CFS Bulletin Issue 9 January 2015 in this issue:
Message from the Director...
• Forensic Geoscience: Future Horizons • CFS seminar series: Tracy Alexander • Investigating ‘clandestine burials’ in Surrey
As we start the new year, it is good to not only look back but look forward to the new opportunities ahead. It has been an exciting time at the CFS as we have welcomed a new cohort of students on our MSc Crime and Forensic Science, and new postgraduate research students, in addition to developing new research projects and collaborations. We are looking forward to the new year and making positive contributions to the ongoing debates concerning the synergy of empirical research and casework experience, the future directions of forensic science research, and growing our understanding and capabilities in the interpretation of forensic evidence (for full details of our ongoing projects please see our website). We are always delighted to hear from you so please do get in touch and we look forward to working with you this year. I wish you a happy and rewarding 2015. Dr Ruth Morgan
• Researcher profile: Dr Carolyn Rando • Events and conferences round-up: Autumn 2014 • News and upcoming events
www.ucl.ac.uk/forensic-sciences cfs@ucl.ac.uk @UCLForensicSci
Forensic Geoscience: Future Horizons Forensic Geoscience: Future Horizons was held at The Geological Society, Burlington House on 3rd December 2014 and attracted over 100 international delegates from a wide range of professional and academic backgrounds. The focus of the meeting was to bring together new research and casework from the micro and macro spheres of forensic geoscience. The breadth of topics represented during the day was a valuable reminder of the far-reaching nature of the discipline and the importance of different stakeholders working together to achieve results within the forensic context. We were delighted to welcome a
growing number of early career researchers (including several of our own students) within the forensic geosciences, and the poster sessions and talks from our postgraduate community were of great interest and showcased the current research taking place within the field. The importance of casework informed research was very clearly highlighted and the value of empirical research discussed.
The research
A range of studies examining the transfer and persistence of soils and sediments as forensic evidence in the UK, USA, and Australia, were presented throughout the conference with five students from the CFS presenting research findings. Kelly Cheshire (UCL) presented her research on the
geochemical assessment of soils and subsequent interpretation considerations. Microscopic assessment of aquatic crime scenes was also examined with Kirstie Scott (UCL) and Sally Gamble (UCL) presenting their PhD research within aquatic geoforensics. Kirstie discussed the important role of microscopic aquatic organisms in her presentation of the forensic implications of diatom seasonality; whilst Sally introduced techniques for the detection of explosives in the wastewater system for forensic and counter-terrorism intelligence. A number of novel applications of the use of geoforensics was discussed particularly within nuclear forensics and explosives detection. During this session Beth Wilks (UCL) presented a study that investigated the use of micro geoforensic methods for the reconstruction of the geographical journey of an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) through a supply chain, so to facilitate the disruption of key nodes involved. Another growing research area that was highlighted in this conference was the use of statistical methods to improve the interpretation and report on the significance of geological evidence in a court setting. Nadine Smit (UCL) presented her work on the use of Bayesian networks in this domain, which is demonstrating excellent promise as a tool in interpreting the results of analyses on geological evidence in case contexts.
The future
The future horizons of the forensic geosciences are looking exciting. The conference offered a forum to start and enable the dialogue that will play a part in further establishing
and growing the expert community. It was clear that there are growing opportunities for forensic geoscience to offer value to forensic investigations at both the micro and macro scale, and there is a willingness amongst the community to engage in topical and thematic issues such as the best approaches to the interpretation of geoforensic evidence in a variety of contexts. The value of enabling research and casework to have synergy in developing the applications of the geosciences in forensic contexts was clear throughout the meeting, and achieving this will contribute to the shaping of a bright future for forensic geoscience specifically, and the forensic sciences more generally. Dr Ruth Morgan, with contributions by Nadine Smit, Kirstie Scott and Beth Wilks
CFS seminar series
Tracy Alexander is currently the Director of Forensic Services at City of London Police and has previously worked as Crime Scene Manager for the Homicide Command at New Scotland Yard and as a case review specialist at LGC Forensics. Tracy gave an engaging and enthusiastic seminar in November 2014 on her work in crime scene investigation for students at the CFS.
