up some skin oil,
or run your ngers through your hair, which will accomplish the same purpose.
Good prints will usually result if this is done.


120
Lab #3-1 Materials:
Printing kits with: Ceramic bowl
Powders Soda can
Dusters Glass beaker
Transparent tape UV lamp
Perfect Print inkpads Balloon
Hand magnifying lens Fingerprint cards, FBI type
Lifters, hinged: black, white, clear Superglue chamber
Magnetic powder and applicator Plastic slides


Lab #3-1 Procedures for lifting ngerprints

1. Balloons: Take a white balloon and carefully spread it at. Roll your nger
(listen carefully as to which nger) across the Perfect Print pad and transfer
the inked print to the balloon in a smooth, continuous rolling motion. Once you
start, do not stop or hesitate, as that will smudge the print. If you do mess up,
rotate the balloon to a clean spot and try again. Once the print is clear, blow it
up to the size of a basketball and tie it off. Indicate below if your print is a
loop, whorl, or arch. Circle and label on the balloon seven individual
characteristics and label the balloon with the correct nger and hand, but not
your name. Place the balloon in the chem. lab on a paper towel and do write
your name on the paper towel under your balloon.

Balloon without name placed on paper towel with name. _______________

Which hand and digit did you print? ________________________

Lop, Whorl, or Arch? ________________

2. Use your left index nger, a glass beaker (non-porous) and black ngerprint
powder to leave a print. Be sure to oil up if your ngers feel particularly dry.
Use transparent tape to lift print from the beaker. Label with your name and
left index on glass. Tape print to the space below. Wipe off beaker.








3. On a dark part of a ceramic bowl, place oiled left thumbprint. Dust with silver
powder, lift with clear tape and place on black construction paper, or use a black
121
hinge lifter. Label print with your name and left thumb on dish. Tape it below.
Wipe off dish.











4. On a colored portion of a soda can, place your right index ngerprint. Dust with
uorescent powder and lift with clear tape and place it on a clear plastic piece of
acetate or use a white hinge lifter. Label with your name and right index on can.
Tape it in the space below. Wipe off can.












5. On a beaker, put your oiled right thumbprint. Using the magnetic powder, the
special magnetic brush, and a clear hinge lifter, remove the print. Label with your
name and right thumb on beaker. Tape hinge lifter in the space below. Wipe off
beaker.









6. Using the Perfect print pads, ink and print the middle of all 10 ngers through
the rst joint, outsides of thumbs, four ngers together, and knife-edges of both
palms on the FBI card on the previous page. Label with your name. Identify each
of your 10 ngerprints either as a loop (indicate: radial or ulnar), whorl, or arch on
122
the FBI card. Turn in this FBI card to Rick when completed, do not turn in with
your lab.


7. Look at the known right thumbprints on the plastic slides labeled with the
owners initials; these are the Ks. Match the Qs assigned to you, also on plastic
slides. Below, list all of the Qs numerically. Then match each to the correct K
using the FBI cards provided for you. Give your reasoning.

Q matching K
(ex. Q1 matches RG, due to the three bifurcations at the top of the tented
arch.)













123
Lab #3-1 Questions:

1. In procedure #6 above, you printed your ngerprints. List
below how many loops, whorls and arches you had total on
both hands.

Your total:
Loops: Whorls:
Arches:


Your %:
Loops: Whorls: Arches:


2. What are the averages for each type of ngerprint in the US?

US %:
Loops: Whorls: Arches:

3. How does the frequency of your prints compare with the average in the US?



4. Do ngerprints show individual and/or class characteristics? Explain.






5. What was the most surprising thing you learned in this lab?





6. Why is the Madrid Subway Bombing case, so important and so alarming as it
relates to this lab and the topic of ngerprinting?

124

125
Forensic Science Name ____________________
Rick Goldstein
Lab #3-2 Pop, Lock, and Drop It (Locks and Keys)

Key marks are found in a wide range of crime
scenes. Locks get picked with ease on crime
shows. In this lab, we will be looking at premade
impressions and trying to match them to known
keys. We will also be making impressions and
casts from the molds, common techniques that are
vital to viable evidence. We might even look into
the art of lock picking.


