Table Of ContentThe Forensic Laboratory Handbook
F O R E N S I C
S C I E N C E - - M E D I C I N E
A N D
Steven B. Karch, MD,SERIES EDITOR
THE FORENSIC LABORATORY HANDBOOK: PROCEDURESAND PRACTICE, edited by
Ashraf Mozayani and Carla Noziglia,2006
SUDDEN DEATHS IN CUSTODY, edited byDarrell L. Ross and Ted Chan,2006
DRUGSOF ABUSE:BODY FLUID TESTING,edited byRaphael C. Wong
and Harley Y. Tse,2005
CLINICAL FORENSIC MEDICINE:A PHYSICIAN'S GUIDE, SECOND EDITION,edited by
Margaret M. Stark,2005
FORENSIC MEDICINE OF THE LOWER EXTREMITY:HUMAN IDENTIFICATIONAND TRAUMA
ANALYSISOFTHE THIGH, LEG,AND FOOT,byJeremy Rich, Dorothy E. Dean,
and Robert H. Powers, 2005
FORENSICAND CLINICAL APPLICATIONS OF SOLID PHASE EXTRACTION,byMichael J.
Telepchak, Thomas F. August, and Glynn Chaney, 2004
HANDBOOK OF DRUG INTERACTIONS:A CLINICALAND FORENSIC GUIDE,edited by
Ashraf Mozayani and Lionel P. Raymon, 2004
DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS:TOXICOLOGYAND CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY,edited by Melanie
Johns Cupp and Timothy S. Tracy, 2003
BUPRENOPHINE THERAPY OF OPIATE ADDICTION, edited by Pascal Kintz and Pierre
Marquet,2002
BENZODIAZEPINES AND GHB: DETECTIONAND PHARMACOLOGY, edited by Salvatore J.
Salamone,2002
ON-SITE DRUG TESTING, edited by Amanda J. Jenkins and Bruce A. Goldberger,
2001
BRAIN IMAGING IN SUBSTANCE ABUSE:RESEARCH, CLINICAL,AND FORENSIC APPLICATIONS,
edited byMarc J. Kaufman,2001
TOXICOLOGYAND CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY OF HERBAL PRODUCTS, edited byMelanie
Johns Cupp,2000
CRIMINAL POISONING:INVESTIGATIONAL GUIDEFOR LAW ENFORCEMENT, TOXICOLOGISTS,
FORENSIC SCIENTISTS,AND ATTORNEYS,byJohn H. Trestrail, III,2000
A PHYSICIAN’S GUIDE TO CLINICAL FORENSIC MEDICINE, edited byMargaret M. Stark,
2000
T F
HE ORENSIC
L
ABORATORY
H
ANDBOOK
Procedures and Practice
Edited by
Ashraf Mozayani, , , -
PharmD PhD D ABFT
Harris County Medical Examiner's Office
Houston, TX
Carla Noziglia,
MS
Forensic Scientist
Coral Springs, FL
and
Senior Forensic Advisor
Tanzania, Africa
© 2006 Humana Press Inc.
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Cover Illustration: Cover images (top to bottom): Figures 10 and 18 from Chapter 5, "Explosives and Arson:
Boom and Flame," by James B. Crippin; Figure 2 from Chapter 7, "Firearms and Tool Marks," by Edward E.
Hueske; Figure 1 from Chapter 11, "Introduction to Forensic Document Examination," by William L. Leaver;
and Figure 7D from Chapter 6, "Fingerprints," by Brian E. Dalrymple.
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Printed in the United States of America. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
eISBN: 1-59259-946-X
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
The forensic laboratory handbook : procedures and practice / edited
by Ashraf Mozayani, Carla Noziglia.
p. cm. -- (Forensic science and medicine)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 1-58829-464-1 (alk. paper)
1. Crime laboratories. 2. Forensic sciences. I. Mozayani,
Ashraf. II. Noziglia, Carla. III. Series.
HV8073.F577 2006
363.25--dc22
2005010942
Preface
“If the law has made you a witness, remain a man of science. You have
no victim to avenge, no guilty or innocent person to convict or save—
you must bear testimony within the limits of science.”
Dr. P. C. H. Brouardel
19th-century French medico-legalist
The media abound with references to and programs about forensic sci-
ence. No mystery story seems complete without a reference to DNA evidence
or a trip to the laboratory for DNA analysis. Sometimes, the main characters
are forensic scientists. There are things to be learned from these media hap-
penings and truth does enter into the plots, making them fascinating to watch
and read. From such television shows as Quincy in the 1970s to CSI: New
York in 2004, and from the motion picture The Bone Collector to the recent
television show Forensic Files, forensic science has perennially shown the
power to entertain.
These media portrayals also educate us, but often, this “education” proves
to be more fantasy than reality. The Forensic Laboratory Handbook: Proce-
dures and Practice was written for the purpose of separating fiction from real-
ity by demonstrating the real-life practices of forensic laboratories.
The work performed by forensic scientists in the field, forensic laborato-
ries, medical examiners offices, and private companies is often critical to the
proper functioning of the justice system and regulatory bodies. Forensic analysis
has provided fresh information in “cold cases,” served to identify the last
descendants of the Russian imperial family, and exonerated the wrongfully
convicted. This is not to say that the original analyses were flawed, but rather
that new technology provides more and better information.
