Defrosting Cold Cases

Blood Pattern Analysis: A follow up to #cclivechat of Feb 3, 2012, Part I (or, How I Punched a Side of Pork in a Sheffield Morgue) by Sue Carney ___________ In this week’s #cclivechat we focused on blood pattern analysis. The previous week we’d touched on the issues of whether it might be possible to [...]

Tags: Blood Pattern Analysis, cclivechat, Crime Labs, Crime Scene, DNA, Forensics, Identification, Sue Carney

It has been dubbed the most entertaining Cold Case Live Chat ever and the only thing I did was mention snot. He! We were talking about body fluids so it was not that far out, right? But seriously, we had an enlightening chat with Sue Carney about blood patterns, how they evolve, wet versus dry [...]

Tags: Crime Scene, DNA, Evidence, Forensics, Identification, Sue Carney

Friday the 13th! It was tempting fate and indeed something happened. Air plane delays messed up Richard Case‘s travel plans. Our #cclivechat therefore began much early with questions and answers send via email and Twitter. At the noon hour, several other CSI folks jumped in and we learned a great deal today! 1: Can you [...]

Tags: cclivechat, Crime Labs, Crime Scene, Evidence, Finger Printing, Forensics, Identification, Richard Mark Case

Our chat today was with Gary Howard a.k.a. TriniCSI on Twitter and we discussed the chemical treatment of fingerprints. And despite mind-boggling technical difficulties we got an excellent conversation going. We touched on the three types of fingerprints that can be found at a crime scene, blood transfers, latent and patent prints, and the different [...]

Tags: cclivechat, chemical treatment of fingerprints, Finger Printing, Forensics, Gary Howard

Since 1974, the Caughlin Family has been wondering why their beloved 14 year old Karen had to die. To this date, there are no answers. Maybe we will never get the answers we need but then again, it might be possible with the help of some special people. The Caughlin Family would like to have [...]

Tags: Autopsy, Canada, Crime Scene, Evidence, Forensics, Identification, Investigations Division, Karen Caughlin, Michigan, OPP, Police, Sarnia, Unsolved Homicide, Victim, Witnesses

From the New York Times: “In an opinion that harshly criticizes the tactics of the police and prosecutors, an Illinois appellate court on Friday night reversed the conviction of Juan Rivera, who has spent 19 years in jail for the 1992 rape and murder of an 11-year-old baby sitter in a suburb of Chicago. There [...]

Tags: Actual Innocence, Autopsy, Crime Labs, Crime Scene, DNA, DNA Database, Evidence, Expert Testimony, Faulty Evidence, Finger Printing, Forensics, Identification, Illinois, Investigations Division, Juan Rivera, Miscarriage of Justice, Police, Prisons, Prosecutorial Misconduct, Rape kits, Unsolved Homicide, Victim, Witnesses, Wrongful Convictions

  Rockford Police (IL) are going to set up a cold case website next year! “Over the years in Rockford, hundreds of murder cases have gone unsolved and many leads have now gone cold. The Rockford Police are in the process of setting up a new website they hope will help them close the book [...]

Tags: Crime Scene, DNA, Evidence, Forensics, Illinois, Investigations Division, Missing Person, Police, Rockford, Unidentified, Unsolved Homicide, Victim, Witnesses

This is the original crime scene diagram made by private detective George Anan who was hired by the defense in 1976 and who searched the furniture store together with attorney Vernon Davids. In a two-week examination of the store, Davids and Annan found a .38 caliber slug and a .38 caliber exit hole in the [...]

Tags: Actual Innocence, Autopsy, Ballistics, Capital Punishment, Crime Scene, Crime Scene Diagram, Cruelty, Death Row, DNA, DNA Database, Evidence, Expert Testimony, Faulty Evidence, FBI, Finger Printing, Florida, Forensics, Gun Fire, Identification, Investigations Division, Miscarriage of Justice, Partial Finger Printing, Police, Prisons, Prosecutorial Misconduct, Unsolved Homicide, Victim, William Thomas Zeigler, Witnesses, Wrongful Convictions

From the Netherlands: The prosecution announced today that Willeke Dost‘s foster parents are no longer regarded as suspects. The court in the city of Assen had told the prosecution that if they wanted to prosecute the foster mother and foster brother, it had to do so before Jan 1, 2012. Right now there does not [...]

Tags: Crime Scene, Evidence, Investigations Division, Missing Person, Police, the Netherlands, Unsolved Homicide, Victim, Willeke Dost, Witnesses

Today Mr. Zeigler‘s DNA hearing took place in Orange County, Florida, before Judge R. Whitehead. Mr. Zeigler himself was not present. However, he was available by phone if he was needed by the State, otherwise, his presence was waived in person and by phone. Passionate opening statements were made by defense attorney John Houston Pope. [...]

Tags: Actual Innocence, Autopsy, Ballistics, Capital Punishment, Crime Labs, Crime Scene, Cruelty, Death Row, DNA, DNA Database, Evidence, Expert Testimony, Faulty Evidence, FBI, Finger Printing, Florida, Forensics, Gun Fire, Identification, Investigations Division, Miscarriage of Justice, Partial Finger Printing, Police, Prisons, Prosecutorial Misconduct, Unsolved Homicide, Victim, William Thomas Zeigler, Witnesses, Wrongful Convictions