FORENSICS
Ethical considerations and application of Science 7-9 concepts
ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS
A forensic scientist must always be:
•Impartial
•Accurate
•Thorough
•Truthful
“Answers to ethical questions are notstraightforward. In giving information,always base it from the evidence as theevidence never lies.”
ASSESSING THE SCENE
•Preserving the scene
•Recording the scene
“Use of PROTECTIVE SUIT andmaintaining a CAP.”
“Photograph everything [the scene, theevidence (before and after taking it out)]and use SCALE.”
PHYSICAL EVIDENCE
•Bloodstain
•Fingerprints
•Handwriting
•Hair
•Body fluids
•Paint
“Body fluids and others can be explored in thesimulation. Our FOCUS is on BLOODSTAIN andFINGERPRINTS.”
BLOODSTAIN
•Bloodstain Pattern Analysis: is the examination of the shapes, locations, anddistribution of patterns of bloodstains, in order to provide an interpretation ofthe physical events that gave rise to their origin.
•The following Information may be obtained from a proper Bloodstain PatternAnalysis: 1. Distance from the blood source to the target, 2. Direction oftravel and impact angles, 3. Nature of the force used to cause thebloodshed, 4. The object used to cause the bloodshed, 5. Sequencing ofmultiple bloodshed events, 6. Interpretation of contact or transfer patterns
•When properly documented, bloodstain patterns found at the crime scene,or on a particular person's clothing, can be used to: 1. Confirm or refute theposition of a victim, witness, suspect, or defendant, 2. Determine if there isevidence of a struggle, or if the assault is "one sided"
FLIGHT CHARACTERISTICS
•Blood will not break up unless it is acted upon by force. The force must begreat enough to overcome the surface tension of the blood.
•Blood forms a spherical shape (perfect circular shape) almost immediatelyupon separating from the blood source. The spherical shape is caused bythe surface tension of the blood.
•Surface Tension causes the blood drop to pull itself in; both horizontally andvertically.
•The blood drop will settle into a spherical shape, as a result of the surfacetension.
•The surface tension will maintain the sphere shape of the blood drop until itimpacts with the surface.
FINGER PRINTS [PATTERNS]
QUESTION
“A bloodstain and fingerprints are found in the crime scene. Based on otherevidences the wounded suspect, at large at present, is one of the identicaltwins. Which evidence would determine who among the twins was in thescene when the crime was committed?”
VIDEO CLIP 1
Aside from the patterns discussedearlier, what are some other terms usedin fingerprinting?
What do they mean?
VIDEO CLIP 2
Outline the complicated process indetermining the APPROXIMATElocation of the victim when thecrime was committed.