The Forensic Laboratory Handbook

Transcription

1 The Forensic Laboratory Handbook

2 F O R E N S I C SCIENCE- A N D- MEDICINE Steven B. Karch, MD, SERIES EDITOR THE FORENSIC LABORATORY HANDBOOK: PROCEDURES AND PRACTICE, edited by Ashraf Mozayani and Carla Noziglia, 2006 SUDDEN DEATHS IN CUSTODY, edited by Darrell L. Ross and Ted Chan, 2006 DRUGS OF ABUSE: BODY FLUID TESTING, edited by Raphael C. Wong and Harley Y. Tse, 2005 CLINICAL FORENSIC MEDICINE: A PHYSICIAN'S GUIDE, SECOND EDITION, edited by Margaret M. Stark, 2005 FORENSIC MEDICINE OF THE LOWER EXTREMITY: HUMAN IDENTIFICATION AND TRAUMA ANALYSIS OF THE THIGH, LEG, AND FOOT, by Jeremy Rich, Dorothy E. Dean, and Robert H. Powers, 2005 FORENSIC AND CLINICAL APPLICATIONS OF SOLID PHASE EXTRACTION, by Michael J. Telepchak, Thomas F. August, and Glynn Chaney, 2004 HANDBOOK OF DRUG INTERACTIONS: A CLINICAL AND FORENSIC GUIDE, edited by Ashraf Mozayani and Lionel P. Raymon, 2004 DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS: TOXICOLOGY AND CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY, edited by Melanie Johns Cupp and Timothy S. Tracy, 2003 BUPRENOPHINE THERAPY OF OPIATE ADDICTION, edited by Pascal Kintz and Pierre Marquet, 2002 BENZODIAZEPINES AND GHB: DETECTION AND PHARMACOLOGY, edited by Salvatore J. Salamone, 2002 ON-SITE DRUG TESTING, edited by Amanda J. Jenkins and Bruce A. Goldberger, 2001 BRAIN IMAGING IN SUBSTANCE ABUSE: RESEARCH, CLINICAL, AND FORENSIC APPLICATIONS, edited by Marc J. Kaufman, 2001 TOXICOLOGY AND CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY OF HERBAL PRODUCTS, edited by Melanie Johns Cupp, 2000 CRIMINAL POISONING: INVESTIGATIONAL GUIDE FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT, TOXICOLOGISTS, FORENSIC SCIENTISTS, AND ATTORNEYS, by John H. Trestrail, III, 2000 A PHYSICIAN S GUIDE TO CLINICAL FORENSIC MEDICINE, edited by Margaret M. Stark, 2000

3 THE FORENSIC LABORATORY HANDBOOK Procedures and Practice Edited by Ashraf Mozayani, PharmD, PhD, D-ABFT Harris County Medical Examiner's Office Houston, TX Carla Noziglia, MS Forensic Scientist Coral Springs, FL and Senior Forensic Advisor Tanzania, Africa

4 2006 Humana Press Inc. 999 Riverview Drive, Suite 208 Totowa, New Jersey All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording, or otherwise without written permission from the Publisher. The content and opinions expressed in this book are the sole work of the authors and editors, who have warranted due diligence in the creation and issuance of their work. The publisher, editors, and authors are not responsible for errors or omissions or for any consequences arising from the information or opinions presented in this book and make no warranty, express or implied, with respect to its contents. This publication is printed on acid-free paper. ANSI Z (American Standards Institute) Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials. Cover Illustration: Cover images (top to bottom): Figures 10 and 18 from Chapter 5, "Explosives and Arson: Boom and Flame," by James B. Crippin; Figure 2 from Chapter 7, "Firearms and Tool Marks," by Edward E. Hueske; Figure 1 from Chapter 11, "Introduction to Forensic Document Examination," by William L. Leaver; and Figure 7D from Chapter 6, "Fingerprints," by Brian E. Dalrymple. Production Editor: Amy Thau Cover design by Patricia F. Cleary For additional copies, pricing for bulk purchases, and/or information about other Humana titles, contact Humana at the above address or at any of the following numbers: Tel: ; Fax: ; orders@humanapr.com, or visit our Website at Photocopy Authorization Policy: Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use, or the internal or personal use of specific clients, is granted by Humana Press Inc., provided that the base fee of US $30.00 per copy, is paid directly to the Copyright Clearance Center at 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA For those organizations that have been granted a photocopy license from the CCC, a separate system of payment has been arranged and is acceptable to Humana Press Inc. The fee code for users of the Transactional Reporting Service is: [ /06 $30.00]. Printed in the United States of America eisbn: X Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data The forensic laboratory handbook : procedures and practice / edited by Ashraf Mozayani, Carla Noziglia. p. cm. -- (Forensic science and medicine) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN (alk. paper) 1. Crime laboratories. 2. Forensic sciences. I. Mozayani, Ashraf. II. Noziglia, Carla. III. Series. HV8073.F dc

5 Preface If the law has made you a witness, remain a man of science. You have no victim to avenge, no guilty or innocent person to convict or save you must bear testimony within the limits of science. Dr. P. C. H. Brouardel 19th-century French medico-legalist The media abound with references to and programs about forensic science. No mystery story seems complete without a reference to DNA evidence or a trip to the laboratory for DNA analysis. Sometimes, the main characters are forensic scientists. There are things to be learned from these media happenings and truth does enter into the plots, making them fascinating to watch and read. From such television shows as Quincy in the 1970s to CSI: New York in 2004, and from the motion picture The Bone Collector to the recent television show Forensic Files, forensic science has perennially shown the power to entertain. These media portrayals also educate us, but often, this education proves to be more fantasy than reality. The Forensic Laboratory Handbook: Procedures and Practice was written for the purpose of separating fiction from reality by demonstrating the real-life practices of forensic laboratories. The work performed by forensic scientists in the field, forensic laboratories, medical examiners offices, and private companies is often critical to the proper functioning of the justice system and regulatory bodies. Forensic analysis has provided fresh information in cold cases, served to identify the last descendants of the Russian imperial family, and exonerated the wrongfully convicted. This is not to say that the original analyses were flawed, but rather that new technology provides more and better information. Where would society be without the analysis and comparison of fingerprints, bullets, DNA, and handwriting? The identification of drugs, flammables, bones, and explosives is often central to a case. Newer applications of technologies are used in investigating cyber crime, bite marks, and the reconstruction of a crime scene or a face from a skull. v

