Forensic Sciences

The aqueous search for objects covered by sediment is a common and challenging problem. Here we outline a sequential methodology for the assessment of targets identified by sub-bottom profiling. This comprises desktop study of available data; background hydrological information gathering (bathymetry, sediment cover, water chemistry); acoustic sub-bottom imaging (water-penetrating radar, sonar); geolocation and probing of sub-bottom anomalies; and deployment of suitable scent dogs. This procedure creates a hierarchy of targets for examination by dive teams and thence recovery. Full article

ABAcard^® HemaTrace^® kits have been used for crime scene stains for confirmation of human blood for many years. However, when the stain is too small to allow for separate testing, confirmatory testing may be forgone to preference DNA analysis. This can lead to court challenges as to the biological source and therefore probative value of the DNA profile. This research aimed to develop a protocol for DNA analysis of a minute blood stain subsequent to HemaTrace^® testing. Stains were collected and subjected to HemaTrace^® testing. Swabs were then removed from the HemaTrace^® buffer solution and processed. DNA yields and STR DNA profiles were analysed for both quantity and quality. Full profiles were reliably obtained from stains with diameters of 0.6 mm–0.7 mm, reflecting DNA concentrations between 0.0036 ng/μL and 0.007 ng/μL, varying according to substrate characteristics. However, stains below a diameter of 0.6 mm should proceed directly for DNA profiling. This protocol was also successfully performed on blood stains which had undergone UV irradiation, although use of the reporting peak height threshold (lower than the routine analytical threshold) was required to obtain useable profiles. We have been able to demonstrate a protocol which, with minor adjustments to crime scene procedures, allows for both the confirmation of the presence of human blood, together with the generation of useful DNA profiles. Full article

The existing divergences in the development of forensic anthropology (FA) around the world justify an analysis of its situation in each country/region. The present article aims to discuss the current status and development of the field of forensic anthropology in Poland to highlight the existing challenges and contribute to the advancement of the discipline. The research consisted of personal visits to three main centers where forensic anthropology is practiced in Poland and semi-structured interviews with the practitioners. Only seven forensic anthropology practitioners who provide anthropological opinions for law enforcement agencies in Poland have been identified. In 2019, the first post-graduate course in forensic anthropology was created at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków. There are also supplementary workshops for pathologists, prosecutors, and police officers to familiarize them with practical concepts of forensic anthropology. Scientific publications in the field of forensic anthropology appear regularly in national and international professional journals, and cutting-edge research on new methods of analysis and identification from video surveillance systems is being carried out. Their results stand out and gain significant recognition from international scientists. Forensic anthropology in Poland is constantly developing, but there is a need to analyze and harmonize the norms regulating the profession of forensic anthropologists. Full article

The purpose of this research was to study forward-spatter misting patterns by shooting a firearm through a chamber of blood encased in ballistic gel to determine if there is a relationship between bloodstain pattern size as a function of distance and orientation. There is a lack of research on forward spatter, blood travelling in the direction of a bullet, as most studies focus on back spatter, blood travelling in the opposite direction of a bullet. A bullet was fired through ballistic gel containing a blood chamber, depositing bloodstains onto a large sheet of butcher paper as the target surface. In total, there were 34 trials. The distances observed were 10, 20, 40, and 80 cm, the angles tested were 30°, 60°, and 90°. The orientation between the ballistic gel and paper target varied. A criterion was established to observe the overall area and symmetry of the bloodstain patterns. Statistical analyses indicated a negative linear relation relationship between the bloodstain pattern size and the paper’s angle and distance (R² = 0.78) and the vertical symmetry of the bloodstain (R² = 0.87). The orientation between the ballistic gel and paper target can impact the bloodstain pattern’s symmetry and size. Full article

A valuable aspect during crime scene investigation is the digital documentation of the scene. Traditional means of documentation include photography and in situ measurements from experts for further analysis. Although 3D reconstruction of pertinent scenes has already been explored as a complementary tool in investigation pipelines, such technology is considered unfamiliar and not yet widely adopted. This is explained by the expensive and specialised digitisation equipment that is available so far. However, the emergence of high-precision but low-cost devices capable of scanning scenes or objects in 3D has been proven as a reliable alternative to their counterparts. This paper summarises and analyses the state-of-the-art technologies in scene documentation using 3D digitisation and assesses the usefulness in typical police-related situations and the forensics domain in general. We present the methodology for acquiring data for 3D reconstruction of various types of scenes. Emphasis is placed on the applicability of each technique in a wide range of situations, ranging in type and size. The application of each reconstruction method is considered in this context and compared with respect to additional constraints, such as time availability and simplicity of operation of the corresponding scanning modality. To further support our findings, we release a multi-modal dataset obtained from a hypothetical indoor crime scene to the public. Full article