Lab #3-2 Materials:
Colored Clay Key sets (Ks)
Key molds (Qs) Water
Plaster of Paris Ziploc bag
Plastic dish Locks
Lock picking tools


Lab #3-2 Procedure and Questions:

1. Key comparisons: Compare all of your assigned clay key molds (Qs are
labeled with numbers) with the ve suspects (Ks are stamped with letters).
Clearly identify each of the ve matched pairs.

2. Matched pairs are:
Q: K:
1.


2.


3.


4.


5.


126
3. Use any key from this lab for this and the next question, but everyone in your
group must have a different key. List two class characteristics and two
individual characteristics of any one of the keys. Your # key: ____________

Class Characteristics Individual Characteristics
1. 1.


2. 2.


4. Key Cast: Flatten a 3 cm ball of clay to 1.5 cm thick circle in a plastic dish or
paper towel, not on the lab bench or desk. Press the key used in the above
question into the clay until it is ush with the clay surface. Carefully remove
the key. Cast the key mold with Plaster of Paris. You dont need much plaster.
Make one batch for the class. Let harden overnight, carefully remove cast,
label with name or initials. Each person needs his or her own cast. Put your
cast in the container in the back of the class.

Cast completed and placed in the back of the room _________________

5. After seeing the classroom poster on How to Pick a Lock and watching the
short power point, with your partner, give it a try with the locks provided.
Nothing to write down or turn in here, just see for yourself how hard it actually
is. Yeah, they really do make it look easy in Hollywood.

6. List the basic steps to picking a lock:





7. Describe your favorite lock picking scene in TV or a movie.

127
Forensic Science Name ____________________
Rick Goldstein
Lab #3-3 They See Me Rollin (They Hatin) (Tire Mark Identication)

Tire tread marks are often found at outdoor crime scenes. There is even a
national database of tire treads to help investigators at accident scenes. The
database includes tire manufacturers, vehicle type or model and tire specs.

Knowing details of tire tread and the marks left
behind can help determine vehicles traveling
direction and minimum and maximum speeds and to
estimate the impact positions on roadway and their
post impact trajectories. This comes in handy when
the drivers statements are inconsistent with the
accident scene, in determining the real story.

The relationship between tire tread and corresponding tire mark is
consistent, but affected in small part by the vehicles load, speed, tire pressure
and structure, and pavement condition. After the tire marks are matched, the
vehicles can be determined by the tire specications like model number,
wheelbase and front tire and rear tire wheel distance.

Before we try to match tire marks, we need some
vocabulary and a few explanations. Skid marks are the
mark a tire makes when a vehicle wheel stops rolling and
slides or spins on the surface of the road. More generally,
any solid which moves against another can cause visible
marks, and is an important aspect of trace evidence
analysis in forensic science and forensic engineering.
Remember Locard? Skid marks are important for nding the maximum and
minimum vehicle speed prior to the impact or incident. Skidding can also occur
on black ice or diesel deposits on the road and may not leave a mark at all.

Yaw marks are scuffmarks made by a yawing vehicle.
It is a movement around the yaw axis of a vehicle that
changes the direction the vehicle is facing, to the left or
right of its direction of motion. The yaw rate or yaw
velocity of a car or other rigid body is the angular
velocity of this rotation, or rate of change of the heading
angle.
So on to the matching. Generally, tire
treads are matched by using the similarity
or dissimilarity between the widths of the
ribs and grooves on the tire-tread. These
are often seen quite easily in the
impression in sand or dirt or in rubber left
128
on roads.

Sometimes you get lucky and you might get a
sidewall impression that even has a serial number
on it, usually from large trucks.

After narrowing down the choices based on widths of
ribs and grooves, it is time to get to the important
details. Look for cuts, scrapes and wear patterns in
tire impressions. These individual characteristics are crucial for matches. We will
start this lab by focusing of the individual characteristics.


Lab #3-3 Materials and procedure:

Car, Bike, and Lawnmower tires Newspaper
Computer paper Watercolor paint
Paint brushes Clay
Unknown tire prints or plaster casts


Part A. Making a tire print:

1. Down in the garage, each person should nd or make an individual mark on a
car, bike or lawnmower tire. Not using too much paint, ink the individualized
portion of your tire and roll it rmly over newspaper to practice. Make sure the
imperfection is visible in the paint. Then carefully roll the same spot over a piece
of computer paper with your name on it. Clean up your mess. Each person
should have his or her own page. Set the print aside to dry and eventually bring it
up to the chem lab if it is not dry by the end of class. Again, clean up your mess.

