The forensic examination of wounds is one of the key elements of analysis performed by forensic anthropologists and forensic pathologists. Gross examination and histological analysis can be used to determine the timing of the wound and its cause. While forensic pathologists are trained to analyze hard and soft tissue wounds, forensic anthropologists, bioarchaeologists, and paleopathologists, focus on hard tissue. Forensic anthropologists have the added benefit of potentially working with residual soft tissue and would benefit from the incorporation of microscopy techniques that take advantage of the soft tissue to better understand perimortem events. Little research has been published that examines if any healing processes, the defining characteristic of an antemortem wound that do not progress beyond the time of death, are preserved within the tissues beyond death and how long they may be visible. The objectives of this study were to examine if the use of multiple stains will allow earlier visualization of healing processes in skeletal fractures than gross examination and to observe the length of time microscopic healing structures remain visible after death. A total of 224 slides from 19 specimens representing both fractured and un-fractured bones for control samples were taken from nine autopsied individuals at the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner's Office and analyzed using four stains: Hemotoxylin and eosin (H&E), trichrome, Prussian blue, and elastin stain. Slides were analyzed using a set of 14 scored variables and evaluated with nonparametric statistical tests and cluster analyses. H&E, trichrome, and elastin stains were useful in examining wound age and survival time categories were significantly different for presence of elastin and presence of hemorrhage. H&E and trichrome stains proved useful for observing residual healing structures after death and time cohorts after time of autopsy were significantly different for 11 variables. Results from this study support further testing with larger sample sizes, including samples with a wider range of survival time, to better predict survival times of fractures and time since death.

Individual cues to deception are subtle and often missed by lay people and law enforcement alike. Linguistic statement analysis remains a potentially useful way of overcoming individual diagnostic limitations (e.g. Criteria based Content Analysis; Steller & Köhnken, 1989; Reality monitoring; Johnson & Raye, 1981; Scientific Content Analysis; Sapir, 1996). Unfortunately many of these procedures are time-consuming, require in-depth training, as well as lack empirical support and/or external validity. The current dissertation develops a novel approach to statement veracity analysis that is simple to learn, easy to administer, theoretically sound, and empirically validated. Two strategies were proposed for detecting differences between liars' and truth-tellers' statements. Liars were hypothesized to strategically write statements with the goal of self-exoneration. Liars' statements were predicted to contain more first person pronouns and fewer third person pronouns. Truth-tellers were hypothesized to be motivated toward being informative and thus produce statements with fewer first person pronouns and more third person pronouns. Three studies were conducted to test this hypothesis. The first study explored the verbal patterns of exoneration and informativeness focused statements. The second study used a traditional theft paradigm to examine these verbal patterns in guilty liars and innocent truth tellers. In the third study to better match the context of a criminal investigation a cheating paradigm was used in which spontaneous lying was induced and written statements were taken. Support for the first person pronoun hypothesis was found. Limited support was found for the third person pronoun hypothesis. Results, implications, and future directions for the current research are discussed.

Since 1943, six studies have been made of speech education in Oregon public schools. Several make reference to forensics, but none discuss this aspect of speech education in depth. As a result, the role of forensics in the schools has been assumed or denied. With the educational situation as it is, however, it is necessary that we have a greater under.standing of the relationship between forensics and general speech education and language arts education.

Adhesive tapes are a common type of evidence involved in violent crimes and national security threats. This research evaluated the utility of LA-ICP-MS and LIBS for the characterization of the trace elemental signature in adhesive tapes for forensic comparisons. LA-ICP-MS and LIBS methods were developed, for the first time, for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of adhesive tapes. The backings of 90 black electrical tapes, previously characterized by conventional techniques (physical examination, IR, Py-GC-MS, and SEM-EDS), were analyzed by LA-ICP-MS to evaluate the ability of the technique to discriminate samples originating from different sources and to associate pieces of tapes originating from the same roll. The discrimination for the LA-ICP-MS analysis of the 90 samples was found to be 93.9%, greater than the discrimination found using SEM-EDS (87.3%). Moreover, 100% correct association resulted for the control samples evaluated in this study. The analysis of tapes by LIBS allowed to separate pairs of tapes that were not previously distinguished by LA-ICP-MS by detecting differences in lithium, calcium, and potassium. The potential of normalization strategies was evaluated for LIBS spectral and statistical comparisons. Two quantitative analysis methods were developed for the analysis of tapes and other polymers. These quantitative methods can help in creating and populating databases that can lead to the use of likelihood ratios and the development of standard methods of analysis and interpretation for tape evidence. Two interlaboratory trials including 7 operational and research laboratories were completed as part of this study. SEM-EDS resulted in 16.7% and 12.5% false positive rates for interlaboratory tests #1 and #2, respectively. Up to 7 and 8 elements were detected by SEM-EDS for interlaboratory test #1 and #2, respectively. LIBS and LA-ICP-MS resulted in no false positives or false negatives. In addition, increased characterization of the samples was obtained by detecting up to 17 elements by LIBS and 32 elements by LA-ICP-MS. The increased sensitivity and selectivity of LIBS and LA-ICP-MS methods has been shown to distinguish tapes originating from different sources, and to correctly associate tapes belonging to the same rolls in different laboratories and by different analysts.

