Forensic Week 2025

Day 1

Day 1: the devil is in the details. The details of a matter are its most crucial/essential/significant aspect. What is forensic evidence? Forensic evidence is classified as any item considered to be of evidentiary value that can be examined by a person of specialized training to give an opinion about it. Forensic Evidence often helps to establish the guilt or innocence of possible suspects. Analysis of forensic evidence as used in the investigation and prosecution of civil as well as criminal proceedings. DNA evidence, however, can range from teeth, bones, hair follicles, blood, saliva, and semen. DNA is easily transferred and is preferred, it can convict and it can acquit. Digital forensics, mainly known as social media, is great for an investigation, specifically car screens. Car screens connect to a phone and provide information for at least two years before an offense. There are four stages of death: pallor mortis, an increased paleness due to the suspension of blood circulation, algor mortis, the cooling of the body temperature, rigor mortis, the stiffening of the body after a few hours, and livor mortis, the discoloration of the skin due to the blood pooling. Rigor mortis is caused by the chemical changes in the body after death, mainly calcium. It usually starts within four hours of death and begins to reverse after eight hours, it varies on the temperature, sex, and age of the deceased. Livor mortis is the gravitational settling of blood after death, causing a bluish-purple discoloration of the skin. It starts within 20-30 minutes but is usually not observable by the human eye until two hours after death, also varies due to temperature, and becomes fixed after 6-8 hours and does not change. WHY + HOW = WHO is extremely important in an investigation. Some common myths are: there are always fingerprints, there is always DNA, everyone who commits suicide leaves a note, there must be forensic evidence to prove your case, and time of death.

DAY 2:

Day 2: activity, foot impressions with molds. The first thing that happened was we were split into groups, and then each group was at their station where they were given a sack of yellow powder, for lack of better terms. Each bag of powder had a water pouch within and to turn the powder into the molding paste, from there we poured the paste into a box of dirt, which had a random footprint. The paste takes thirty minutes to harden enough to be removed, however, it has to be set for at least 48 hours before any remaining dirt can be brushed off.

DAY 3:

Day 3: bite marks and molds. A new guest speaker came in today, Donna Southall a dental hygienist and a specialist in making molds of teeth and the actions that come after usually braces. After each mold is set then they are to be scanned into the computer to be examined. Two people were selected to go through the process of making the impressions, meaning their teeth made the mold. First Ms. Southall makes the mixture, then places it inside the tooth guard, and from there places the guard in the mouth which will form the mold. Forensic Odontology, or forensic dentistry, is a crucial field that utilizes dental knowledge to identify individuals, investigate crimes, and provide evidence in legal proceedings, particularly when other methods of identification fail. An example of this is Ted Bundy, forensic odontology, specifically bite mark analysis, played a crucial role in his conviction, with a bite mark found on one of his victims' buttocks being used as key evidence to identify him as the perpetrator.

DAY 4:

Day 4: Crime scene. On the night of March 19, 2025, at approximately 10:30 PM, patrol officers responded to a distress call reporting a person down. Upon arrival, they discovered a young woman, 25 years old, lifeless in the bathroom. Her husband, who had just returned home from an evening out with coworkers, was the one who found her. According to his statement, he had finished work at 6:30 PM and joined his colleagues for drinks before arriving home at 9:15 PM. When he entered the bathroom, only her face and feet were visible above the water. Panicked, he immediately pulled the stopper to drain the bathtub and attempted to pull her out. In his distress, she slipped from his grasp and hit the floor. Desperate to revive her, he performed CPR while following instructions from the 911 dispatcher and later the paramedics.

The couple had been married for five years but had been discussing divorce. The wife reportedly wanted to end the marriage, suspecting her husband of infidelity, while he was resistant to the idea. Friends and family noted she had been struggling with fatigue, anxiety, and high blood pressure, conditions for which she was taking prescribed medication. Four pill bottles were found at the scene, three on the bathroom counter and one beside the tub. Notably, one of the medications was not prescribed to her. A glass of wine and a burning candle were also present, suggesting she had been relaxing before the incident.

Toxicology reports confirmed the presence of Lisinopril, Klonopin, Xanax, and Alprazolam in her system, along with a blood alcohol level of 0.1%. The combination of these medications with alcohol is extremely dangerous, as it can cause severe drowsiness, respiratory depression, and loss of consciousness. Given the effects of these substances, it is plausible that she became heavily sedated, slipped into unconsciousness, and lost control while in the bathtub. However, there was no water in her lungs, ruling out drowning. The autopsy revealed no visible bruising or external injuries except for a small laceration and contusion on her head, likely sustained when her husband dropped her while attempting to pull her from the tub. Additionally, multiple ribs were broken, four on the left side and two on the right, consistent with forceful CPR attempts. Her husband, overwhelmed with emotion, was taken away by their pastor to grieve after becoming inconsolable at the scene. While accidental overdose and sedation appear to be the most likely causes of death, forensic investigators must consider all possibilities, including foul play. The presence of a non-prescribed medication, the couple's strained relationship, and the husband's emotional state raise further questions.

DAY 5:

Day 5: Final presentation and results. On March 19, 2025, officers responded to a tragic scene, a woman found unresponsive in her bathtub. Her husband, returning home after drinks with coworkers, discovered her submerged. In a panic, he drained the tub, attempted CPR, and called 911, but she could not be revived. Investigators found wine, candles, and four prescription medications, including benzodiazepines and Lisinopril. Toxicology confirmed a mix of alcohol and central nervous system depressants, which can cause extreme drowsiness, slowed breathing, and unconsciousness. The autopsy revealed no drowning but signs of CPR efforts.

After a thorough investigation, my team concluded that her death was an accident caused by the dangerous combination of alcohol and prescription medications, simply an overdose mixed with alcohol. The actual result of the case were revealed to us after each team gave their presentation and explained how they came to their conclusions. However, in the real case the death was ruled a natural death, the victim's heart inflammation combined with the lisinopril, workouts, and a hot bath caused her body to shut down.