Intro to Forensic Science Final Exam questions and answers.docx, Exams of Oral Biology

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Intro to Forensic Science Final Exam questions and answers General Crime Scene Investigation? - answer Based on the location, evidence around the body (trace evidence- information about the profile of the suspect), and the body itself can tell us what happened The crime scene provides insight into what happened It's more than just the processing, documentation, collection, and packaging of physical evidence It's the first step and the most crucial step of a forensic investigation What is the foundation of all forensic investigations? - answer Based on the ability for a crime scene investigator to recognize potential and important physical evidence, large and small, at the crime scene What are the next steps after collecting physical evidence? - answer The subsequent identification of the physical evidence & the determination of the possible source or origin of the evidence (this is called the individualization of evidence) Proper Crime Scene Investigation? - answer The starting point; the initiation of crime scene reconstruction Careful processing, documentation, collection, and preserving of physical evidence are integral parts Crime scene investigation is not like what it is on TV, it is more? - answer Organized, methodical, systematic, and logical To properly investigate a scene, what is needed? - answer Adequate experience and training (current and outgoing) Managed and coordinated team effort nature of evidence, its composition, or by the types of questions to be resolved, etc. Most of the clues that lead to the solution of a crime are at the crime scene in the form of physical evidence Analysis of the crime scene and what the objective of crime scene investigators? - answer Will allow the investigator to determine the sort of physical evidence that is most likely to be found at a particular crime scene Recognize (know what is evidence and what is not), collect (properly collect evidence), preserve (keep intact), process (go over it and analyze it), and interpret/reconstruct (determine what happened based on evidence) What is the major objective of examining physical evidence and the interaction of these objectives creates what? - answer To provide useful information for the investigator to solve the case Interaction of these objectives is the basis of a "scientific crime scene investigator" What is circumstantial evidence? - answer Physical evidence such as fingerprints, blood, hair; used to convict people all the time; leads one to believe that this happened; the more of this evidence the bigger the case is against that person What is direct evidence? - answer Eyewitness testimony; directly saw the person doing it; a video of the person doing it What is corpus delecti? - answer "Body of a crime" Facts indicating a crime has taken place Physical evidence, patterns of evidence, and any lab results of testing the evidence Modus Operandi? - answer Many criminals have a method of operation- MO Their personal method of committing the crime The physical evidence can be used to determine a pattern (MO) Step-by-step idea; process of what they're going to do and who they're going to do it to; thought about it and prepared for it A criminal's MO? - answer All criminals have an MO that consists of their habits, techniques, and peculiarities Sometimes changes over time if they have not been successful A way or an approach to commit the crime Serial Crime Scene Investigations & MO? - answer Cases that are seemingly unrelated and can be connected by careful crimes investigation of similar MO's What is the most common and important linkage that evidence can establish? - answer Linking a suspect to the victim Linkage of this type is significant in violent crimes Exchange of materials Linking evidence between people? - answer Is directional in that physical evidence from a suspect maybe found on the victim and vice versa; Locard's Exchange Principle Information from crime scenes can be in the form of and derived from? - answer Oral statements, written statements, documents, or pattern evidence Information can be derived from individuals at the scene, forensic evidence located or was marked absent from scene or pattern evidence located within scene Information from victim? - answer Comprehensive victim background investigation can provide valuable leads Divided into two components: last 24 hours & comprehensive background investigation 24 hour background of victim? - answer Once victim is identified, locate family, friends, and associates Where was the victim, who were they with, what were they doing, and how do they arrived at that location Basic information: what were they wearing or what do they eat 24 hour background of victim: good investigative practices? - answer The vehicles that are available to victim or their associates, account for each vehicle especially the ones found near or at the scene at the time of incident The victim's personal property Trace material recovered from victim Extended victim background? - answer Any and all business, family, and personal associates should be identified and interviewed Information should be geared toward the relationship between victim and associates- they should be investigated as to other factors as well What should be checked in an extended victim background? - answer Important to conduct a second background in the manner for an associate of the victim who you believe is involved Investigate the business and financial affairs of the victim- unusual transactions or dealings near the time of death Credit cards and checking accounts should be traced Phones, pagers, messages, mail, and email should be checked Information from witness? - answer No witness should be overlooked or ignored- they come from all backgrounds and sources History is shown that all too often a person's perception of a particular act or event is not totally consistent with the truth Witness accuracy is poor- processing of the scene and evidence