Ignitable liquids consist of either a single organic compound or a complex organic mixture. In regards to fire debris analysis, the analyst is responsible for determining if an ignitable liquid residue is present. However, when extracted from soil-containing fire debris evidence, chemical degradation from microorganisms is observed to result in the loss of compounds based on chemical structure. It can also happen when the evidence container is stored at room temperature before analysis. This can present a challenge to the fire debris analyst when identifying and classifying the ignitable liquid residue based on the criteria established by standard test methods. The purpose of this research was to observe the microbial degradation of fourteen compounds, at room temperature over a period of time, for possible by-product formation that could coincide with compounds normally present in an ignitable liquid. Additionally, a quantitative assessment was performed to observe and record the loss rate of compounds in a representative simple mixture. Finally, the loss rate from the simple mixture was compared to commercially available ignitable liquids. Degradation studies were conducted to observe the microbial degradation of a representative compounds (individually and in a simple mixture, both weathered and unweathered) and seven ignitable liquids of different ASTM E1618 classifications. Potting soil was spiked with 20 µL of a liquid/compound and was allowed to stand at room temperature for a period of time. The simple mixture was evaporated to 50% and 90% using a steady nitrogen gas flow to compare the degradation process to the unweathered mixture. All samples were extracted and analyzed using passive-headspace concentration and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The formation of by-products was not observed when degrading the compounds from the simple mixture individually as seen in other research. The simple mixture, unweathered and 50% weathered, resulted in rapid degradation of their oxygenated compounds. The straight-chained alkanes and toluene were observed to be more susceptible to microbial attack than the highly-substituted aromatics and the branched and cyclic alkanes. The 90% weathered mixture followed the same degradation trend as the unweathered and 50% weathered samples, although it only contained two compounds. The loss rates/half-lives for each simple mixture sample (unweathered, 50% weathered, and 90% weathered) were determined to be approximately 3.5, 3.5, and 0.84 days. The unweathered and 50% weathered sample half-lives were similar due to containing compounds with similar susceptibility to degradation, while the 90% weathered sample contained one compound that was more highly susceptible to degradation. When comparing the 3.5 day half-life to the seven different ASTM class liquids, the isoparaffinic product and the naphthenic-paraffinic product had similar rates of degradation while aromatic solvent and normal alkane classes had the shortest half-lives. When observing the degradation of the gasoline, medium petroleum distillate and the miscellaneous, the constituent compounds were seen to exhibit a range of degradation rates that corresponded to half-lives less than and greater than 3.5 days.

An optimized method of extraction, an instrumental analysis method and data analysis was proposed for black writing inks based on direct infusion electrospray-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). The sampling and analysis method is both minimally destructive and able to assess differences in inks from a reference collection of thirty ballpoint, gel, and rollerball inks. The methanol extracts of ink on paper samples were analyzed with three direct infusion (ESI-MS) methods. Each method varied scan voltage negative and positive, ESI fragmentor applied voltage (+120V, +0V, and -120V), and mobile phase additive. Direct infusion ESI-MS analysis, followed by pair-wise comparisons of the observed ion data in binary form allowed inks to be distinguished from each other. The photobleaching of the dye Basic Violet 3 (BV3) in ink-onpaper samples was examined to determine the use of degradation products as a marker of the age of the writing sample. The extent of photobleaching of BV3 was determined using several illumination sources. Pair-wise comparison of observed ion data was able to distinguish 29 of 30 ink samples using the combined three instrumental methods. Out of 435 pair-wise comparisons 429 pairs could be discriminated from each other using the combined three methods. This is a 98.6% discrimination with the combined analysis scheme

This research paper discusses the role of virtual environments in digital forensic investigations. With virtual environments becoming more prevalent as an analysis tool in digital forensic investigations, it’s becoming more important for digital forensic investigators to understand the limitation and strengths of virtual machines. The study aims to expose limitations within commercial closed source virtual machines and open source virtual machines. The study provides a brief overview of history digital forensic investigations and virtual environments, and concludes with an experiment with four common open and closed source virtual machines; the effects of the virtual machines on the host machine as well as the performance of the virtual machine itself. My findings discovered that while the open source tools provided more control and freedom to the operator, the closed source tools were more stable and consistent in their operation. The significance of these findings can be further researched by applying them in the context of exemplifying reliability of forensic techniques when presented as analysis tool used in litigation.

