Forensic Science Videos
- Following Antigone: Forensic Anthropology and Human Rights Investigations This documentary, produced by Equipo Argentino de Anthropologia Forense and WITNESS, discusses a massacre during at El Mozote.
- Frontline: Post Mortem Post Mortem delves into the world of forensic science, and looks at some of the latest techniques in high-tech sleuthing. Fingerprints, fibers, blood-- forensic investigators turn these elements into compelling evidence, working routinely with police in their efforts to solve crimes. The pathologist's interpretation of data is used to reveal the cause and manner of death, type of weapon used, and other details. The entomologist can help determine time of death, while the forensic psychologist can draw up a personality profile that will help track a killer down. Post Mortem takes a close-up look at DNA typing which matches a person's genetic blueprint to saliva, semen, or blood found at the scene of a crime. The film tracks the emotionally-charged murder case of a teenage girl and shows how the defendant was ultimately convicted on the basis of forensic evidence.
- Unearthing Evil Even in times of war there has to be limits. But sometimes all boundaries are crossed and crimes of war are committed. These constitute crimes against humanity. Unearthing Evil is a confronting program that explores the work of Australian archaeologist Richard Wright, who led the teams that evacuated mass graves in the Ukraine and Bosnia. The evidence was used to reconstruct the chilling events that took place and to support the prosecution of the perpetrators.
- The Woman in the Iron Coffin In 2011, construction workers were shocked to uncover the remains of a woman in an abandoned lot in Queens, New York. So great was her level of preservation, witnesses first assumed they had stumbled upon a recent homicide. Forensic analysis, however, revealed a remarkably different story. Buried in an elaborate and expensive iron coffin, the body belonged to a young African American woman who died in the first half of the 19th century, when the United States was divided on the twin issues of slavery and race before the Civil War. But who was she? Secrets of the Dead: The Woman in the Iron Coffin follows forensic archaeologist Scott Warnasch and a team of historians and scientists as they investigate this woman's story and the time in which she lived, revealing a vivid picture of what life was like for free African American people in the North.
Forensic Science Books and E-Books
Digging for the Disappeared by
The mass graves from our long human history of genocide, massacres, and violent conflict form an underground map of atrocity that stretches across the planet's surface. In the past few decades, due to rapidly developing technologies and a powerful global human rights movement, the scientific study of those graves has become a standard facet of post-conflict international assistance. Digging for the Disappeared provides readers with a window into this growing but little-understood form of human rights work, including the dangers and sometimes unexpected complications that arise as evidence is gathered and the dead are named. Adam Rosenblatt examines the ethical, political, and historical foundations of the rapidly growing field of forensic investigation, from the graves of the "disappeared" in Latin America to genocides in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia to post-Saddam Hussein Iraq. In the process, he illustrates how forensic teams strive to balance the needs of war crimes tribunals, transitional governments, and the families of the missing in post-conflict nations. Digging for the Disappeared draws on interviews with key players in the field to present a new way to analyze and value the work forensic experts do at mass graves, shifting the discussion from an exclusive focus on the rights of the living to a rigorous analysis of the care of the dead. Rosenblatt tackles these heady, hard topics in order to extend human rights scholarship into the realm of the dead and the limited but powerful forms of repair available for victims of atrocity.
Call Number: *** E-Book unlimited user access ***ISBN: 9780804788779Publication Date: 2015-04-01
Ethics in Forensic Science by
With the complexity of the interactions between the methodology of science, the principles of justice, and the realities of the practice of law and criminalistics, ethical issues frequently arise. One of the hallmarks of a profession is a code of ethics to govern the actions of members of the profession with one another, with users of the professional service, and with those who are affected by actions of the practitioner. Ethics in Forensic Science: Professional Standards for the Practice of Criminalistics examines the necessity for a code of ethics for forensic scientists, describes the fundamental features of such an ethical code, illustrates some ethical conflicts that arise in the course of professional practice, and gives examples of resolution of some of these conflicts. This volume also describes the development of alternative ethical codes that have been adopted by forensic science organizations. It explores the strengths and weaknesses of varied codes and provides concrete examples that illustrate alternative courses of action that might be taken and how different codes of ethics may require, permit, or proscribe alternatives under consideration.
Call Number: HV8073 .B376 2001ISBN: 9780849308604Publication Date: 2001-06-27
Forensic Science by
This volume introduces the laboratory terms that are crucial to the interpretation and understanding of laboratory report findings. The definitions and accompanying illustrations come from various disciplines including toxicology, drug chemistry, criminalistics, bioscience/DNA, firearms/ballistics, forensic pathology, and law. The illustrations communicate the use of laboratory instruments and investigative and laboratory methods of analysis. These detailed definitions and illustrations are valuable references to nonscientific professionals including police investigators interpreting lab reports, court reporters, and prosecutors and defense attorneys preparing for trial.
Call Number: HV8073 .B746 2004ISBN: 9780203484623Publication Date: 2003-12-29
Fundamentals of Forensic Anthropology by
An essential foundation for the practice of forensic anthropology This text is the first of its level written in more than twenty years. It serves as a summary and guide to the core material that needs to be mastered and evaluated for the practice of forensic anthropology. The text is divided into three parts that collectively provide a solid base in theory and methodology: Part One, "Background Setting for Forensic Anthropology," introduces the field and discusses the role of forensic anthropology in historic context. Part Two, "Towards Personal Identification," discusses initial assessments of skeletal remains; determining sex, age, ancestral background, and stature; and skeletal markers of activity and life history. Part Three, "Principal Anthropological Roles in Medical-Legal Investigation," examines trauma; the postmortem period; professionalism, ethics, and the expert witness; and genetics and DNA. The critical and evaluative approach to the primary literature stresses the inherent biological constraints on degrees of precision and certainty, and cautions about potential pitfalls. The practical focus, coupled with theoretical basics, make Fundamentals of Forensic Anthropology ideal for upper-level undergraduates and graduate students in biological anthropology as well as forensic scientists in allied fields of medical-legal investigation.
