forensics

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US Heads Getting Taller, Leaner

 US Heads Getting 
 Taller, Leaner 
study says
Jun 2, 2012 3:30 PM CDT

US Heads Getting Taller, Leaner

Skulls grew faster than bodies during 20th century

(Newser) - Americans got pretty big heads in the 20th century, and we're not talking egos here. Forensic anthropologists in Knoxville have analyzed skulls from the mid-1800s to the mid-1980s and found that our heads have become taller, larger, and narrower, reports US News & World Report . The difference is particularly...

Skeleton in Bank Chimney in Louisiana is Missing Man from 1984


 Skeleton in 
 Bank Chimney 
 Is Missing Man 
 From 1984 
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Jul 31, 2011 4:10 PM CDT

Skeleton in Bank Chimney Is Missing Man From 1984

He got wedged in 27 years ago

(Newser) - It's sort of a good news-bad news situation for one Louisiana family. On one hand, they finally know what happened to Joseph Schexnider, who vanished in 1984—on the other, he died inside a local bank chimney 27 years ago. Construction workers renovating a historic bank discovered skeletal remains...

Casey Anthony Trial: Was a Heart-Shaped Sticker Placed Over Caylee's Mouth?
Caylee's Killer May Have Put Heart Sticker Over Her Mouth
Casey Anthony Trial
Jun 13, 2011 5:44 PM CDT

Caylee's Killer May Have Put Heart Sticker Over Her Mouth

Forensics expert found dime-sized residue on duct tape

(Newser) - A heart-shaped sticker might have been affixed to the duct tape placed over Caylee Anthony's mouth, according to the testimony of a forensic examiner in the murder trial of mom Casey Anthony. Residue in the dime-sized shape of a heart was observed on the duct tape, reports People, and...

The Scary Truth About America's Morgues
The Scary Truth About America's Morgues
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Feb 5, 2011 1:30 PM CST

The Scary Truth About America's Morgues

Mistakes have sent innocents to jail, let guilty go free, ProPublica finds

(Newser) - Misplaced bones and bodies, overlooked bullet holes, corpses cremated before an investigation was complete: Most real morgues bear little resemblance to the shiny, high-tech world of CSI’s labs, a new investigation reveals. ProPublica , Frontline, and NPR took a yearlong look at the country’s coroner and medical examiner offices...

Aruba Calls Off Watery Search for Natalee's Remains

Photo is likely of coral, not skeleton: authorities

(Newser) - Aruban authorities have called off the underwater search for Natalee Holloway's body that was sparked when a Pennsylvania couple spotted what they believed to be a skeleton in photos they took while snorkeling off the island last year. A dive team spent two days scouring the waters favored by the...

Kitties Fight Crime With DNA
 Kitties Fight Crime With DNA 
Mar 22, 2010 4:50 PM CDT

Kitties Fight Crime With DNA

Ubiquitous cat hair a valuable forensic tool

(Newser) - Dog is man's best friend, but cats can fight crime. Thanks to their tendency to groom and shed, household cats carpet a home—and anyone who sets foot in it—with DNA evidence. Kitty forensics have already led to one murder conviction after hair from a victim's cat was found...

Bacteria on Skin May Be Used to ID Criminals

Study shows people can be identified by their bugs

(Newser) - Forget fingerprints: The latest crime fighting tool may be the traces of bacteria we carry on our skin. A new study shows it is possible to identify people based on their personal brand of bacteria. "Each one of us leaves a unique trail of bugs behind," a researcher...

Study Casts Doubt On DNA-Matching Technique

Mitochondrial DNA found to vary widely within individuals

(Newser) - A DNA-matching technique used in forensics since the mid-1990s is now in question, according to new research. DNA found in cell structures called mitochondria varies greatly between samples from different tissues from the same individual, researchers found, meaning that forensic units may be mistaken when they exclude suspects because a...

Feds Saw Bloody Outline of Child in Anthony's Trunk

(Newser) - FBI forensics experts found a blood stain in the shape of a child in fetal position in the trunk of Casey Anthony’s car, according to newly released documents. One intelligence analyst pointed out the silhouette in an email to another bureau employee last September. “You can make out...