Biological material (fluids or tissues) whether from the victim or suspect is often collected as forensic evidence, and methods to obtain and analyze the DNA found in that material have been well established. The type of body fluid (i.e. blood, saliva, semen, vaginal secretions, and menstrual blood) from which the DNA originated is also of interest, and messenger RNA typing provides a specific and sensitive means of body fluid identification. In order for mRNA profiling to be utilized in routine forensic casework, RNA of sufficient quantity and quality must be obtained from biological fluid stains and the methods used for RNA analysis must be fully compatible with current DNA analysis methodologies. Several DNA/RNA co-extraction methods were evaluated based on the quantity and quality of DNA and RNA recovered and were also compared to standard non-co-extraction methods. The two most promising methods, the in-house developed NCFS co-extraction and the commercially available AllPrep DNA/RNA Mini kit, were then optimized by improving nucleic acid recovery and consistency of CE (capillary electrophoresis) detection results. The sensitivity of the two methods was also evaluated, and DNA and RNA profiles could be obtained for the lowest amount of blood (0.2 µL) and saliva and semen (1 µL) tested. Both extraction methods were found to be acceptable for use with forensic samples, and the ability to obtain full DNA profiles was not hindered by the co-extraction of RNA. It is generally believed that RNA is less stable than DNA which may prevent its use in forensic casework. However, the degradation rates of DNA and RNA in the same biological fluid stain have not been directly compared. To determine the relative stability of DNA and RNA, the optimized NCFS co-extraction protocol was used to isolate DNA and RNA from iv environmentally compromised stains. Dried blood, saliva, and semen stains and vaginal secretions swabs were incubated at set temperatures and outside for up to 1 year. Even at 56°C, DNA and RNA were both stable out to 1 year in the blood and semen stains, out to 3 months (DNA) and 1 year (RNA) in the saliva stains, and out to 6 months (DNA) and 3 months (RNA) in the vaginal secretions swabs. The recoverability of both nucleic acids was reduced when the samples were exposed to increased humidity, sunlight, and rain. In general, DNA and RNA stability was found to be similar with a loss in ability to obtain a DNA or RNA profile occurring at the same time point; however, there were instances where RNA body fluid markers were detected when a poor/no DNA profile was obtained, indicating that RNA in dried stains is sufficiently stable for mRNA body fluid typing to be used in forensic casework.

In order to protect the safety of our citizens and to ensure a civil society, we ask our law enforcement, judiciary and intelligence agencies, under the rule of law, to seek probative information which can be acted upon for the common good. This information may be used in court to prosecute criminals or it can be used to conduct offensive or defensive operations to protect our national security. As the citizens of the world store more and more information in digital form, and as they live an ever-greater portion of their lives online, law enforcement, the judiciary and the Intelligence Community will continue to struggle with finding, extracting and understanding the data stored on computers. But this trend affords greater opportunity for law enforcement. This dissertation describes how several disparate approaches: knowledge management, content analysis, narratology, and natural language processing, can be combined in an interdisciplinary way to positively impact the growing difficulty of developing useful, actionable intelligence from the ever-increasing corpus of digital evidence. After exploring how these techniques might apply to the digital forensic process, I will suggest two new theoretical constructs, the Hermeneutic Theory of Digital Forensics and the Narrative Theory of Digital Forensics, linking existing theories of forensic science, knowledge management, content analysis, narratology, and natural language processing together in order to identify and extract narratives from digital evidence. An experimental approach will be described and prototyped. The results of these experiments demonstrate the potential of natural language processing techniques to digital forensics.

To date, the use of mitochondrial DNA in forensic analysis has relied on the presence of variations in the control region to differentiate between samples. One problem that this analysis has shown is the occurrence of common Haplogroup H haplotypes or identical sequences. Thus, there is a need to enhance the distinguishing power of this type of analysis. One option has been to investigate the mitochondrial coding region for polymorphisms that could differentiate between samples with identical control region haplotypes. The goal of this study has been to identify polymorphic coding region sites for development in a Pyrosequencing assay that would effectively enhance the discriminatory power of mitochondrial DNA analysis. With this goal in mind, five duplexes have been successfully developed and tested, utilizing the ten polymorphic sites that had been selected, with most sites being specific to Caucasians. Validation studies were performed to test the durability of the assay. The specificity of the assay to primate and non-primate species was determined to be limited to primate species only. Sample variations, including mixtures, dilutions and environmental exposure, were utilized to assess the sensitivity of the Pyrosequencing method. It was found that a minimum initial DNA input of 10fg was necessary for reliable results. The Pyrosequencing assay was able to detect mixtures at a 1:1 ratio and environmental samples exposed to the elements from up to 1 week for blood and 6 weeks for semen. Samples designed to simulate typical casework materials were analyzed and found to provide for consistent results, including trace fingerprints and digested hair shafts. These validation results provide the conclusion that this assay is suitable for use in forensic casework and demonstrate that the mitochondrial coding region provides a viable alternative to hypervariable region analysis.