forensics
-
Dutch Police Are DNA Testing 21,500 Men to Solve A 20-Year-Old Murder
In 1986, a technique called “DNA fingerprinting” was used for the first time in a criminal investigation, when a geneticist named Alec Jeffreys realised that when DNA was extracted from cells and attached to photographic film, it developed as a sequence of bars that could uniquely identify someone. His accidental discovery helped nail the suspect…
-
Eerily Accurate Facial Reconstructions Are Allowing The Dead To Speak
Researchers at Liverpool John Moore’s University have reconstructed the face of a man who lived in Dublin some 500 years ago. Incredibly accurate reconstructions like this are providing archaeologists with new way of studying the past — while also allowing them to visualise some of the most forgotten figures in history.
-
The Fascinating Physics Of Blood Splatters
During the 2007 murder trial of music mogul Phil Spector, forensic experts for the defence and prosecution disagreed on how to interpret the blood spatter patterns on clothing worn by both Spector and his victim, among other disputed physical evidence. The end result was a hung jury, forcing the presiding judge to declare a mistrial.
-
Fabricated Lab Result Puts Almost 8000 Criminal Cases In Doubt
Image: Pat Sullivan/AP A lab technician working at a New Jersey State Police drug testing station has been accused of fabricating drug test results, potentially upsetting almost 8000 criminal cases in the US state.