6 vi Preface With such an important place in the justice system, the integrity of scientific information is crucial. The ethical analysis of evidence must be a given constant. The exchange of new technology and open access to scientific information assists others in understanding, and possibly implementing, new procedures. Although the job of a forensic scientist is important and one of the most satisfying of career choices, as with every other profession, the work can sometimes seem mundane and repetitious. Although many media programs may portray some aspects of the profession correctly, they also tend to glamorize the jobs. In the media, many separate jobs are rolled into one so that the story flows better and the crime is solved in the time allowed. Cases that in reality would take months or even years to solve are wrapped up in 42 minutes on television. Not mentioned is the time needed to describe and prepare the evidence for analysis, the expertise needed to interpret the results, the time spent writing the scientific report, and the time spent in court giving expert testimony. Add the time spent educating law enforcement, attorneys, and judges, and the time spent in training to ensure that the scientist is on the cutting edge with specialized skills and you can well appreciate the demands placed on forensic professionals. The forensic scientists who wrote the chapters in The Forensic Laboratory Handbook: Procedures and Practice are real they actually do what they write about. Each is an unsung hero, a seeker of truth, a dedicated scientist. They will tell you how it is in a real forensic laboratory, and it will be a fascinating story. Ashraf Mozayani, PharmD, PhD, D-ABFT Carla Noziglia, MS

7 Contents Preface... v Contributors... ix List of Color Plates... x CHAPTER 1 Serology and DNA... 1 Lisa A. Gefrides and Katherine E. Welch CHAPTER 2 Forensic Chemistry Donnell Christian CHAPTER 3 Crime Reconstruction W. Jerry Chisum CHAPTER 4 Digital Evidence Robert P. Bianchi and Mark Pollitt CHAPTER 5 Explosives and Arson: Boom and Flame James B. Crippin CHAPTER 6 Fingerprints Brian E. Dalrymple vii

8 viii Contents CHAPTER 7 Firearms and Tool Marks Edward E. Hueske CHAPTER 8 Forensic Odontology: Teeth and Their Secrets Helena Soomer CHAPTER 9 Forensic Pathology Joye M. Carter CHAPTER 10 Assuring Quality in the Crime Laboratory William J. Tilstone CHAPTER 11 Introduction to Forensic Document Examination William L. Leaver CHAPTER 12 Toxicology in the Crime Laboratory Ashraf Mozayani CHAPTER 13 Trace Evidence in the Real Crime Laboratory Richard E. Bisbing Index

9 Contributors ROBERT P. BIANCHI, BS Bianchi Consulting, Fairfax, VA RICHARD E. BISBING, BS Vice President and Director of Research, McCrone Associates Inc., Westmont, IL JOYE M. CARTER, MD Forensic Pathologist, Consultant, Author, and Lecturer, J & M Forensic Consulting, Memphis, TN W. JERRY CHISUM, BS Independent Consultant, Elk Grove, CA DONNELL CHRISTIAN, BS CEO and Senior Forensic Advisor, Criminalist.us, Professional Business Solutions Inc., St. Louis, MO JAMES B. CRIPPIN, BS Director, Western Forensic Law Enforcement Training Center; Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Pueblo, CO BRIAN E. DALRYMPLE, AOCA President, Brian Dalrymple and Associates, Orillia, Ontario, Canada LISA A. GEFRIDES, MS Forensic DNA Analyst, Harris County Medical Examiner s Office, Houston, TX EDWARD E. HUESKE, MA Criminalistics Coordinator, University of North Texas, Denton, TX WILLIAM L. LEAVER, BS, D-ABFDE Forensic Document Examiner, Los Angeles County Sheriff s Department, Scientific Services Bureau, Downey, CA ASHRAF MOZAYANI, PharmD, PhD, D-ABFT Harris County Medical Examiner s Office, Houston, TX CARLA M. NOZIGLIA, MS, FAAFS Forensic Scientist, Coral Springs, FL; Senior Forensic Advisor, Tanzania, Africa MARK POLLITT, MS President, Digital Evidence Professional Services, Inc., Ellicott City, MD HELENA SOOMER, DDS, PhD Forensic Odontologist, Estonian Disaster Victim Identification Team, Tallinn, Estonia WILLIAM J. TILSTONE, PhD Executive Director, National Forensic Technology Science Center, Largo, FL KATHERINE E. WELCH, MS Harris County Medical Examiner s Office, Houston, TX ix

10 List of Color Plates Color Plate to follow p Color Plate 1. Fig. 5, Chapter 5: Original version of micro-taggants. (See discussion on p. 94.) Fig. 12, Chapter 5: Diphenylamine color test. (See discussion on p. 98.) Color Plate 2. Fig. 13, Chapter 5: Anatazoline color test. (See discussion on p. 98.) Fig. 14, Chapter 5: KOH color tests. (See discussion on p. 98.) Color Plate 3. Fig. 17, Chapter 5: TNT fusion melt. (See discussion on p. 102.) Fig. 18, Chapter 5: Sodium nitrate under crossed poles. (See discussion on p. 102.) x