In Reference to Murder

With Every Fiber of Your Being

There are many types of trace evidence that crime scene investigators and forensic scientists can use to find and convict suspects. One of these is fiber evidence analysis. Some of you may remember the trial of serial killer Wayne Williams, but you may not recall that part of his conviction revolved around fiber traces. The only real clue in the Atlanta killings was the presence of fiber threads on several of the bodies and their clothing. The Crime Library site details the investigation in which yellow-green carpet fibers were found on some of the bodies, which ultimately tied into carpeting found in Williams' home. Even though other people had the same type of carpeting which had only been made during the span of one year by a Boston-based company, the FBI determined only eighty-two homes in Georgia were carpeted with Luxaire English Olive. In addition, a single rayon fiber had been found on shorts of one of the victims, which was consistent with the carpeting in Williams' station wagon.

In another case, which this Connecticut Department of Safety site details, a carpet installer was accused of sexually assaulting two girls. Comparison microscopy helped determine that the same olefin fibers found on the girls' clothing were also found on the clothing of the suspect and in his van.

For a detailed look at fiber (and hair) trace evidence, you can check out the following FBI Site.
 

What's Bugging You?

Since yesterday's entry was about the study of pollen in forensics, it seemed appropriate to follow it up with the science of using insect evidence from crime scenes to help convict criminals, known as forensic entomology.  Although most of these cases involve using maggot growth to nail down a time of death, there are other interesting applications as, well. 

The Introduction to Forensic Entomology site has several case histories, including one where chiggers helped catch the bad guy. When law enforcement officials got chigger bites at the crime scene and noticed the same type of bites on the murder suspect, they had a forensic entomologist analyze the bites. He discovered that the only location was in a narrow area where the body was found, which meant the suspect had to have been there at some point, which didn't correspond to his testimony.

Then there's the case of the cockleburs. When police went looking for a suspect who was wearing a ski mask at the time of an assault, they found such a mask with cockleburs at a suspect's apartment. Although he claimed not to have used it since the previous winter, a forensic entomologist found billbug larvae in the cockleburs, which don't overwinter and wouldn't have survived in a heated apartment during the season. The court trusted the evidence, and the rapist was convicted.

Almost makes you think twice about squishing that bug, doesn't it?

Forensic Palynology

One of the least-known forensic sciences is the study of something quite microscopic, tiny grains of pollen, a science known as palynology.  This site, from Crime and Clues includes a history of the palynology including a case from Sweden dating back to 1959 and another from Austria in 1969, in which the conviction of the criminal was based primarily on the evidence recovered from a pollen sample associated with the crime. A search of the suspect's room revealed a pair of boots with mud still attached to the soles. These were taken as evidence and given to Wilhelm Klaus, a geologist with the Austrian Geological Survey, for analysis. After examining the mud, Dr. Klaus found it contained modern spruce, willow, and alder pollen, and was able to determine that only one location, a small area 20 kilometers north of Vienna along the Danube Valley, had soils that contained the precise mixture of pollen found in the boots' mud. When confronted with the identity of this location, the shocked defendant confessed his crime.

Playing It By Ear

Fingerprints and DNA get all the glory when it comes to forensics, or at least what most people know about the subject. However, there are other less well-known forensic techniques used in solving cases, and I thought I'd take the next few days highlighting some of these odder creatures, such as ear mark identification. 

Ear marks? As the site Ear Identification Research points out, if someone places his ear against the hard surface of a door in an attempt to overhear what people may be talking about behind the door, the eavesdropper could leave behind an impression of his ear on the door's surface, which can be developed like a latent fingerprint. In fact, as this BBC Site indicates, police in the U.K. are compiling what is believed to be the world's largest computer database of ear prints to be used in the same way as fingerprint evidence. (If you want to read more about the history of ear print IDs, Crime and Clues has more details.

Although there has been some controversy in the past as to whether ear prints were as unique as fingerprints, studies seem to be trending in that direction, especially in Europe, where it's thought to be more reliable in legal proceedings, as it is virtually impossible to tamper with an ear print or accidentally leave an ear print at a crime scene.

It may be a few years before ear print evidence is accepted in all courts of law, but it's certainly an intriguing development, and anything that can help put the bad guy behind bars is a welcome addition to forensics and law enforcement.

First "Draft" is Up!

After typing away like a court reporter on steroids, I've added the first last batch of links to The List, bringing it to around 1,500 total links.  It almost becomes addictive after awhile, with one link leading to another, then another, and so on until my bookmark folder is ready to explode. Now, I can start focusing once again on showcasing specific links that are particularly interesting and/or helpful. Next up after that, lining up interviews with experts to post from time to time, and hopefully podcasts, as well. Stay awhile and take a trip through The List to see what you can find. And, as always, happy reading and writing to all!

Updates

Well, after two weeks with a bad cold and four weeks with my husband's flu, which may turn out to be mumps after all (more on that later), I've finally gotten enough energy to update some more links. The List is up to almost 1,300 links now, with hundreds more yet to add, which is a bit daunting, but fun nonetheless. I only wish I could go without sleep and get more work done. I've actually tried it (well, only sleeping five hours per night), and ended up a zombie drooling on the keyboard. So, onward and upward, marching right along, and hopefully I'll get the basic list completed within a few weeks. Of course, updating and maintaining will be an ongoing process. And then there's time to be made for actual writing and my day job...

"The Sopranos": Hitting a True Note?

For a long time, Americans have been fascinated with gangsters and organized crime, an interest the recent series "The Sopranos" tapped for high ratings. The scripts could have been ripped from today's news, such as the current trial in Chicago of five reputed mobsters, including Joseph "Joey the Clown" Lombardo, in what is being billed as the city's biggest mob trial in years.

If you're a novelist and itching to try your hand at gangster fiction, there a few online sources, including Omerta, which has basic information like a Mafioso dictionary, quotes and sayings, a mob family structure, and a few Italian curse words to get you started. For a map of mob cities in the U.S., check out American Mafia, and if you're looking for up-to-date news and articles, you can try Gang Land, the site by American mafia expert Jerry Capeci.  And if you'd like to take a look at mobsters from the side of law and order, the FBI has a site on organized crime.

Here's hoping your novel's protagonist (antagonist?) becomes as much an American icon as Tony Soprano.