#forensic-science

[ follow ]
#death-penalty

Texas man faces execution despite doubts over shaken baby syndrome

The execution of Robert Roberson highlights how flawed forensic theories can lead to wrongful convictions and the potential for irreversible judicial errors.

Lawmakers seethe after Texas AG blocks testimony in shaken-baby case

Texas lawmakers are facing obstacles in their attempt to hear from death-row prisoner Robert Roberson, amid concerns regarding wrongful execution.

Republicans express alarm that Texas execution nearly went ahead

Republican lawmakers in Texas are questioning the execution of potentially innocent individuals based on unreliable forensic science, reflecting a shift in views about capital punishment.

Man awaiting execution for 1978 East Bay murder dies of natural causes

Darryl T. Kemp, convicted of multiple murders, died of natural causes while awaiting execution for a crime committed in 1978.

Texas man faces execution despite doubts over shaken baby syndrome

The execution of Robert Roberson highlights how flawed forensic theories can lead to wrongful convictions and the potential for irreversible judicial errors.

Lawmakers seethe after Texas AG blocks testimony in shaken-baby case

Texas lawmakers are facing obstacles in their attempt to hear from death-row prisoner Robert Roberson, amid concerns regarding wrongful execution.

Republicans express alarm that Texas execution nearly went ahead

Republican lawmakers in Texas are questioning the execution of potentially innocent individuals based on unreliable forensic science, reflecting a shift in views about capital punishment.

Man awaiting execution for 1978 East Bay murder dies of natural causes

Darryl T. Kemp, convicted of multiple murders, died of natural causes while awaiting execution for a crime committed in 1978.
moredeath-penalty
#unidentified-body

Possible human pelvic bone washes up near NYC waterfont park - and it's linked to 4 other chilling discoveries

Human remains discovered along Brooklyn Bridge Park are believed to belong to the same unidentified individual, believed to be washed ashore due to tides.

Mystery man who died drinking caustic chemical in Bay Area identified

After 44 years, an unidentified body found in a Bay Area creek has been identified as Donald Gene Horecka through modern forensic techniques.

Possible human pelvic bone washes up near NYC waterfont park - and it's linked to 4 other chilling discoveries

Human remains discovered along Brooklyn Bridge Park are believed to belong to the same unidentified individual, believed to be washed ashore due to tides.

Mystery man who died drinking caustic chemical in Bay Area identified

After 44 years, an unidentified body found in a Bay Area creek has been identified as Donald Gene Horecka through modern forensic techniques.
moreunidentified-body
#cold-case

She was struck by a car during the holidays in 1989. DNA just helped find the driver

Modern DNA technology solved a 33-year-old hit-and-run case in Charlotte, identifying the suspect and highlighting advancements in forensic science.

Man who passed polygraph test identified as killer of California teen

A man identified as the killer of Esther Gonzalez was cleared by a lie detector test but later confirmed through DNA evidence decades after his death.

'Pinnacle Man' was found dead in a cave in 1977. He finally has a name.

Pinnacle Man, previously unidentified for 47 years, is now known as Nicolas Paul Grubb, resolving a long-standing cold case.

Santa Cruz County woman arrested for 30-year-old cold case murder of baby boy

A 30-year-old cold case of a deceased baby was solved with the arrest of Pamela Ferreyra, the infant's mother, using advanced DNA techniques.

50k reward offered to find killer who sexually assaulted schoolgirl

The murder case of schoolgirl Lisa Hession remains unsolved after 40 years, prompting a renewed appeal for information from the public.

DNA helps identify woman whose body was found at bottom of Bay Area cliff nearly 60 years ago

DNA analysis identified a woman found at the base of a cliff after 60 years, revealing her as Lillian Marie Cardenas.

She was struck by a car during the holidays in 1989. DNA just helped find the driver

Modern DNA technology solved a 33-year-old hit-and-run case in Charlotte, identifying the suspect and highlighting advancements in forensic science.

Man who passed polygraph test identified as killer of California teen

A man identified as the killer of Esther Gonzalez was cleared by a lie detector test but later confirmed through DNA evidence decades after his death.

'Pinnacle Man' was found dead in a cave in 1977. He finally has a name.

Pinnacle Man, previously unidentified for 47 years, is now known as Nicolas Paul Grubb, resolving a long-standing cold case.