2. After the paint dries on your tire print, circle and label your individual
characteristic on the piece of computer paper attached to this lab.

3. Describe the individual characteristic.



Tire # __________ Tire print attached to the back of the lab _______________

Part B. Making a tire impression

4. Make a 3 diameter patty of clay and press it
into the individual characteristic from Part A. See
diagram to right. Label the clay with your initials.

129
5. Place clay in chem lab to dry out.

Name on clay, placed in chem lab ___________


Part C. Comparing tire prints or impressions:

6. Using the set of painted tire prints or plaster casts of tire marks assigned to
you (your Qs) determine which K made each. In the two columns below, list the
matches.

My Q is: The K that made it was:
1.

2.

3.


Part D. Tire Skid Marks (Think: My Cousin Vinnie)

7. Find an interesting picture of a tire skid mark and print it out. Explain below
how it was made using the information in this lab. (Bonus point if no one else in
the class uses the same picture/mark.)












8. Picture attached _____________

130

131
Forensic Science Name ____________________
Rick Goldstein
Lab #3-4 You Stepped on My Js (Footwear Impressions and Tool Marks)

Commonly left behind at crime scenes, footwear
impressions and tool marks can be valuable links
between the crime scene and a suspect. Following
the correct collection protocol can make the
difference between a usable impression and one
that is worthless. Hopefully you remember the
discussion around individual and class
characteristics. This is your chance to apply those abstract concepts. In this lab,
we will focus on examining, sketching, recovering and preserving footwear
impressions and tool marks.


Lab #3-4 Materials:

Stereomicroscope, Proscopes, or Magnifying Glass
Screwdriver impression (Qs) Screwdrivers (Ks)
Biofoam Shoes (Ks)
Plaster of Paris Ziploc bags
Electrostatic Dust Lifting Apparatus (demo) Water


Lab #3-4 Procedure and Questions:

1. Using a stereomicroscope on 4X or the Proscope with a 50x
lens or a magnifying class, examine in detail the crime
scene tool impression (Qs with Letters) assigned to
you. My assigned clay Q is _________

2. Sketch your impression to the right.

3. List three class characteristics and three individual characteristics of your
impression in #1 above.
Class characteristics Individual characteristics
1. 1.


2. 2.


3. 3.

132
4. Examine the known screwdrivers (#s) in the set given to you. Which is a
match for the tool marks impression assigned to you?
My clay Q _________ matches screwdriver __________ (Set Color:_______)
Explain your answer.




5. Take your assigned K shoe (S #1-30) and carefully make a footwear
impression in the Biofoam. Watch the technique demonstrated before
attempting your own Biofoam impression.

6. List three class characteristics and three individual characteristics of your
footwear impression mold.
Class characteristics Individual characteristics
1. 1.


2. 2.


3. 3.


7. Make a cast of your shoe Biofoam mold using Plaster of Paris. Mix a small
amount of plaster (2.5 parts plaster to 1 part water) and water in a Ziploc
baggie. Consistency should be runny toothpaste. Mix quickly (20-30 seconds
is all you have) and then pour it into the impression. (Watch this demonstrated
pour from a low altitude and not directly on the delicate impression). Add
screen. Add a top plaster layer over the screen if needed. Leave overnight.
Label your box and cast with the shoe number and your name. Do not wash
any plaster down the sink. Clean up.

8. Box and cast labeled? _________ What number? ____________

9. Electrostatic Dust Lifting Apparatus (demo)

a. What is it used for (be specic)?


b. How does it work (think: physical science)?


c. What does the nal product of a successful lift look like?

133
Forensic Science Name ______________________
Rick Goldstein
Lab #3-5 Were All in This Together (Crime Scene Practical #3 --
Collective Analysis)

As a class, you will be looking for and
analyzing some of the types of evidence listed
below. Each of you will be responsible for one area
of evidence on your own. Ks are provided for you.
For this lab you will le a Final Report for your
portion of the investigation. Type this. Make it
ofcial looking; include your analysis and
conclusions. Back up your professional opinions with a detailed list of evidence
that you analyzed, including: Item #, what it was match to, and describe how
match was made. For some types of evidence, sketches are a really good idea.
Feel free to ask for your own set of the FBI cards for your classmates. (Dazzle
me with the practical knowledge and skills you have picked up so far in the
course. Appropriate use of vocabulary is a must. If anyone assisted you, say
what exactly he / she did to help you. If you assisted anyone, say what you did.)