This seminar addressed the processes involved in forensic investigation; where things go wrong; and how miscarriages of justice can occur. Tracy began by mentioning Locard’s principle that ‘every touch leaves a trace’ while giving an initial overview of DNA in forensic cases. Setting the expectation of audience participation early, she asked for suggestions on how people leave DNA behind; and which components of bodily fluids investigators are primarily concerned with identifying. Different types of retained material from forensic cases – such as tapings, DNA extracts and microscope slides – were discussed in the context of their importance as evidence. To illustrate the point, several case examples from the 1990s – before the widespread implementation of DNA technology – were described. In thinking about the murders of Rachel Nickell, Stephen Lawrence and Jill Dando, the audience was encouraged to analyse the interaction between offender and victim and the potential transfer of DNA, and consider where evidence may have been gathered from. Rachel Nickell was a young mother who was murdered on Wimbledon Common in 1992. Left in a clearly posed position, it was suggested that the murderer may have touched the exposed areas of her skin. This case was investigated before DNA testing had become widespread, but her skin was taped for fibres. Once the technology was available, these tapings were tested for the presence of any DNA, but produced negative results. Tracy suggested that this result was surprising, and that she
would at least expect the victim’s DNA to be present, producing a positive result. She argued that results are not always to be trusted: a negative result is not necessarily ‘true’ but might instead be a reflection that no evidence was found in the allotted time given by the private company carrying out the investigation. Tracy ended by discussing the murder of Stephen Lawrence in 1993. She emphasised the lengths that Stephen’s mother, Doreen Lawrence, had gone to in order to see justice carried out despite the obstacles, including the cost of forensic investigation. The possibility that private forensic science companies might be accused of being solely motivated by profit, and adopting an approach that emphasises cost-effective speed over accuracy, was discussed. Though dealing with serious and science-heavy material, Tracy kept her audience engaged and interested throughout. A passionate speaker, her in-depth knowledge and firsthand experience of the subject matter was evident and insightful. Buoyed by her infectious enthusiasm, those in attendance were left motivated to learn more and looking forward to further seminars at the CFS. Thomas Hamilton (MSc student)
Investigating ‘clandestine burials’ in surrey One of the optional modules on the MSc in Crime & Forensic Science is Forensic Archaeology, taught by Dr Carolyn Rando (Institute of Archaeology, UCL). It is always a popular module and this year 6 of our students took it, along with 7 students based in the Institute of Archaeology.
sundown each day and the ground wasn’t too frozen. On the first day, the team leaders arrived early and were escorted to the site by Dr Rando (acting as the supervising forensic anthropologist) and the ‘police’ in charge at the location – ‘Detective Inspector’ E. Du Bois and ‘Detective Sergeant’ R. Whiting. An hour later the rest of their teams arrived and all were briefed. They were to investigate a potential crime scene in the area, where missing persons were suspected to have been buried. They donned their protective suits, boots and masks, and began their search of the site, placing evidence flags and recording the location of surface evidence, as well as noting the possible positions of burials.
Students learn about the work that forensic archaeologists undertake within crime scene investigation, and the archaeological techniques used in the search and recovery of clandestine burials, and other buried
evidence. It culminates in the 3-day search and excavation of a mock crime scene – where students must work in teams to locate and retrieve evidence including buried ‘bodies’. This year the weather at Juniper Hall Field Studies Centre in Mickleham, near Dorking, was surprisingly good for mid-December – which was fortunate for all concerned! Although chilly, the light was good until
Once the sun had retired for the day, so did our investigators – to begin writing up their reports (and eat dinner). The next day they started bright and early and continued to map the area they had delineated as being a potential crime scene. Having identified three possible clandestine burials and dug a test pit (to get an idea of the stratigraphy) they then began to excavate, carefully drawing and recording each layer. It was painstaking work and slow-going (impressively they all found the contact lenses that had been ‘planted’ by the gravediggers!). On the final day, they continued to dig and gradually uncovered the bodies and associated clothes, shoes and other evidence.
After they had lifted the bodies and placed them in body bags, along with their bags of other evidence and disarticulated bones, they returned to the laboratory for a wellearned lunch. Over lunch, Sherry Nakhaiezadeh (one of our PhD students) gave them a talk on her casework in forensic anthropology. At the end of a long and tiring three days, everyone was glad to get home. But it was an enjoyable experience and a steep learning curve, particularly for those who had never taken part in an archaeological excavation before. With thanks to Dr Caroyn Rando, Sherry Nakhaiezadeh, Erin Du Bois, Rebecca Whiting and all the students taking part.
Researcher profile: Dr Carolyn Rando Carolyn is the module convenor and lecturer for the Forensic Archaeology module, which is offered to MSc Crime & Forensic Science students as an optional module. Her main research interest is in bioarchaeology and physical anthropology, and she has worked closely with the Centre over the last 18 months, since she took over the running of the Forensic Archaeology module. Carolyn also supervises some of our PhD students and MSc students (the latter with their dissertations). Her latest publication will be a book entitled “Dead, presumed missing: Children’s remains in bioarchaeology” co-authored with Dr Tony Waldron (UCL). View her research on the IoA website and email her at c.rando@ucl.ac.uk.