can be used to corroborate their story Direct Witness? - answer Any witness that actually perceived some portion of an incident with any of their senses should be questioned Physical evidence can support witness claim and bolster their credibility How do you check the witness truthfulness? - answer By asking questions about vantage point, light level, weather conditions Also, what actions the witness took that could have altered or damaged the scene Quality documentation includes? - answer Photography, videotaping (no audio), preparation, sketch maps, and other forms of written or audio/visual recording formats Information comes in different forms and requires different methods to preserve, collect, analyze, etc. What is pattern evidence? - answer Patterns at scene in form of imprints, indentations, striations, fractures, etc. Most commonly found is blood splatter, stains, moving of furniture, projectile trajectory patterns, clothing or article patterns, etc. What is transfer evidence? - answer Also called trace evidence Produced by physical contact of persons, objects, or between objects and persons What is Locard's Exchange Principle? - answer When two or more services come in contact with one another there is an exchange of material (trace evidence) What is associative evidence? - answer Specific items located at seen or during investigation that may be used associate victim or suspect with a particular scene or each other Ex.) wallet found at the scene or items belonging to the victim in the suspect's possession (trophy for serial killers) Why do serial killers take trophies? - answer Relive the act they committed, reminisce, sense of achievement; based on a fantasy- continue the connection, keep them in a special place or give them away Behavioral science and criminal profiling research and analysis has identified what about MO Patterns? - answer Specific and general patterns or methods of operation that can be deduced from a systematic and thorough crime scene analysis These generalizations can be developed to help identify a limited class of likely suspects MO does change as the killer gets better overtime What is a signature to a serial killer? - answer Not necessary, inner need to do it, above and beyond, strictly want to do it, not part of the crime; same overtime; a fantasy What is a signature in terms of serial criminal investigations? - answer Establish the theme of crime They are committed to satisfy psychological and emotional need Unique calling card left at each crime scene Nothing to do with the crime Serial Criminal Investigations? - answer Link people because of the signature Link separate cases and associate the known or previous behaviors of the suspect to those cases Profiling? - answer The identification of certain characteristics of an unknown, unidentified offender based upon the way he committed a violent act and his interactions with the victims It is a tool and not like it is on TV shows fantasy or change the way they enacted the fantasy, have to go back and do it again until they have evolved and learned Style of attack? - answer Size and power of the killer; face-to-face they're probably more confident and powerful, blitz or use of ruse probably not as confident, quiet, small, less powerful What are some possible outcomes of criminal behavioral analysis? - answer Determine physical, behavioral, and demographic (age, race, etc.) characteristics of the offender Develop a profile of the post offense behavior of offender and strategies for apprehension Develop interview strategies after apprehension Determine where evidence may be located Offender Actions: Criminal Sophistication? - answer New- rapists with no disguise Old- cleans up, brings tools, more involved Offender Actions: Trophy, Souvenir, and Fantasy? - answer Trophy- item retained by offender to represent accomplishment or a victory within context of his criminality Souvenir- the item retained as a means to fondly remember the event and is used to support masturbation activities and fantasies Idea in their heads Victimology? - answer The process of investigating, establishing, and evaluating victim traits and history Everything known about victim including who they are, how they spend their time, and how they lived their life An offender's victim choices can provide what? - answer Inferences about fantasy, motive, MO, knowledge, and skill What is the suggested stages of information gathering? - answer A seven-stage process Evaluation of crime itself Comprehensive evaluation of the specific(s) of the crime Comprehensive analysis of victim Evaluation of the preliminary police reports Evaluation of the medical examiner's autopsy protocol Development of profile with critical criminal characteristics (most are narcissistic) Investigative suggestions predicated on construction of the profile; most likely, not exact Assessment of victim's lifestyle and also at the time of the crime? - answer High risk job Addictions Proximity to criminal activity Location of occurrence # of potential victims Availability of weapons Care and supervision Behavior reflects personality? - answer Personality is assumed to dictate behavior that is reflected in evidence left at the scene Critical to explore the offender's and victim's personality Money- need it Panties- trophy, used for pleasure later Organized or Disorganized Crime Scenes? - answer Organized or disorganized classification system Offenders are classified based on the level of sophistication, planning, and competence in the crime scene Easy to teach and use Used to simplify the language used to describe offenders to law enforcement What are some elements of a disorganized crime scene? - answer Below average intelligence, not socially competent, loner, unskilled, sexually incompetent, harsh discipline as a child, lives alone, spontaneous, known victim, depersonalize victims, crime scene is sloppy/random, minimal conversation with victim, body not hidden, sexual acts after death, sudden violence to victim, significant behavior change, body left at the scene, weapons