FREE ESSAY ON FORENSIC SCIENCE

FORENSIC SCIENCE

Megan Malone
CRJU 235
TR 12:30-1:45
12-09-99
Forensic Science and Investigations
The word forensic basically means the key to solve a crime. Science is the technology
used to help forensic teams to analyze and solve crimes. What can look obvious to the
naked eye could actually be a whole other story. Hair samples can determine many things
about a person or animal when collected from forensics. There are many job opportunities
with a good salary and many openings within the job. This paper will discuss a case where
forensic science is needed and how crucial it is in any case.
When arriving at the crime scene Geberth (1997) notes that there are certain procedures
the investigators and forensic teams must abide by. When they arrive they have to
document just about every thing, especially the important things. They have to go through
a checklist, like the time of day, the weather, and interviews with officers, suspects,
witnesses, and family members. When examining the body the forensic investigators record
name, address, and the sex of the victim, determine the death, and they have to take
pictures. Also they must stabilize the scene with barriers of rope or whatever is
necessary. Collecting evidence is also important. They must make sure they do not get
their fingerprints and other things like hair, saliva, etc... on the evidence. There is a
whole lot to do when arriving, but those are the main and important ones. 
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When documenting there is a lot to be recorded. There are three basic steps when an
investigator records a crime scene. First of all the investigator must do a thorough
investigation. They should gather as much information as possible, as in the time of the

report, who notified the investigator, condition of the body when arrived. Record all of
the facts in a clear and logical order. They need to make sure which facts are opinions
and the actual facts.
Secondly, the information must be collated and the notes are organized. The investigator
must review all of the information that was gathered from him/herself and other
investigators. All of the information that was gathered cannot be put into the report,
one has to decide what is important and what is not. The investigator needs to organize
the material in a logical order so it is understood by anyone who may read it. The report
must have steps of the investigation when taken whether they are good or bad.
The third step is writing the report. If all of the material is organized and collected,
it should be simple to write the report. All of the data has to be complete and accurate.
The writing and language it was written in should be precise and able to read. The whole
report should be brief but still hold necessary information.
One case in particular is the case of a suicidal hanging staged as a homicide. These
kinds of suicides are rarely discovered by crime scene investigators. A man was 
found dead in his bedroom by his roommate. The cord that he hung himself with was
suspended over the closet door and fastened around the inside doorknob. He had a sock in
his mouth which stayed in place by a bandanna tied around his mouth and the back of 
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his head. The victim's hands were harnessed behind his back with a pair of handcuffs and
his ankles were tied together with a coaxial cable and no suicide note was found.
The forensic investigation of the scene found some fascinating facts. There were no
forced entries into the apartment or bedroom and the front door was locked from the 
inside. The roommate stated that nothing was stolen, and there was one hundred forty
dollars in cash was in the living room. By this analysis it is obvious that no one had
broken to commit some type of crime.
Also a wooden chair was found upright directly in front of the victim. There was evidence
of struggle and any restraint that he had on himself could easily be removed. The
investigators found on the handcuffs a quick release lever, which can open the cuffs
without a key. The closet door that had the cord attached to it was approximately 6'6 and
the victim was 6'0. The problem was that there was not any notable stretching of the
cord.
The victim's ex-girlfriend said that they had broken up and the day before he was found
dead he had bought her about one hundred dollars worth of flowers that she did not
accept, and he was always depressed once they ended their relationship. The victim had
also made comments to his ex-girlfriend and family members that there was some kind of
motorcycle gang after him and if he dies expect foul play. 
From all of the evidence that was collected from the forensic investigators, it was
conclusive he had staged his death as a homicide. It was suspected that the victim
intended to elicit sympathy and guilt from the ex-girlfriend over the failed relationship
(Adair & Dobersen, 1999). The crime scene investigation should help determine when 
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some sort of staging has taken place. Without recognizing these types of clues may lead
to uncalled-for, postponed and expensive investigations.
According to Geberth (1983) you are suppose to remember, once an item of evidence has
been removed or altered it is impossible to restore it to its original position 
or condition (p.6). Everyone needs to work together in crime scenes, there is no I in
team. Collecting evidence is very crucial. It is very important that a body or anything
around the crime scene is not moved. Some cases are harder to solve than others though,
even if nothing is moved around. 
Let's say in order to identify a body that has been dead for a while and the skin is
shriveled or wrinkled. It is said that if you take a needle full of water and inject it
into the skin with water the finger will fill up to it's original contour. In a raped
victim if traces of dried semen is found on the body, forensics use a 100% cotton ball
moistened with distilled water. Then let it air-dry, put the cotton ball in a sterile
container to send to the lab.
A lot can be determined from hair samples also. The hair can decide whether or not it has
come from a human or animal, and if it is a human it can tell what race the person is
(Savolainen & Lundeberg 1999). Where the hair has grown on the body is also something
else that can be determined. If the hair was pulled, fell, or cut out and if the person
is diseased, this too can be resolved from forensics. From the shaft of the hair the
blood type is held there. If the hair is pulled from the roots the sex and other genetic
markers can be found.
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According to the Virginia Division of Forensic Sciences (1999) there are some openings
all over Virginia for the field of forensics. There are many fields in forensics, from
being evidence supervisor to being a toxicologist. There are very important
qualifications dealing with forensics and each field has different qualifications, but a
lot of them are the same, and each requires a valid driver's license.
The salary range for a forensic scientist supervisor is $46,183 - $72,103, Richmond
Virginia. Some of the qualifications one must have are knowledge of chemistry, laboratory
experience, and laboratory safety. A Bachelor's degree in chemistry or closely related
field required. Experience performing examinations in two or more of the following areas:
glass, paint, explosives, synthetic fibers and fire debris analysis. Also they must be
able to manage multiple tasks efficiently, analyze and interpret data, develop sound
conclusions, maintain accurate records, and analyze, and solve technical problems. A
color blindness test may be required
Toxicologist's salary range from $48,544 - $75,788. The qualifications for a toxicologist
are is a Ph.D. in toxicology, chemistry, biochemistry, pharmacology or related scientific
field and experience in toxicological analyses required. Certification as a Diplomat of
the American Board of Forensic. $30,929 - $48,287 is the paying salary for an electronic
technician supervisor. Some of the qualifications for a technician supervisor are
extensive training and/or experience in electronic operations, trouble shooting and
repair of automated scientific instrumentation.
It is pretty obvious that forensic science is very important. If it was not for the
technology and the forensic teams a lot of harsh and unexplained crimes would have 
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never been solved. Everyday forensics is learning something new about DNA, hair samples,
and so much more. A couple of movies to see about forensics are Kiss the Girls and Bone
Collector. Even though these are only movies they are still really good and they give you
a really good idea about the different fields of forensics. We have come far into the
century with sciences and knowledge, and we use them to our advantage and to 
help society. Forensics plays a meaningful role in the police field.
Bibliography
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References
Adair, Thomas W., & Dobersen, Michael J. (1999). A Case of Suicidal Hanging Staged as
Homicide. Journal of Forensic Sciences, 44 (6), 1307-1309.
Colburn, Gene. Virginia Division of Forensic Science. 12 Nov. 1999. 20 Nov. 1999 .
Geberth, Vernon J. (1997). Checklist and Field Guide. CRC Press, Inc.
Geberth, Vernon J. (1983). Practical Homicide Investigation: Tactics, Procedures, and
Forensic Technics. Elsevier Science Publishing Co., Inc.
Savolainen, Peter, & Lundeberg, Joakim (1999). Forensic Evidence Based on mtDNA from Dog
and Wolf Hairs. Journal of Forensic Sciences, 44 (1), 77-80.