No Blood Found in Casey Anthony's Trunk

Officials release video, documents in capital murder case

(Newser) - Prosecutors in the Casey Anthony case released a flurry of documents today, including a three-dimensional animated movie of the area where her daughter’s body was found, crime scene photos, and a 1,100-page report by investigators, the Orlando Sentinel reports. Among the revelations: No blood was found in the...

Lawsuits Raise Stink Over Police Dogs' 'Scent Evidence'

(Newser) - Recent lawsuits are bringing the reliability of police dogs’ noses into question, USA Today reports. Since 2004, three men have been released after wrongful convictions based partially on scent evidence, and two current federal suits target a well-known Texas deputy who works with his dogs across the nation. “It’...

Gun Match Made in Craigslist Killer Case

Suspect's fingerprints match those left on duct tape at crime scene

(Newser) - Solid evidence is piling up against accused Craigslist killer Philip Markoff, the Boston Globe reports. A gun found at Markoff's home—concealed inside a copy of medical textbook Gray's Anatomy—matched the weapon used to kill Julissa Brisman in preliminary testing, and the suspect's fingerprints match those found on plastic...

Multiple People Assaulted Kercher: Expert

Convicted killer Guede appears in court, refuses to testify

(Newser) - A forensics expert testified today in the Meredith Kercher murder trial that she was assaulted by more than one person, Sky News reports. A gynecologist, meanwhile, said he’d never seen similar wounds on someone who had consented to sex. Today's court session included evidence so graphic that the judge...

Move Over, Police Sketches: DNA's On the Case

Forensic phenotyping works, but is it ethical?

(Newser) - The old-fashioned police sketch could soon be obsolete, the Wall Street Journal reports, thanks to DNA forensic phenotyping, an increasingly popular technique that uses crime-scene DNA to describe a suspect. So far, labs can only determine details such as ethnicity and physical traits, but that alone has helped in some...

Sloppy DNA Work Creates Myth of Phantom Serial Killer

Female 'suspect' now believed to have been employee at DNA swab factory

(Newser) - Embarrassed German cops may soon call off their hunt for a notorious female serial killer, the Times of London reports. DNA from a suspect dubbed "the woman without a face” has been found at dozens of crime scenes across Europe, including stranglings and shootings, but detectives now believe the...

Crime Labs Employ Shoddy Science: Report

Experts will call for independent agency to oversee forensics

(Newser) - The country's crime labs are seriously deficient, according to a new report that's expected to shake up the field of forensics, the New York Times reports. Evidence portrayed as incontrovertible is often far from it, says the report, which Congress commissioned from the National Academy of Sciences. Forensic analysis often...

Body Tentatively ID'd as Caylee
 Body Tentatively ID'd as Caylee 
UPDATED
Dec 12, 2008 4:07 PM CST

Body Tentatively ID'd as Caylee

Authorities tentatively ID remains as those of missing 3-year-old

(Newser) - Investigators in Florida believe a body discovered yesterday is that of missing toddler Caylee Anthony, a lawyer for her mother told a judge today. The corpse recovered near the Orlando home of her grandparents has been “tentatively indentified” as hers, based on hair color and other physical evidence, CNN...

DNA Led Cops to Pressly Murder Suspect

Officials say forensics tie man to anchor's murder, teacher's rape

(Newser) - Police in Little Rock say forensic evidence led them to a suspect in the murder of news anchor Anne Pressly, reports KATV. A DNA sample from Pressly's home matched DNA found at the scene of an unsolved rape in Marianna, 90 miles away. Marianna police pointed investigators to rape suspect...

Fingerprint Test Can Now ID What Person Has Touched

Technique detects drugs, explosives

(Newser) - Cutting-edge technology now means fingerprints can reveal much more than just a person's identity, the New York Times reports. A spray developed by US researchers can analyze tiny molecular compounds left behind by the print and tell what materials a person has recently handled—including drugs or explosives. It can...

ERs Will Offer Anonymous Rape Tests to Victims

Anonymity removes barrier, gives option to press charges after the fact

(Newser) - Starting next year throughout the US, rape victims will be able to take an anonymous forensic rape test in the ER and save the evidence in case they want to press charges. The so-called "Jane Doe" kits will be paid for by states, reports the AP. "Sometimes the...

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