Types of evidence

1. Wayne Williams Wannabe: ber matches examine the item of clothing
provided for bers. Match the Q to the carpet Ks. Say where the clothing item
has been.

2. Singing the Blues: trace evidence Match Qs (see blue dot slides to be) with
Ks provided in slide boxes. You may use the big comparison microscope if
you are very careful. (2 people could work on this, each with their own set of
slides.)

3. Lifes A Beach: sand evidence Match Qs (which may be a combination of
two or more different samples) with Ks provided. Say which place or places
the sand sample was from.

4. Bad Deal: toxicology and drug ID evidence look at the results of the tests
performed on the victim, the suspect and the powders. Use the professional
ToxiLAB set up and information. Figure out what happened in the case.
(challenging)

5. Burnin Down the House: arson evidence Locate the point of origin of the
re from the photos. And look at all of the GC patterns to determine the
accelerants used. Verify your sources.

6. Stepin Out: footwear evidence Match Qs in clay with Ks provided as casts.

134
7. Chips Ahoy: automobile paint chip evidence Match Qs and Ks provided.

8. Where the Rubber Meets the Road: tire evidence Match clay partial Qs,
partial 2 cardboardQs, or painted full Qs to tire Ks in garage.

9. The Future: plastic left middle nger prints match 3d impression Qs to FBI
card Ks.

10. All Thumbs: left thumb prints on ceramic bowl lift and match to plastic
slides.

11. Not buffoons: Match the white balloons to the FBI cards.

12. Pour it on: Make a cast from an impression and ID the source of the
impression.

13. Francis Scott: Match keys to key casts.

How you will be evaluated:
You will be evaluated on your written work (including any drawings), on your
ability to properly analyze the evidence, on the results of your analysis (you dont
have to be perfect to do well on this lab just match as many as you can and
explain your process), and on your understanding of the underlying science as
presented in your written work. Although it is a class project, your individual
grade will also reect your level of demonstrated commitment to the group effort
(by what you did, and how you helped the other investigators.) Final grade is a
combination of 70% individual work and 30% class results. This counts as two
lab grades.

135

Forensic Science Name ____________________
Rick Goldstein
Lab #3-6 You Shoot Me Down (But I Wont Fall) (Firearms and Bullet
matching)
The eld of Firearms and Ballistics analysis requires
good pattern identication skills, lots of basic physics,
and a heaping dose of patience. This is detailed
forensic science at its nest. For centuries, rearms
craftsmen knew that the riing grooves cut into the
barrels of guns imparted unique properties to each
weapon. It wasnt until the 1880s that medical and
forensic professionals began to use this information in
crime solving. In this lab, we will be looking at how bullet matching is done.

Lab #3-6 Materials and Procedure:

2 magnifying glasses set of bullets
Comparison microscope (shared by class)

Each bag contains a set of four pairs of bullets that have been red already. The
known bullets are painted with red nail polish (Ks) and are in small manila
envelopes that are labeled with the info on the type of bullet, the weapon that
red it and the id number of the sample. The questioned bullets labeled with blue
nail polish (Qs) are in small plastic vials with the id numbers on them. Your job is
to match the Ks and the Qs.. CAUTION: be very careful to not mix up the bullets
when comparing them. ALWAYS keep the Ks on the RIGHT (You Know the
right thing to do) and the Qs on the Left. NEVER open more than one K and
one Q at a time. If you get stuck, you can use the big comparison microscope in
the back of the class, but have it explained to you before using it.

Each bag has all of the same caliber bullets, so you will need to look at the
detailed level of individual characteristics. You may also use the accompanying
cartridge cases to compare ring pin impressions, ejector marks, and extractor
marks. Occasionally, someone gets a bullet stuck in the cartridge case, let me
know and Ill show you how to remove it (a pain, but doable.)

Lab #3-6 Questions:

1. List the matches below. Set # ____________ (from the outside plastic bag)

K ________ = Q ________ K ________ = Q ________

K ________ = Q ________ K ________ = Q ________

2. Sketch one of the bullets from each of the four matches below.
136







_____________ _____________ _____________ _____________

3. Indicate left or right twist for each matched set.

______ _______ _____________ _____________ _____________

4. Indicate how many Lands (and groves) are there is each matched set.

_____________ _____________ _____________ _____________

5. Describe how to a match a Q bullet to a K bullet. What do you look for? (hint:
what does 6L mean and see two previous questions?)