In forensic cases where standard macroscopic examination and conventional radiological analysis are inconclusive, mammography can be a useful technique. This applies especially when bodies are found in an advanced state of decomposition, with the dissolution of the soft tissues, and with fragile skeletal structures. This study proposes the use of soft X-rays (i.e., mammography) in particular cases for forensic evaluation, with specific regard to the cause of death, age estimation, and body identification. Here we report three cases in which mammography was particularly useful to obtain fundamental medico-legal information. The first case involved a body that had reached the mummification stage, the second a woman who died from asphyxiation by strangulation, and the last a charred femur found in a field. Mammography uses low-energy X-rays. This technique provides increased image quality through better contrast and higher definition. In the first case, it highlighted a complete fracture of the thyroid cartilage; in the second, it revealed a complete fracture of the horn of the hyoid bone; in the last, it showed rarefaction of the reticular substance of the charred bone. As shown in this study, in selected cases, mammography is a useful tool for post-mortem imaging. Full article

Continuous probabilistic genotyping (PG) systems are becoming the default method for calculating likelihood ratios (LRs) for competing propositions about DNA mixtures. Calculation of the LR relies on numerical methods and simultaneous probabilistic simulations of multiple variables rather than on analytical solutions alone. Some also require modelling of individual laboratory processes that give rise to electropherogram artefacts and peak height variance. For these reasons, it has been argued that any LR produced by continuous PG is unique and cannot be compared with another. We challenge this assumption and demonstrate that there are a set of conditions defining specific DNA mixtures which can produce an aspirational LR and thereby provide a measure of reproducibility for DNA profiling systems incorporating PG. Such DNA mixtures could serve as the basis for inter-laboratory comparisons, even when different STR amplification kits are employed. We propose a procedure for an inter-laboratory comparison consistent with these conditions. Full article

Pathologists usually only request a screening for natural toxic substances if plant material has been observed during autopsy or if there exists a hint in the police investigation file. This situation is aggravated by the fact that most toxins are not covered by typical immunoassays and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) profiling systems. In addition, only a few forensic toxicological libraries based on liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry (LC–HRMS/MS) exist. In the following case, femoral blood and urine were applied to systematic toxicological analysis (STA). However, the concentrations determined in blood did not lead to death. Consequently, a liquid chromatography high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry (LC–HRMS/MS) screening approach was applied. Aconitine was quantitated in all specimens taken during autopsy and urine and bile fluid screened for aconitine metabolites. Aconitine, jesaconitine, hypaconitine, and mesaconitine were found in the root piece collected from the duodenum. Apart from aconitine, no other alkaloids were detected in the urine or in the femoral blood sample. The highest concentrations of aconitine were found in gastric content (55.2 μg/mL), bile fluid (11.7 μg/mL), and liver (9.14 μg/g), and least in femoral blood (0.15 μg/mL) and cerebrospinal fluid (0.07 μg/mL). The liver/peripheral blood ratio amounted to 61 L/kg and indicated that aconitine undergoes postmortem redistribution. During our metabolism investigation, we found 3-dehydrogen-aconitine in the urine and bile fluid sample and N-deethyl-aconitine only in the bile fluid sample. If the routine GC–MS screening approach does not come up with a toxin, then LC–HRMS/MS profiling could represent the method of choice. In this case aconitine was identified. The concentrations determined were compared to those reported in literature and clearly indicate that the deceased died due to an aconitine overdose. Full article

Prevalence rates of multiple homicide are statistically rare and vary across nations, yet such cases create substantial suffering for victims and can generate widespread fear among the general population. Despite extreme rarity, it remains important for forensic experts and professionals to be prepared when extremely violent events occur. This review summarizes contemporary behavioral science of serial and mass murder, then highlights the application of recent leisure research to add new motivational and behavioral insights. Research on the application of leisure science to homicide research is in its infancy, yet in conjunction with other related behavioral science disciplines, appears to hold promise in understanding, and perhaps helping to prevent, future violence. Full article

Despite widespread concern over missing persons, there has always been little clarity on what the word “missing” means. Although the category of young runaways is, indeed, an important cluster, other popular concepts related to disappearances describe a portion of missing persons. Thus, the following question persists: What exactly does “missing” mean? In this brief communication, we would like to open a discussion about the social phenomenon of missing persons and the consequent deployment of people and techniques to find those persons. In particular, the benefits of some forensic geoarchaeological approaches that are not yet fully standardized will be highlighted, such as geographic profiling and the use of multispectral satellite images, in order to provide materials for future searching protocols. Full article

Cut-throat wounds are traumatic injuries to the anterior or lateral part of the neck, between the larynx and the hyoid bone, or over the larynx (but rarely above or below these limits), produced by a sharp and heavy instrument with a cutting edge. The depths of such wounds are variable. They can reach the spine and can be singular or multiple. The medico-legal etiology of such wounds is commonly homicide, whereas suicides are infrequent, and accidental cases are rare. In this work, we report the homicide of a 16-year-old boy in a juvenile correctional unit, whose throat was cut with cruelty using two blades. The body was then partially charred. A careful examination of the injuries along with the death scene evidence was performed to clarify the cause, circumstances, and mechanism of death. Full article