ANTH 245 1st Edition Lecture 6Outline of Last Lecture - Why use a forensic anthropologist?- Biological Profile Outline of Current Lecture- Description of film Forensics on Trial- Madrid Bomber- Syracuse Farm House Fire- Nicole Brown Simpson CaseCurrent LectureForensics on trial film (Nova PBS)Madrid Bomber- Spanish police find blue plastic bag in a van a few blocks away from the crime scene with bomb materials in the bag- 200 people died- Prints on plastic are easily wiped off or distorted- Place it in an airtight chamber and coat it with heated superglue vapor (can also chemically alter and obscure lines of fingerprints though) - They got a partial print - 7 points of comparrison- FBI computer finds 20 possible matches- medical examiners declare 12 points need to be in common- one of the prints had 15 points in common- man was formerly part of the US army recently converted to Islam and represented a convicted terrorist in court (lawyer now) - Brandon Mayfield - Spanish police determine that the fingerprint actually belongs to an Algerian National and Mayfield is released from jail after 15 days - Parts of the fingerprint can be so similar that they could be mistaken with a partial print- CTF technique brings out exponentially more ridge lines *currently being reviewed for use in the field Forensic techniques being scrutinized by the NAS for being less about science and more about simple matchingFarm house set on fire in Syracuse - homeowner is missing - found without clothes near the house covered in blood with bite marks all over her- Forensic scientists make a wax mold of teeth and look for similar spacing and characteristics to compare to the bruise- Suspect was missing two teeth which leads wide gaps on the impression, but the bruise only shows a gap on the right (could indicate biting and twisting teeth which would obscure impression)- found guilty and sentenced to 25 years to life and spends the next 15 years trying to prove his innocence - New suspect identified by Brown - new suspect commits suicide and Roy Brown is still in jail - Saliva a match for new suspect- Roy Brown released from jail and sues NYS and wins about &2 million - The case is still open because new suspects remains were too degraded to make a positive match although they were similar Nicole Brown Simpson case - Ronald Goldman stabbed almost 20 times - Nicole Brown Simpson - deep cut to the throat, so deep that the head is almost severed- blood evidence compromised by police steeping on it- 4 blood stains on black socks found in OJ Simpson's socks- 3 belong to OJ one 1 belongs to Nicole Brown Simpson - Trial lasts for 9 months - longest in California history - jury takes 4 hours to acquit - Evidence was on trial, not OJ and evidence had a lot of contamination
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