6. How can you eliminate any two bullets as a match? ? (hint: what does 6L
mean and see two previous questions?)








7. Describe what IBIS is and how it is used in forensics.






8. How is IBIS different and similar to the activity you did in this lab?

137






9. Describe what GSR is and how it is useful
in forensics.







10. What are some of the limitations of using GSR as an investigative technique?





11. Diagram and label an unred bullet in cross section, the long way. Include
the following terms: cartridge, powder, bullet, and one more of your choosing.
















12. Diagram and label a handgun in cross section, the long way. Include the
following terms: magazine, breech face, trigger, ejector, and one more of your
choosing.




138













13. Describe something related to bullets, ballistics or rearms from one of the
rearms web sites: resarmsid.com or rearmstechnology.com that no one
else in the class will choose.



139
#
This is a real rental agreement. My family visited there in 2013. Read it and be
very scared for who might be in the next ring lane.
140

141
Forensic Science Name ____________________
Rick Goldstein
Lab #3-7 What goes up, must come down (Bullet Trajectory)

A general trajectory of a bullets path can be
found by measuring the angle of a bullet hole in an
object. If the hole is located in thin material (such as
fabric), you may not be able to get a clear
measurement. However, if the hole is in thick
plasterboard or wood, the angle can usually be found.
There is an entrance and exit point to the hole. The
bullet itself may still be in the hole; both can give you information and insight
about the scene. Finding the angle of the bullets trajectory can assist in making
or breaking testimony and can help the investigators understand the crime scene
better.

Lab #3-7 Materials and procedure:
Trajectory Rods Angle Finder
4 Plexi-Glass Bullet Hole Angles (Knowns) Cones
4 Wood Block Bullet Hole Angles (Unknowns) Poster Putty

1. Choose three plexi-glass blocks and stick them on the wall
using poster putty.
2. Practice measuring the angle of the trajectory by using the
cones and trajectory rods. Once you have this set up,
measure the angle by placing the short side of the Angle
Finder on the rod.
3.Make sure the measurement you
nd matches the known measurement
of the block. The plexi-glass knowns
are either 30, 45, 60 or 90 degrees.
4.Once you feel comfortable
measuring the angles, pick two
woodblock unknowns. Write their
letters below. Then, follow steps 1 and 2 to nd the
measurements of your unknowns. (Hint: the known
choices are only 30, 45, 60 or 90 degrees and the unknowns are not any of
the four degrees above, but are somewhere in between 0 and 90 degrees.)
Write their degree measurements below:
Q ______ = ______ degrees Q ______ = ______ degrees

My set # __________
142
Lab #3-7 Questions:

1. Explain how to nd the trajectory of a bullet using a bullet hole.







2. How is bullet trajectory used in forensics? Use an example in your
explanation.






3. In what situation (pick one not alluded to in this lab) would one be unable to
nd trajectory from a bullet hole?






4. If you know the scene in the 4
th
season of the Wire where Det. Bunk Moreland
and Det. Jimmy McNulty nd a bullet in the kitchen of a victim weeks after the
crime, describe how they found the bullet. If you do not know that scene,
describe a scene in another movie or TV show that involved uncovering a bullet
or the angle of impact of a bullet at a crime scene.
143
Forensic Science Name_________________
Rick Goldstein
Lab # 3-8 Can I Have Your Number? (Serial Number Restoration)

A serial number is a unique number
typically applied to an object by a
manufacturer. Commonly marked items
include stereos, computers, vehicles,
televisions, electronic equipment, and
rearms. In the case of forensics, serial
numbers found on rearms are most
helpful.
There are three different types of serial numbers; stamping, laser etching,
and dot matrix (Shown below). Stamping is the most common type of serial
number in rearms, and allows for restoration if it has been removed. When a
serial number is stamped, it leaves an impact many layers below the surface
layer, so that even if the surface layer is sanded or scratched off, there are still
indentations in the layers below.

# # #
Stamping Laser Etching Dot Matrix

Here is an example of the depth of a stamped serial number (as described
above). Even if the top indentation is obliterated, indentations can still be found.
# (obliteration!)#

Using various acids, the surface of the disturbed metal can be cleared and the
underlying indentations can be revealed. With magnetic metals, use the Turner
Solution rst as it is weaker, then use the Frye solution if you need a stronger
solvent. For Non-magnetic metals, use the weaker Acedic Ferric Chloride rst
then Ferric chloride if need be. Always use the weaker, less invasive method rst.