Santa Cruz County woman arrested for 30-year-old cold case murder of baby boy

A 30-year-old cold case of a deceased baby was solved with the arrest of Pamela Ferreyra, the infant's mother, using advanced DNA techniques.

50k reward offered to find killer who sexually assaulted schoolgirl

The murder case of schoolgirl Lisa Hession remains unsolved after 40 years, prompting a renewed appeal for information from the public.

DNA helps identify woman whose body was found at bottom of Bay Area cliff nearly 60 years ago

DNA analysis identified a woman found at the base of a cliff after 60 years, revealing her as Lillian Marie Cardenas.
morecold-case

What's next for Syria's science: a view from Nature's reporter who was a refugee

Syrians are experiencing collective joy following the fall of Bashar al-Assad, with immense tasks ahead for reconstruction and justice post-regime.

How do you re-create the voice of a 15th century king? Dig up his skeleton

Richard III's skeletal remains inform insights about his voice and regional dialect, revealing a medieval Yorkshire accent.
#christopher-columbus

Research confirms authenticity of Christopher Columbus' remains in Spain

Forensic studies confirm that remains in Seville Cathedral are definitively those of Christopher Columbus after over 20 years of analysis.

Presentation of analysis on Christopher Columbus' alleged remains postponed indefinitely

Jose Antonio Lorente has postponed his findings presentation and now plans to publish all DNA data regarding Christopher Columbus's alleged remains.

Research confirms authenticity of Christopher Columbus' remains in Spain

Forensic studies confirm that remains in Seville Cathedral are definitively those of Christopher Columbus after over 20 years of analysis.

Presentation of analysis on Christopher Columbus' alleged remains postponed indefinitely

Jose Antonio Lorente has postponed his findings presentation and now plans to publish all DNA data regarding Christopher Columbus's alleged remains.
morechristopher-columbus
#cold-cases

Man who passed polygraph in teen's 1979 killing now ID'd as suspect, CA officials say

Advancements in forensic genetic genealogy led to identifying the suspect in Esther Gonzalez's 1979 murder case more than 40 years later.

DNA Match Leads to Arrest in Sexual Assault Cold Case

DNA technology advances have led to an arrest in a long-unsolved case of rape from 2008.

Body was found in the water in 2001, California deputies say. Now, it's identified

DNA testing identified a body found in California waters as Craig William Ott, who vanished in 2001, offering closure to his family.

Man who passed polygraph in teen's 1979 killing now ID'd as suspect, CA officials say

Advancements in forensic genetic genealogy led to identifying the suspect in Esther Gonzalez's 1979 murder case more than 40 years later.

DNA Match Leads to Arrest in Sexual Assault Cold Case

DNA technology advances have led to an arrest in a long-unsolved case of rape from 2008.

Body was found in the water in 2001, California deputies say. Now, it's identified

DNA testing identified a body found in California waters as Craig William Ott, who vanished in 2001, offering closure to his family.
morecold-cases

'You might be at a scene and they have the same sofa as you. All of a sudden, it makes it real' - Meet Ireland's all-female team of state pathologists

Social media has changed public perceptions of pathology, showcasing its empathetic and nuanced aspects.

How Researchers Are Using Geospatial Technology to Uncover Mexico's Clandestine Graves

Drones and imaging technologies are crucial in uncovering hidden graves of the missing in Mexico amidst rising criminal violence.

What is shaken baby syndrome? And why might a Texas man be executed for it?

Roberson's case challenges the validity of shaken baby syndrome convictions as new scientific evidence emerges.

Joe D. Bryan, 84, Dies; His Murder Conviction Raised Troubling Questions

Joe D. Bryan, wrongfully convicted for 33 years, exemplifies the flaws in forensic testimony leading to wrongful convictions.
#time-of-death

How To Solve A Murder In The Snow, According to Science

Decomposition is significantly slowed in extremely cold environments, making time of death estimation more complex.

How a corpse's "microbiome" can help scientists nail down time of death

Studying the microbes that flourish in decomposing corpses can help determine the time of death.
Forensic scientists have identified 20 microbes that drive the decomposition of dead animal flesh.

How To Solve A Murder In The Snow, According to Science

Decomposition is significantly slowed in extremely cold environments, making time of death estimation more complex.

How a corpse's "microbiome" can help scientists nail down time of death

Studying the microbes that flourish in decomposing corpses can help determine the time of death.
Forensic scientists have identified 20 microbes that drive the decomposition of dead animal flesh.
moretime-of-death

Skeletal remains found in Wisconsin ID'd as Elijah Vue, toddler missing since February: police

Elijah Vue, a missing child, has been identified from skeletal remains found in Wisconsin, leading to the cancellation of the Amber Alert.

