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Performance evaluation of a scent transfer unit for sampling of explosives and their...

Volatile organic compounds associated with explosives such as Composition C‐4 serve as important targets for canine training as well as field analysis. In parallel, 1‐bromooctane (1‐BO) is a benchmark to contextualize canine performance and aid interpretation of results. Improved...

Field validation of blow fly age estimation methods for determining time of placement of...

Forensic entomology currently represents one of the best approaches for estimating the minimum postmortem interval (PMIMIN) in medicolegal death investigations given certain parameters and assumptions are met. However, validation of standard estimation methods used in this field ...

HPLC‐UV quantitation of synthetically derived THC, THCP, and HHC isomers in commercial...

Synthetically derived tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) products, including vaping liquids and edibles, are widely available in the US. Serious adverse events associated with the use of THC products are reported in large‐scale studies for both adults and children and include intoxicatio...

Dura mater‐preserving technique for fetal brain extraction after intrauterine death with...

Examination of the fetal brain represents a crucial step in the diagnostic assessment of fetal death in utero, particularly in cases of unexplained intrauterine fetal death (IUFD). Prolonged intrauterine retention, advanced autolysis, and the intrinsic structural immaturity of th...

Reading between the lesions: Recognizing intent in pediatric burn injuries

Burn injuries are common in childhood and may occur in accidental or non‐accidental circumstances, making forensic interpretation challenging. Evaluation is difficult when clinical findings, reported history, and contextual evidence are incomplete or discordant. We present three ...

Recording living and postmortem friction ridge patterns using image processing and a fiber...

Recording friction ridge patterns is a critical step in personal identification, as only clear impressions can be reliably compared with database records. This study presents two approaches — image processing and a fiber‐optic‐inspired total internal reflection method (FOM) —...

Defining overkill homicide through quantitative criteria: Evidence from a retrospective...

The forensic identification of "overkill" homicide remains challenging due to the absence of a standardized, evidence‐based definition. This study aimed to address this gap by establishing a quantitative criterion and delineating the criminological profile of overkill i...

Testing the utility of porcine and synthetic femora as nonhuman analogs in skeletal trauma...

Porcine and synthetic femora were subjected to concentrated 4‐point bending, modified 4‐point bending, and 3‐point bending to generate diaphyseal fractures. Biomechanical data and fracture patterns were systematically evaluated and compared across different femur types and loadin...

Forensic challenges in a case of suspected filicide, matricide, and post‐mortem...

Familicide represents one of the most complex forms of domestic violence in forensic practice. Among intrafamilial homicides, filicide and matricide pose major medico‐legal and criminological challenges, particularly when autopsy findings are nonspecific or severely altered by po...

Exploring feature variability in digitally captured signatures—Part I: Variability in...

Digitally captured signatures (DCSs) pose new challenges for forensic handwriting examination compared with paper‐based signatures. While DCSs provide spatial coordinates, time and force values for forensic examination, the variability of the features derived from these data rema...

Family mass murder in the United States, 1970–2019: Perpetrator mental health...

Examining perpetrator characteristics of, and risk factors for, different types of mass murder, such as family mass murder — the most common type — could have important ramifications for preventive efforts. Histories of domestic violence and mental illness are of particular i...

Effects of bleach on carcass postmortem microbiomes and necrophagous beetle carcass...

Forensic entomology, and potentially microbiology in the future, can be used during death investigations to corroborate an estimated time since death. Instances where products are introduced to a cadaver, either in attempt to conceal or by accident, can affect decomposition and s...

Forensic analysis of gasoline residues in urban soil samples: Consequences for vehicle...

A substantial proportion of forensic fire investigations involve vehicle arson, where severe thermal damage often limits direct evidence recovery. Consequently, soil samples from the vicinity are frequently analyzed for ignitable liquid residues (ILRs). This study evaluates the f...

Rapid identification of blood using RT‐RPA: A pilot study

This study details the detection of blood remote from a laboratory using a direct recombinase polymerase amplification reaction integrated with a lateral flow assay. The assay targets the ALAS 2 gene; a marker used in mRNA assays for the identification of blood in body fluid assi...

Issue Information

A PCP overdose death in Northern Virginia

Phencyclidine (PCP), a Schedule II dissociative anesthetic, is no longer prescribed. Recreational use of PCP still exists, often localized to certain metropolitan areas in the United States, including the Baltimore–Washington, D.C. corridor. PCP was detected in 3.07% of the Drivi...

Fatal pediatric neck entrapment in a lift‐up storage bed: A preventable domestic asphyxial...

Bed‐related deaths are rare in forensic practice and are usually associated with falls, restraint‐related entrapment, or unsafe infant sleeping environments. Fatal mechanical asphyxia involving lift‐up storage beds is an exceptional occurrence, and the few published cases involve...

Correction to “The grip of crime: Analyzing strangulation and asphyxiation typologies in...

Indirect fractures in long bones resulting from gunshot trauma: Occurrence,...

Indirect fractures from gunshot wounds can occur when a projectile impacts soft tissue without making direct contact with the bone. Existing biomechanical and clinical research suggests that indirect fractures result in lower levels of comminution, and that resultant fracture pat...

Bearing the weight: A phenomenological study of burnout and stress among medicolegal death...

Medicolegal death investigators sit at the nexus of forensic science, the criminal justice system, and family‐facing trauma response, often engaging all three in a single case. They are a critical part of the criminal justice system, yet one of the least studied groups of practit...