Lab #3-8 Materials and Procedure:
144
Metal pieces stamped with a number and obliterated magnet
Various acids (Use caution with these dangerous acids) cotton swab
Very ne sandpaper

1. Polish the scratched off serial number with the very ne sandpaper.

2. Using the magnet, determine if your sample is magnetic or not. See
instructions above for which acids (and in which order to use them) are
appropriate for your sample.

3. Acid etching: Using a cotton swab apply in a gentle sweeping motion from left
to right the appropriate acid to your obliterated serial number and wait a
couple minutes for the chemical reaction to occur. Take notes on the reaction
that occurs. The acid can be wiped off with a cotton swab.

Observations:

4. As the restoration process is completed and the numbers are restored, record
what emerges.

_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ ____


5. Was your sample magnetic or non-magnetic? ________________


6. Which acid(s) worked best on your sample? ________________________


Questions for Lab #3-6
1. Why do criminals try to obliterate serial numbers on handguns in the rst
place?



2. Why doesnt most ling off of serial number work like it is supposed to?




3. Why does federal law add a mandatory minimum 10 years to a sentence if a
handgun with a led off number is involved?

145
Forensic Science Name ____________________
Rick Goldstein
Lab #3-9 You Steady Chasin That Paper (Questioned Documents)

Questioned Documents (QD) is a large eld that
includes all written, drawn, printed and computer
generated documents. This includes checks, contracts,
wills, money, ransom notes, works of art, and many
others. Some forgeries are easier to detect, like the
permission note your friend gave the 3
rd
grade teacher
signed Johns mom. Others like some top US
currency forgeries or master art forgeries are nearly impossible to detect and
take highly specialized training.
In this lab, we will focus on handwriting as a way to investigate the subtleties
in solving QD cases.

Lab #3-9 Materials, Procedure and Questions:
3 3 x 5 note cards 1 Blue ink ballpoint pen

1. On three 3x5 note cards, copy the writing on the board in blue ink; do not
sign two, but do sign one. It is OK to use your normal handwriting, it need not
be cursive, but you must write the same way for all three. Hand to Rick.

2. Write the phrase The quick brown fox jumped over lazy dogs. in your same
normal handwriting below. Then sign it with your name in cursive.




3. Describe 7 characteristics of your K handwriting sample in question #2.

a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

f.

g.

146
4. Have each classmate write the same sentence from question #2 below and
sign it. Then you describe one unique identifying characteristic for each, next
to each.

147
5. Next, you will be presented with a bag of shredded note cards. Using the Ks
you have above for the members of your class, determine who wrote the Q
words presented to you on the cut up cards. List whose writing you have here
and explain using the Ks how you arrived at your conclusion:

Person 1: ________________ matches handwriting from index card # _____
Because:


Person 1: ________________ matches handwriting from index card # _____
Because:


Person 1: ________________ matches handwriting from index card # _____
Because:



6. Give an example of an individual characteristic in handwriting.




7. Give an example of a class characteristic in handwriting.




8. What could you do to disguise your handwriting? Explain and show what you
mean.






9. How could investigators still tell that the writing you disguised above was
actually made by you?




10. Staple or glue your three reconstructed cards to the back of this lab.
Attached? ____________
148

149
Forensic Science Name ____________________
Rick Goldstein
Lab #3-10 Love The Way You Lie (Polygraph)

Polygraphs are the machines that we commonly refer
to as lie detectors. They measure some of the physical
changes that occur in response to questions and their
answers. Polygraphs have been around for many
years, some more effective than others.

In police circles, there are several references to a Supreme Court case
(immortalized in several movies and books) where detectives put an aluminum
foil covered colander (sieve) on a suspects head and ran some random wires to
the back of a Xerox machine. Previously, three pages had been placed in the
machine a head of time that said Truth, Truth, and LIE. So the police asked
two easy questions that the subject would get right and the third question was
Did he do the crime? The suspect was overwhelmed by the superior
technology, caught in a lie, confessed, and the story grows.

Obviously there is a lot more real, hard science that goes into actual polygraphs,
as our visiting expert will demonstrate. Following the demonstration, you should
be able to answer these questions completely and condently. Dont make me
bring out the colander. . . .