No DNA match for whopping 40% of 9/11 victims - but there's new progress 23 years later

1,103 victims of the Sept. 11 attacks remain unidentified, causing ongoing anguish for families.

Ireland's cannabis market is 'Wild West' with dizzying array of dangerous synthetic drugs for sale, forensic agency warns

Cannabis and related products comprised 42% of all drug cases analyzed by Forensic Science Ireland last year.
The cannabis market is described as a chaotic and highly variable space, likened to a 'Wild West'.
#ai-advancements

ODSC's AI Weekly Recap: Week of April 19th

AI systems near human abilities; AI transforming forensic science; Major investments in AI companies.

ODSC's AI Weekly Recap: Week of April 19th

AI systems are approaching or surpassing human abilities, AI in forensic science is set to transform criminal investigations, Google and Microsoft make significant investments in AI.

ODSC's AI Weekly Recap: Week of April 19th

AI systems near human abilities; AI transforming forensic science; Major investments in AI companies.

ODSC's AI Weekly Recap: Week of April 19th

AI systems are approaching or surpassing human abilities, AI in forensic science is set to transform criminal investigations, Google and Microsoft make significant investments in AI.
moreai-advancements

Long-lost photos reveal details of world's first police crime lab

Edmond Locard pioneered forensic science by establishing the world's first police crime laboratory in 1910.
The discovered photographic archive in Lyon, France, sheds light on the laboratory's scientific methods and Locard's personal correspondence.

A Forensic Biologist Reveals Why Solving Crimes in Space Will Be Harder Than You Think

Astroforensics is a new field emerging from space exploration challenges.
Altered gravity in space has significant implications for forensic investigations.

Tooth of woman found dead 10 years ago helps create new image of her, CA cops say

Updated forensic rendering released of unidentified woman found dead in California park.
Genetic profile created from DNA from woman's tooth used to generate new image.

CFB National Signing Day: Why Bay Area's top running back chose Utah State over SEC, Big 12, Air Force and Army

Herschel Turner, a high school football player, chose Utah State over other offers from prestigious programs because it was the best fit for him personally.
Turner plans on studying forensic science at Utah State and wants to be a detective after his football career.

AI Study Claims Human Fingerprints Aren't Actually Unique

Fingerprints may not be as unique as previously believed
AI model trained to identify patterns in fingerprints with high accuracy
#artificial-intelligence

Our fingerprints may not be unique, claims AI

Artificial intelligence has been trained to identify whether fingerprints from different fingers belong to the same person, with 75-90% accuracy.
The technology may be analyzing fingerprints based on the orientation of ridges in the center of the finger rather than traditional minutiae markers.

Are fingerprints unique? Not really, AI-based study says | CNN

Fingerprints are not all unique, according to a study published in the journal Science Advances.
The study used artificial intelligence to analyze a US government database of 60,000 fingerprints and found strong similarities between fingerprints from different fingers of the same person.

Our fingerprints may not be unique, claims AI

Artificial intelligence has been trained to identify whether fingerprints from different fingers belong to the same person, with 75-90% accuracy.
The technology may be analyzing fingerprints based on the orientation of ridges in the center of the finger rather than traditional minutiae markers.

Are fingerprints unique? Not really, AI-based study says | CNN

Fingerprints are not all unique, according to a study published in the journal Science Advances.
The study used artificial intelligence to analyze a US government database of 60,000 fingerprints and found strong similarities between fingerprints from different fingers of the same person.
moreartificial-intelligence

AI upends long held belief that all fingerprints are unique

Fingerprint ridges on different fingers of the same person can have the same angles and curvature at the center.
A deep contrastive network was used to study commonalities in fingerprints and achieved an accuracy of 77% in identifying if prints were from the same person.

Bad Science and Bad Statistics in the Courtroom Convict Innocent People

Misleading forensic evidence and expert testimony have contributed to wrongful convictions, with 44 cases affected in 2022 alone.
Scientific evidence is highly valued by juries, who may lack the expertise to correctly interpret or question it.

Tiny Crime Fighters With Wings': Bees Go to Work on a Virginia Body Farm'

Bees' ability to carry chemical signals of decomposition from human bodies could aid in forensic investigations on wide land expanses.
[ Load more ]