DylanFisher

Chemistry
November17,2014

ChemistryQuiz

Fisher1

Forensicscienceisessentialtodiscoveringthevictimandtheperpetratorinacriminal
investigation,andit'sbecomeastandardprincipleinthejusticesystem.I'llgiveyouthree
examples.Inforensicanthropology,thestudyofahumanskeletongivesyouanideaofhowold
apersonis,whichhelpsidentifythevictim.AccordingtoapresentationsessionIparticipatedin
recently,bonestrengthdependsonagebecausewhenahumanisborn,thebonesaremostlysoft
cartilage,whichstrengthenintosolidbonesovertheyears.ThewayIunderstoodit,thebones
alsogetweakerasapersonagesinadulthood.Limblengthisalsoimportantbecauseifyouhave
thelengthofalimb,youcandeterminehowtallapersonwas,approximately.Themorebones
youhave,thebetter.
Anothergoodexampleofhowforensicsciencehelpsusinvestigatecrimeisimpression
evidence.Thismorning,Isawapresentationonthis,anditisn'tjustaboutfootprints.Onecan
identifyaperpetratorbystudyingtheirfingerprints,palmprints,andtiremarksoftheirvehicle.
Thisevidenceisoccasionallycircumstantialbecausetiremarksandshoeprintsindirtcaneasily
bedestroyedbyweatherandpassersby,butthereisnodefinitiveamountoftimethata
fingerprintwillstayonanindoorwallorcomputerkeyboard.EventhoughIcan'tactuallysee
them,Ihavefingerprintsonmywall,becauseIdoexercisesformybackasoftenasIcan.When
fingerprintevidenceiscollected,accordingtothepresenters,saidevidencecanberunthrough
theIntegratedAutomatedFingerprintIdentificationSystemforcriminalrecordsbasedon
fingerprinting.Tiremarkscanbeusefulinidentifyingafleeingvehicle,orthevehiclestire
model,dependingonhowmanymakesandmodelsusethattire(theyimpliedthelastpartof
that.Ithoughtitwasobvious).Also,themostrevealingpartofimpressionevidenceisweapon
imprints,butthesearecircumstantialaswell.Imprintsonadeadvictimcangiveaninvestigator
agoodideaofwhatthemurderweaponwas.Wrenchesandconstructionhammersleavedistinct
marks,dependingontheangleatwhichtheystruck.Thiscangiveadetectiveagoodideaof
whothecriminalisandwhathehasaccessto,unlessthiswasanintendedredherringonthepart
oftheperp.
Finally,mypersonalfavoritepartofforensicsisforensicpsychology,whichisthe
interactionbetweenpsychologyandthelawincriminalinvestigationandthejusticesystem.
Throughouttheforensicpsychologist'scareer,hecanbefoundinprisons,rehabilitationcenters,

DylanFisher
Chemistry
November17,2014

ChemistryQuiz

Fisher2

policedepartments,schools,lawfirms,privatepractices,andgovernmentagencies(FBI,etc).
Theforensicpsychologistdoesalotofresearchoncriminalbehavior,needstounderstandthe
criminal'smindsetthroughstudyofcrimesceneevidenceanddeducedsequenceofeventsinthe
crime,and,bychance,maylookatacoldcasetofindoutwhethertheperphadanypersonal
problems.Often,hiscasesdealwithperpsandvictimswithmentalillnesses,suchas
schizophreniaandbipolardisorder.Forensicpsychologistsalsooftenhelppolicedepartment
personnelunderstandthecomplexityofacaseduetooneofsaidmentaldisabilities.Formore
dangerousormorecomplicatedsituations,theyarefrequentlytrainedtohelpwithcrisesthat
involveposttraumaorsuicide.Anotherwaytheyhelpwithcasesislookingintothecausesof
falseconfessions.Thiscantieintoinvestigativemisconductonthepartofinterrogatorswho
torturethebelievedperpetratororsticktoonequestionforhoursjusttogetaconfession.
Unrelated,Iwatcheda"ForensicFiles"episodeafewdaysago,inwhichamanbythenameof
Alvinwasaccusedofkillingamaninaboataccidentescape,butthecasewasinvestigated
completelythewrongway.Intruth,Alvinhaddonenothingwrong,andhisfriend'sdeathhad
beenanaccident,butinvestigatorstreatedhimunfairly,forcinghimtofalselyconfessbyasking
himakiller'smostavoidedquestion:Why?I'msuretherehavebeensimilarsituationsinthe
past,butatothertimes,falseconfessionshappenbecausethesuspecthappenstobeclosetothe
trueperpetrator,orthevictimisclosetotheperpetrator.Manyabusevictimswearamaskof
denial,andforensicpsychologistscansometimesseewhatitis.(Analogybymyself.)
So,thereyouhaveit.Eventhoughthereismuchmoretobesaid,suchasthefactthat
DNAcanbefoundonmanypersonalitems,justlikefingerprints,there'sstillsomuchtothink
about.IunderstandthatthecaseagainstAlvinwasnotrelatedtothepresentations,butIsawthe
episodeafewdaysago,righthereonthiscouch,andIsawanopportunitytogiveyouareallife
example.Iknowthiscouldhavejustbeenonepage,butIknowagoodopportunitywhenIsee
it.Onelastthing:Forensicinvestigationmaybehighlycomplex,butitputstherightpersonin
jail,andtheinnocentvictimbackwheretheybelong,whichiswhereverhomeistothem.