Where would society be without the analysis and comparison of finger-
prints, bullets, DNA, and handwriting? The identification of drugs, flammables,
bones, and explosives is often central to a case. Newer applications of tech-
nologies are used in investigating cyber crime, bite marks, and the reconstruc-
tion of a crime scene or a face from a skull.
v
vi Preface
With such an important place in the justice system, the integrity of scien-
tific information is crucial. The ethical analysis of evidence must be a given
constant. The exchange of new technology and open access to scientific infor-
mation assists others in understanding, and possibly implementing, new pro-
cedures.
Although the job of a forensic scientist is important and one of the most
satisfying of career choices, as with every other profession, the work can some-
times seem mundane and repetitious. Although many media programs may
portray some aspects of the profession correctly, they also tend to glamorize
the jobs. In the media, many separate jobs are rolled into one so that the story
flows better and the crime is solved in the time allowed. Cases that in reality
would take months or even years to solve are wrapped up in 42 minutes
on television. Not mentioned is the time needed to describe and prepare the
evidence for analysis, the expertise needed to interpret the results, the time
spent writing the scientific report, and the time spent in court giving expert
testimony. Add the time spent educating law enforcement, attorneys, and
judges, and the time spent in training to ensure that the scientist is on the
cutting edge with specialized skills and you can well appreciate the demands
placed on forensic professionals.
The forensic scientists who wrote the chapters in The Forensic Labora-
tory Handbook: Procedures and Practiceare real—they actually do what they
write about. Each is an unsung hero, a seeker of truth, a dedicated scientist.
They will tell you how it is in a real forensic laboratory, and it will be a fasci-
nating story.
Ashraf Mozayani, PharmD,PhD,D-ABFT
Carla Noziglia, MS
Contents
Preface....................................................................................................v
Contributors ..........................................................................................ix
List of Color Plates................................................................................x
CHAPTER 1
Serology and DNA.................................................................................1
Lisa A. Gefrides and Katherine E. Welch
CHAPTER 2
Forensic Chemistry..............................................................................35
Donnell Christian
CHAPTER 3
Crime Reconstruction..........................................................................63
W. Jerry Chisum
CHAPTER 4
Digital Evidence ..................................................................................79
Robert P. Bianchi and Mark Pollitt
CHAPTER 5
Explosives and Arson: Boom and Flame............................................91
James B. Crippin
CHAPTER 6
Fingerprints........................................................................................ 117
Brian E. Dalrymple
vii
viii Contents
CHAPTER 7
Firearms and Tool Marks...................................................................143
Edward E. Hueske
CHAPTER 8
Forensic Odontology: Teeth and Their Secrets.................................177
Helena Soomer
CHAPTER 9
Forensic Pathology ............................................................................195
Joye M. Carter
CHAPTER 10
Assuring Quality in the Crime Laboratory....................................... 211
William J. Tilstone
CHAPTER 11
Introduction to Forensic Document Examination ............................223
William L. Leaver
CHAPTER 12
Toxicology in the Crime Laboratory.................................................249
Ashraf Mozayani
CHAPTER 13
Trace Evidence in the Real Crime Laboratory.................................265
Richard E. Bisbing
Index...................................................................................................291
Contributors
ROBERT P. BIANCHI, BS • Bianchi Consulting, Fairfax, VA
RICHARD E. BISBING, BS • Vice President and Director of Research, McCrone
Associates Inc., Westmont, IL
JOYE M. CARTER, MD •Forensic Pathologist, Consultant, Author, and Lecturer,
J & M Forensic Consulting, Memphis, TN
W. JERRY CHISUM, BS • Independent Consultant, Elk Grove, CA
DONNELL CHRISTIAN, BS • CEO and Senior Forensic Advisor, Criminalist.us,
Professional Business Solutions Inc., St. Louis, MO
JAMES B. CRIPPIN, BS• Director, Western Forensic Law Enforcement Training
Center; Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Pueblo, CO
BRIAN E. DALRYMPLE, AOCA • President, Brian Dalrymple and Associates,
Orillia, Ontario, Canada
LISA A. GEFRIDES, MS • Forensic DNA Analyst, Harris County Medical
Examiner’s Office, Houston, TX
EDWARD E. HUESKE,MA • Criminalistics Coordinator, University of North Texas,
Denton, TX
WILLIAM L. LEAVER, BS, D-ABFDE • Forensic Document Examiner, Los Angeles
County Sheriff’s Department, Scientific Services Bureau, Downey, CA
ASHRAF MOZAYANI, PharmD,PhD, D-ABFT • Harris County Medical Examiner’s
Office, Houston, TX
CARLA M. NOZIGLIA, MS, FAAFS • Forensic Scientist, Coral Springs, FL;
Senior Forensic Advisor, Tanzania, Africa
MARK POLLITT, MS • President, Digital Evidence Professional Services, Inc.,
Ellicott City, MD
HELENA SOOMER, DDS, PhD • Forensic Odontologist, Estonian Disaster Victim
Identification Team, Tallinn, Estonia
WILLIAM J. TILSTONE, PhD • Executive Director, National Forensic
Technology Science Center, Largo, FL
KATHERINE E. WELCH, MS • Harris County Medical Examiner’s Office,
Houston, TX
ix