Lab #3-10 Questions
1. Are polygraphs reliable AND usable in court? Explain.





2. Sketch the polygraph set up, include all items on or under subject. Clearly
label each item.











3. What are the four main measurements that a polygraph monitors (dont count
upper and lower of a measurement as two different measurements)?
150



4. Draw and label the parts of a sample polygraph print out.











5. What must happen in the mind of a subject for a polygraph to work?



a. Did this happen in our demo? Explain.



b. Did this happen in the heart rate lab? Explain.



6. List your heart rates for the following activities for 60 seconds:
a. Laying down:

b. Sitting with feet on oor:

c. Doing sit-ups continuously:

d. Running up the stairs with 75% effort:

e. Listening to uncomfortable music or thinking about an
embarrassing situation (you decide):


7. What surprised you most about your results in the above question? Why?


151
Forensic Science
Rick Goldstein
Lab #3-11 Crime Scene Practical #4 Team Creativity

You have had a crash course in forensic science for the last 16 weeks and you
should have a pretty good idea of how to process a crime scene and a basic idea
of how to approach solving a crime. This is your chance to demonstrate not only
how to do this, but also how to set up a scene. Set up involves thinking through
the crime, manufacturing the needed evidence, connecting the pieces, weaving
the thread that links everything, and preparing the known samples for
comparison. You will need to do all of this. This is a great way to demonstrate
what you have learned this term. Show me.

Procedure:
Day 1
1. By yourself or with one partner, start by brainstorming the crime and
planning how you would leave clues to solve it.
2. Then survey the location for how you would set everything up.
3. Write out a story/plan for how the scene unfolded and how each piece of
evidence ts into it. This should be at least a page and is due at the
beginning of Day 2. Make it something reasonable for a classmate to
gure out (no aliens, real blood, real body uids, real rearms or real
drugs.) Connect the dots, come up with a solvable crime, and make the
evidence that will point in the right direction.
4. Make the needed Ks and Qs for the 5-8 pieces of evidence.
5. Prepare whatever background handout the investigators will need to work
the scene, but dont give them the answers. They have to investigate and
solve.

Day 2
1. Set up the evidence at your given location.
2. Hand in the story/plan to Rick.
3. Get assigned crime scene to investigate.
4. Investigate, collect and process evidence.
5. Come up with a theory of the crime. Fit the theory to each piece of
evidence.
6. Write up your analysis, which is due on Day 3.

Day 3
1. Hand in a copy of your analysis to Rick.
2. Meet with designers of your scene. How close did you get?
3. Present to the class the scene you designed and how the investigators did
on it, including what went right and what did not.

Use this page to start generating ideas.

152
Forensic Science
Rick Goldstein
Handout: Test #3 Study Guide chapters 14-16, polygraph, psychology

Review all information from: class notes, power points notes, labs, and guest
speakers on the following topics:

1. Fingerprints
2. Tool marks, other impressions
3. Firearms, bullets, and ballistics
4. Questioned documents
5. Polygraphs and deception detection
6. Forensic Psychiatry

You should be generally familiar with the following cases (ie. What basically
happened, or why it is important):

Madrid Subway bombings
MLKs assassination,
Unibomber,
The Mayeld Affair,
The DC sniper case,
The James Earl Ray shooting case
And any other cases discussed in class.


Also review notes (or borrow someone elses) on the SWAT trip and polygraph
visitor as well as all for the labs since the last test.



153
Forensic Science Name _________________________
Rick Goldstein
Handout: End of First Term Self Evaluation and Comments

Answer each of the following. Please dont discuss each question with your
neighbor. I really want to know what YOU think.

1. Which three activities/labs will you remember best from this term? WHY?
a.

Why?




b.

Why?




c.

Why?





2. Pick your two favorite guest speakers and relate one thing you remember
from his/her visit (something they taught you, a connection you made, etc.)

1
st
Favorite:

Why?




2
nd
Favorite:

Why?


154
3. Please give two concrete suggestions for how this term could be improved
next year.

1.



2.



4. If someone were to ask you about this course, what would you tell them
are:

The best parts? Why?






The worst parts? Why?






5. Given that your grade is a combination of the written tests (35%), quizzes
(30%), and labs (35%), what do you think a fair grade for your efforts and
the results of your efforts should be? ___________ Justify it below.



155