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A murder in Boston
In 2009 D was convicted for the 1990 murder of C in C's own apartment. In a post‐conviction review DNA attributed only to D and C (and no others) was found underneath the fingernails of C. At trial, in a hearing for a retrial, and in a pending complaint to the Massachusetts ...
Microbial succession patterns for postmortem interval estimation in decomposed mouse...
Estimating the postmortem interval (PMI) is crucial in forensic science. Recent studies suggest microbial community succession patterns as a promising tool for PMI inference. This study examines how the cause of death, specifically mechanical asphyxia and hemorrhagic shock, influ...
Assessment of the drowning index in diagnosing freshwater drowning: A comparative study
Drowning is a diagnosis of exclusion, as no finding is pathognomonic to drowning, making it a challenging task during autopsy. The drowning index (DI) is the ratio of the combined weights of both lungs and pleural effusion to the weight of the spleen. This prospective cross‐secti...
Development and evaluation of methods for objective comparison of x‐ray fluorescence...
This study provides statistical support for X‐ray Fluorescence (XRF) spectral comparisons using quantitative similarity measures. A set of electrical tapes originating from different rolls (94 rolls, 24 brands, 54 product types, four countries of manufacture) and an additional su...
Forensic pathology and toxicological analyses: A case of fatal xylazine poisoning
Xylazine, an α2‐adrenergic receptor agonist commonly used as a veterinary sedative, has gained notoriety for its increasing misuse in combination with opioids, such as fentanyl, to potentiate its effects. This trend has led to a rise in cases of xylazine poisoning. Although timel...
Anthropological examination of the hyoid bone, thyroid cartilage, and cricoid cartilage in...
Thorough evaluation of the hyoid bone, thyroid cartilage, and cricoid cartilage is critical in trauma interpretation as fractures of the neck block are commonly associated with manual strangulation, suicidal hanging, and direct blunt force trauma. The frequency of fractures to la...
A murder in Austin Texas: A case report featuring evaluation given activity level...
This report discusses the analysis of the evidence given activity level propositions for a murder case in Austin, Texas. The testimony in this case has been the subject of a complaint to the Texas Forensic Science Commission and a subsequent report. A Bayes' net is construct...
Using ATR‐FTIR spectroscopy and machine learning for forensic hair identification
The purpose of this experiment is to utilize attenuated total reflection (ATR) Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy for the discrimination of different types of hair, as numerous studies have substantiated its efficacy in substance classification. In this study, ATR‐FTI...
Strangulation victimization in the United States: Findings from a nationwide emergency...
Strangulation is a form of asphyxiation caused by the obstruction of blood and airflow through the neck and poses a significant threat to both immediate and lasting health outcomes in the United States (U.S.). This study examines data from 686,630,579 emergency department (ED) ad...
Adapting risk assessments to a changing terrorism landscape: Revising the extremism risk...
The Extremism Risk Guidance‐Revised (ERG‐R) updates and expands the ERG22+ framework, which has guided terrorism risk assessment in prison and probation across England and Wales since 2011. Developed by His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) Counter Terrorism‐Ass...
The forensic footprint: Elemental and microbial evidence in relocated remains
Here, we investigate the microbial and elemental signatures left behind at the sites of relocated remains, providing insights into postmortem processes that can assist forensic investigations of clandestine burials and relocated remains. We allowed two 90.7 kg (200lbs) clothed po...
Air embolism as evidence of antemortem sexual activity
In the forensic autopsy examination of sexual assault cases, two essential questions must be addressed: whether sexual activity occurred, and whether sexual activity occurred antemortem or postmortem. However, confirming sexual activity can be challenging, particularly when the a...
Quantitative assessment of barrel wear from solid copper bullets
Forensic firearm and toolmark identification is based on the principle that firearms possess and impart individual characteristics on fired ammunition, which can be used to identify a bullet back to the barrel from which it was fired. However, these characteristics may change due...
Impact of Marabunta ants on post‐mortem interval estimation in pigs: Insights from Okuku,...
The rising homicide rates in Nigeria underscore the necessity for comprehensive post‐mortem interval (PMI) estimations to enhance the reliability of forensic investigations. This study investigates the impact of Marabunta ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) on the decomposition proces...
Determination of erythrocyte degradation levels and estimation of age blood spot using...
Blood stains can be used to understand the dynamics of a crime, to verify the identity of a suspect, to perform pattern analysis in reconstructing the incident, or to determine the time when a crime was committed. Changes in the cell and cell membrane surfaces of erythrocytes, wh...
Forensic analysis of small architectural and vehicle glass fragments using recent...
Glass fragments are frequently recovered during criminal investigations as they can provide links between the crime scene, suspects, or victims. The elemental composition of glass is often used to determine if there is a source commonality between glass samples. Micro‐X‐ray fluor...
Effects of sodium fluoride on serum concentrations of selected psychotropic drugs
Caution is imperative when interpreting drug concentrations in blood, plasma, or serum, given the potential variance in the distribution of a compound across these fluids. Preservatives, such as sodium fluoride, prove beneficial in preventing drug degradation in collected blood s...
Interpreting DNA under fingernails given activity level propositions
We have generated a general lookup table of LRs that could be used in the general case of a person of interest (POI) accused of attacking a complainant and the evidence is DNA from fingernails of the complainant. We consider that social interaction may have occurred between the c...
A geospatial analysis of subway‐related fatalities in New York City (2008–2021)
The New York City (NYC) subway system is one of the largest rapid transit systems in the world. With an annual ridership of 1 billion people, subway‐related fatalities present a significant public health concern. Properly contextualizing such fatality data is imperative to unders...
Optimized detection and localization of copy‐rotate‐move forgeries using biogeography...
In today's digital era, the proliferation of image processing tools has made image forgery detection a critical challenge. Malicious actors exploit these tools to manipulate images, spreading misinformation and misleading society. Existing tampering detection methods struggl...