used, and sometimes mentally ill What are some possible signature behaviors? - answer Ripping or tearing the clothes Binding victim in a unique or peculiar way Binding the victim postmortem Masturbating on victim (prior to or after death) Mutilation of body/torture Necrophilia- sexual activity with the dead Removal of body parts Placing body parts in victim's orifices What are projective tests? - answer Tests designed to have individuals respond to visual stimuli and when asked to respond to it their response will reveal aspects of their personality Rorschach Ink Blot Test is most common What is the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)? - answer They are shown a picture and asked to make a story out of it and their personality will show through their version of the story What are projective figure drawings? - answer A person is asked to draw something like a house, a tree, a person, the worst thing they can think of, etc. and interpretation is made from them What is leakage? - answer Personality coming through, not normal or typical behavior or drawings- their fantasy Linking suspect to victim? - answer Blood, tissue, hair, fibers, and cosmetics may be transferred Items found on suspect Fingerprints, blood, semen, hair, etc. Identification of Suspect? - answer DNA, fingerprints, and bite marks DNA is good Fingerprints are alright, but not necessarily the best Bite marks are tricky because they're under scrutiny and not always reliable Location of bite marks can tell us about the suspect (when, where, and why) Forensic Entomology? - answer Insect activity on the body What is the Predators/Parasites Stage? - answer Feed on the necrophagous insects What is the Omnivorous Species Stage? - answer Feed on both the body and other insects When do insects lay on the body? - answer Depends on time of day and the species of insects they may settle on body and begin to feed immediately after death Successive waves of insects settle on body What factors determine how soon the wave of insects attack the body? - answer Rate of decomposition, burial, the immersion in water, mummification, and location What affects insects from landing on the body, laying eggs, and time of death? - answer Temperature and humidity are major factors controlling laying eggs and rate of necrophagous insects Extreme temperatures may impair, prevent, or cause cessation of insects' development Temporary storing body in an area will prevent laying eggs and impair time of death Moving body from one area to another also affects it and can introduce new insects What is the most common insect that feeds on the dead? - answer Fly Where and when do blowflies tend to lay their eggs? - answer In orifices of body and in open wounds (anus, vagina, corner of the eyes, mouth) They can destroy/alter the appearance of the wound They usually lay eggs during daytime and will not lay eggs at night Duration of insects on body? - answer Body hasn't been removed and only eggs are present one can assume the duration of death has been 1 to 2 days After hatching the maggots grow larger to reach pupa stage (can take 6 to 10 days under good conditions) then forms into a fly (adult form) What is anthropophagy? - answer Greek for "eating of man" Attacks by small insects to large animals Ex.) abraded lesions What color are postmortem injuries? - answer Red brown to brown with the lack of blood Dermatoglyphics - answer A fingerprint is an individual characteristic No two have yet been found to possess identical ridge characteristics (not necessarily) Foundation for fingerprint acceptance in court? - answer Probability that two fingerprints could match is low 64 billion different individual prints Fingerprints? - answer A reproduction of friction skin ridges found on the palms, fingers, thumbs, and soles of feet Design for firmer grasp and resistance to slipping Fingerprints have general ridge patterns Fingerprints are divided into three categories? - answer Loops Whorls Arches Loop: Type-lines, Deltas, and Core? - answer Must have one or more ridges entering from one side or reoccurring and exiting same side Loop opens toward little finger- ulnar loop Opens from thumb- radial loop Type-lines- pattern area of the loop surrounded by two diverging ridges Deltas- ridge point nearest the type-line Core- center of pattern Whorls? - answer Distinct groups- Plain, Central pocket, Double loop, Accidental All have type-lines and minimum of two deltas Plain and central pocket loop whorls have at least one ridge that makes a complete circuit Ridge may be spiral, oval, or circular Arches? - answer Least common has two patterns: plain and tented Don't have type-lines, deltas, or cores How does an expert compare fingerprints? - answer Compares small number of ridge characteristics from recovered print to recorded print Criteria- 8 to 16 is required for matching Responsibility of examiner (knowledge and experienced) to identify positive match What is the minutiae? - answer Details in a print With these, an identification can be made Big details like starting lines, splitting lines, and line fragments Smaller details like pores & incipients What are the types of lines in fingerprints? - answer Line-unit- exist on any one isle with a pore Line-fragment- two or more line-units A beginning or ending line Bifurcation- splitting line Eye- two lines, splitting and meeting each other shortly after Hook- short splitting line What are pores, scars, creases, and warts? - answer Pores- details in number, shapes, and size Scars- lines that cannot recover anymore Creases- permanent Warts- not permanent, but typical What is line shape, incipient ridges, and deformation? - answer Line shape- lines vary breadth Incipient ridges- beneath papillary lines Deformation- lines deform and face apart What is Intergraded Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS)? - answer Large database of fingerprint collections- using individual characteristics of prints converted into digital minutiae, ridge endings, and branching Thousands of comparisons in seconds Made the process faster