Events and conferences round-up: Autumn 2014 Our academics and students have been busy over the summer and autumn term, presenting at conferences all over the world - from Leicester, UK to Adelaide, Australia. Below is a summary of presentations given and prizes won! 9th International Conference on Forensic Inference and Statistics Leiden University, The Netherlands, August 2014 Nadine Smit gave a keynote lecture at this conference on “Evaluating New and Missing Evidence in Criminal Cases Using Bayesian Networks”. Australian and New Zealand Forensic Science Society (ANZFSS): 22nd Symposium on the Forensic Sciences - Adelaide, Australia, September 2014 A number of our researchers and students were in attendance at this conference in Australia, and all gave presentations - several were keynote lectures and all were well-received.
Kirstie Scott: “The application of diatom analysis in forensic geoscience: developing a new technique for the comparative assessment of trace geological evidence” (keynote lecture).
James French: “The Transfer and Deposition of Gunshot Residue (GSR): Implications for Forensic Investigations Studied Using TestFiring Data and Bayesian Networks” (keynote lecture). Nadia Abdul-Karim: “Post-Blast Aftermath: Forensic, Chemical and Physical Aspects of Explosion Phenomenon, Particles and Patterns” (keynote lecture). Sherry Nakhaeizadeh: “The effect of cognitive bias in Forensic Anthropology” (keynote lecture) Kelly Cheshire: “The discrimination of mixed source soil samples using geochemical techniques for forensic interpretation”. Sally Gamble: “Detection of explosives throughout the wastewater system: applications for forensic intelligence”. Nadine Smit: “How Bayesian Networks can aid forensic practitioners”. Georgia McCulloch: “HPLC as a geoforensic technique”. Dagmar Heinrich: “The ‘Chain of Evidence’ - a critical appraisal of the applicability and validity of forensic research and the usability of forensic evidence”. Michaela Regan: “The Use of Gunshot Residue as Trace Evidence on clothing”. Helen Earwaker: “Fingermark submission decision making within UK fingerprint laboratories”. Georgina Meakin: “DNA as trace evidence: Developing the empirical foundations for interpretation”. British Diatom Meeting - Hay-onWye, Wales, October 2014 Kirstie Scott was awarded the John Carter award at this meeting
for paper entitled “Forensic implications of diatom seasonality: the transfer and persistence of diatom particulates on clothing”. Well done Kirstie! The Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences: The changing face and pace of trace evidence - University of Leicester, UK, November 2014 Georgina Meakin: “Experimental evaluation of trace evidence persistence: Implications for forensic casework”. Helen Earwaker: “Fingermark Sufficiency Decision-Making within UK Fingerprint Laboratories”. Kirstie Scott: “The application of diatom analysis in forensic science: developing a “new” technique for the comparative assessment of geoforensic trace evidence”. American Criminology Society: Annual Meeting - San Francisco, US, November 2014 James French: “The use of Bayesian Networks in Forensic Interpretation: Examples involving Gunshot Residue (GSR)”. Nadine Smit: “An investigation of the application of Bayesian Networks to case assessment in appeal cases”. Forensic Geoscience: Future Horizons - London, UK, December 2014 The programme and abstracts will be available soon on The Geological Society website (see front page article).
News and upcoming events Locard-White Prize 2014 We are delighted to announce that Rachel McElhone (MSc Crime & Forensic Science 2014) has been chosen as the recipient of the Locard-White Prize for best MSc dissertation. Congratulations Rachel! The Royal Society: The paradigm shift for UK forensic science 2-3 February 2015 British Academy of Forensic Sciences (BAFS): Whose evidence is it anyway? The case of Kevin Nunn (Friends Dinner & AGM) 12 February 2015 Dr Georgina Meakin will present her research at the House of Commons as part of the SET for Britain event - 9 March 2015 The 2015 Forensic Forums 10-12 March 2015 Forensics Europe Expo 21-22 April 2015
MSc Crime and Forensic Science: 2015 entry We are accepting applications for our MSc in Crime and Forensic Science, currently in its third successful year at UCL. Graduates of the programme have gone on to work for organisations such as the police, LGC Forensics and the National Crime Agency (NCA) in roles as varied as Forensic Hub Officer, Intelligence Officer, Crime Analyst
and
Junior Forensic Examiner.
This year we are delighted to be working with City of London Police and Principal Forensics to deliver two modules in Crime Scene Investigation and Case Assessment and Interpretation for Forensic Scientists. These modules complement the vision of the programme to enable our graduates to think critically and strategically about every stage of the forensic science process, to understand the key concepts and approaches to robust and effective forensic science, and evaluate the role of innovative research. Optional modules offer students the opportunity to specialise in specific fields within the forensic sciences including forensic archaeology, biology and forensic geoscience. Our students appreciate the multidisciplinary nature of the degree and the ability to research a relevant topic for their 10,000 word dissertation. Come along to the open evening to find out more and ask any questions you may have before applying: Tuesday 17th February, 6-8pm AV Hill Lecture Theatre, Anatomy Building (Medical Sciences), UCL, Gower Street WC1E 6BT
CFS Bulletin Issue 9 Edited by Kirstie Hampson Next issue June 2015