Sunday, December 4, 2011
Acknowledgements
Thanks to Charlotte Castellano and Marissa Morrison for taking all the pictures of our labs and class activities. Their pictures enhanced my blog tremendously and without their generosity my forensic evidence would not be as strong.
Witness Experiment
Using images in a magazine, groups cut out images of people with similar characteristics. We then cut up their images so that all the facial features were seperate (eyes, ears, nose, etc.) Afterwards we mixed our images in a big pile in the center of the table, and were asked to then piece our images back together from memory. This exercise was to test our ability to be a witness, recalling key features of a person from memory. This information would be important to a crime scene investigator, to either I.D the victim or possibly the perpetrator.
Footprint Analysis
In this activity each person in our group left a fot print in a pan of dirt previously collected. The then examined different characteristics of the print. We looked for things such as the length, width, and impressions left by the sole of the shoe. Key features like this could make a considerable difference in the Identification of the perp.
Drug Analysis
For this activity we had multiple compounds of 3 simulated drugs, Cocaine, LSD, and Meth. We were to identify the drugs by using chemical indicators and pH indicators. We mixed a small amount of the compound in with about 25 mL of water, then ran the tests. After going through and completing the tests on all 6 compounds we had successfully tested them for all of the drugs. This activity helped us better understand the importance of testing for drugs and the skills the forensic experts use to test for them.
Lip Print Analysis
In class we were asked to put on lipstick and place a lip print on an index card. Lip prints all have their individual characteristics just like finger prints, like the spacing between the bottom and top lip, the arch in the upper lip, and the size difference between the two lips.
After placing our lip prints, we identified 5 characteristics and wrote them on the card, then placed a print on a larger piece of white paper along with the other people in my group. We then switched tables and matched the note card with the lip print on the piece of paper that we thought matched each other. We successfully matched every pair of lips.
After placing our lip prints, we identified 5 characteristics and wrote them on the card, then placed a print on a larger piece of white paper along with the other people in my group. We then switched tables and matched the note card with the lip print on the piece of paper that we thought matched each other. We successfully matched every pair of lips.
Handwriting Analysis
History of Handwriting Analysis:
Ever since the late 1500's people have been writing about analyzing handwriting and it's traits. Alfred Binet did research from 1893 to 1907 into the science of graphology and called it "The science of the future." The interest in Graphology or handwriting analysis took off after WWI, and in the 1920's Ludwig Klages founded and published his findings. In 1929 the American Grapho Analysis Society was created by Milton Bunker. The decline in Graphology resulted from a large expulsion of members from the society in the 70's and the rise of the internet in the 90's.
List of 12 Handwriting Characteristics:
Line quality. Are the pen marks smooth
and free flowing or shaky and wavering?
This can be connected to the speed
that the document was written at.
Spacing of words and letters. What is it the
spacing between letters and words? Is it consistent?
Ratio of the relative height, width and size
of letters. What is the ratio? Is it consistent?
Pen lifts and separations. Does the person
stop to form new letters and begin words?
Forgeries may have lifts in unusual places.
Connecting strokes. Are capitals connected
to lowercase letters and are there connecting
strokes between letters and words?
Beginning and ending strokes. Are these straight,
curled, long or short, an upstroke or a downstroke?
Unusual letter formation. Are there any
unusually formed letters such as backward,
letters with a tail, or unusual capitals?
Shading or pen pressure. Is the pen pressure
on the upward or the downward strokes?
Slant. Is slant left or right or straight up and down?
Is there consistency between the slant of letters.
Baseline habits. Is the writing
above or below a line?
Flourishes and embellishments. Are
their any? If so what are they?
Diacritic placement. How are the t’s crossed?
Take note of the dotting of i’s, j’s. For example
are the dots to the right or left of the letter?
Pictures and Analysis of Handwriting Template:
Reflection on Check Forgery Activity:
Famous Forgery Case:
In 1795 a man by the name of Mr. Ireland brought forth a new version of "King Leare" that was supposedly written by Shakespeare himself. It was upon further examination of the handwriting and paper that watermarks were found in the paper. Edward Malone published a refutation saying that Shakespeare would have used a much higher caliber of paper to write this play, and that it was most likely someone tried to forge it by piecing old pieces of paper together from whatever source they could find it. Years later Ireland admitted to the fraud and said he went to a bookseller and paid him to rip out pages from older volumes in his shop.
Ever since the late 1500's people have been writing about analyzing handwriting and it's traits. Alfred Binet did research from 1893 to 1907 into the science of graphology and called it "The science of the future." The interest in Graphology or handwriting analysis took off after WWI, and in the 1920's Ludwig Klages founded and published his findings. In 1929 the American Grapho Analysis Society was created by Milton Bunker. The decline in Graphology resulted from a large expulsion of members from the society in the 70's and the rise of the internet in the 90's.
List of 12 Handwriting Characteristics:
Line quality. Are the pen marks smooth
and free flowing or shaky and wavering?
This can be connected to the speed
that the document was written at.
Spacing of words and letters. What is it the
spacing between letters and words? Is it consistent?
Ratio of the relative height, width and size
of letters. What is the ratio? Is it consistent?
Pen lifts and separations. Does the person
stop to form new letters and begin words?
Forgeries may have lifts in unusual places.
Connecting strokes. Are capitals connected
to lowercase letters and are there connecting
strokes between letters and words?
Beginning and ending strokes. Are these straight,
curled, long or short, an upstroke or a downstroke?
Unusual letter formation. Are there any
unusually formed letters such as backward,
letters with a tail, or unusual capitals?
Shading or pen pressure. Is the pen pressure
on the upward or the downward strokes?
Slant. Is slant left or right or straight up and down?
Is there consistency between the slant of letters.
Baseline habits. Is the writing
above or below a line?
Flourishes and embellishments. Are
their any? If so what are they?
Diacritic placement. How are the t’s crossed?
Take note of the dotting of i’s, j’s. For example
are the dots to the right or left of the letter?
Pictures and Analysis of Handwriting Template:
Reflection on Check Forgery Activity:
Famous Forgery Case:
In 1795 a man by the name of Mr. Ireland brought forth a new version of "King Leare" that was supposedly written by Shakespeare himself. It was upon further examination of the handwriting and paper that watermarks were found in the paper. Edward Malone published a refutation saying that Shakespeare would have used a much higher caliber of paper to write this play, and that it was most likely someone tried to forge it by piecing old pieces of paper together from whatever source they could find it. Years later Ireland admitted to the fraud and said he went to a bookseller and paid him to rip out pages from older volumes in his shop.
Create-A-Profile
In class we were given a set of clues and asked to create a profile on the victim. Crime scene investigators use clues from the scene to get an I.D on their possible victim so they can et quick notice to their superiors and the media.
My clues consisted of a torn note, hair samples, an unknown fiber sample, and a finger print.
After identifying all of the clues, I decided that it was an African-American female who owned a dog. It's skills like these that CSI investigators implement in every crime scene to get a good I.D on the victim.
My clues consisted of a torn note, hair samples, an unknown fiber sample, and a finger print.
After identifying all of the clues, I decided that it was an African-American female who owned a dog. It's skills like these that CSI investigators implement in every crime scene to get a good I.D on the victim.
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