Call Number: GN69.8 .K56 2006ISBN: 9780471210061Publication Date: 2006-06-30
Human Remains and Identification by
Human remains and identification presents a pioneering investigation into the practices and methodologies used in the search for and exhumation of dead bodies resulting from mass violence. Previously absent from forensic debate, social scientists and historians here confront historical and contemporary exhumations with the application of social context to create an innovative and interdisciplinary dialogue, enlightening the political, social and legal aspects of mass crime and its aftermaths. Through a ground-breaking selection of international case studies, Human remains and identification argues that the emergence of new technologies to facilitate the identification of dead bodies has led to a "forensic turn", normalising exhumations as a method of dealing with human remains en masse. However, are these exhumations always made for legitimate reasons? Multidisciplinary in scope, this book will appeal to readers interested in understanding this crucial phase of mass violence's aftermath, including researchers in history, anthropology, sociology, forensic science, law, politics and modern warfare. The research program leading to this publication has received funding from the European Research Council under the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP/2007-2013) / ERC Grant Agreement n° 283-617.
Call Number: *** E-Book unlimited user access ***ISBN: 9780719097560Publication Date: 2015-07-01
Introduction to Statistics for Forensic Scientists by
Introduction to Statistics for Forensic Scientists is an essential introduction to the subject, gently guiding the reader through the key statistical techniques used to evaluate various types of forensic evidence. Assuming only a modest mathematical background, the book uses real-life examples from the forensic science literature and forensic case-work to illustrate relevant statistical concepts and methods. Opening with a brief overview of the history and use of statistics within forensic science, the text then goes on to introduce statistical techniques commonly used to examine data obtained during laboratory experiments. There is a strong emphasis on the evaluation of scientific observation as evidence and modern Bayesian approaches to interpreting forensic data for the courts. The analysis of key forms of evidence are discussed throughout with a particular focus on DNA, fibres and glass. An invaluable introduction to the statistical interpretation of forensic evidence; this book will be invaluable for all undergraduates taking courses in forensic science. Introduction to the key statistical techniques used in the evaluation of forensic evidence Includes end of chapter exercises to enhance student understanding Numerous examples taken from forensic science to put the subject into context
Call Number: HV8073 .L839 2005ISBN: 9780470022009Publication Date: 2005-12-16
Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States by
Scores of talented and dedicated people serve the forensic science community, performing vitally important work. However, they are often constrained by lack of adequate resources, sound policies, and national support. It is clear that change and advancements, both systematic and scientific, are needed in a number of forensic science disciplines to ensure the reliability of work, establish enforceable standards, and promote best practices with consistent application. Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward provides a detailed plan for addressing these needs and suggests the creation of a new government entity, the National Institute of Forensic Science, to establish and enforce standards within the forensic science community. The benefits of improving and regulating the forensic science disciplines are clear: assisting law enforcement officials, enhancing homeland security, and reducing the risk of wrongful conviction and exoneration. Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States gives a full account of what is needed to advance the forensic science disciplines, including upgrading of systems and organizational structures, better training, widespread adoption of uniform and enforceable best practices, and mandatory certification and accreditation programs. While this book provides an essential call-to-action for congress and policy makers, it also serves as a vital tool for law enforcement agencies, criminal prosecutors and attorneys, and forensic science educators.
Call Number: *** E-Book unlimited user access ***ISBN: 9780309131308Publication Date: 2009-08-29
Written in Bones by
Written in Bones brings together a team of international experts to show how the careful study of bones reveals a compelling picture of the lives, cultures, and beliefs of ancient societies from around the world. This compelling and scientifically-accessible book: Provides 38 case studies examining the discoveries at archeological sites Introduces readers to ancient peoples Includes more than 350 color photographs Human remains tell us much about how our ancestors lived and died. In Written in Bones, significant discoveries are carefully brought together and analyzed. Readers learn how experts use modern scientific techniques to piece together the stories behind the bones. The data is used to create a picture of cultures and ritual beliefs. There are such astonishing discoveries as: Han Dynasty aristocrat preserved in an unknown red liquid Bog bodies in Europe The riddle of Tomb KV55 - where a male body was found inside a female coffin World's oldest dwarf The headless men and giant wolves of the Mesolithic cemetery in Siberia
Call Number: CC79.5.H95 W75 2003ISBN: 9781552976593Publication Date: 2003-03-01
Massacres by
This volume integrates data from researchers in bioarchaeology and forensic anthropology to explain when and why group-targeted violence occurs. Massacres have plagued both ancient and modern societies, and by analyzing skeletal remains from these events within their broader cultural and historical contexts this volume opens up important new understandings of the underlying social processes that continue to lead to these tragedies.In case studies that include Crow Creek in South Dakota, Khmer Rouge?era Cambodia, the Peruvian Andes, the Tennessee River Valley, and northern Uganda, contributors demonstrate that massacres are a process?a nonrandom pattern of events that precede the acts of violence and continue long afterward. They also show that massacres have varying aims and are driven by culture-specific forces and logic, ranging from small events to cases of genocide. Many of these studies examine bones found in mass graves, while others focus on victims whose bodies have never been buried. Notably, they also expand widely held definitions of massacres to include structural violence, featuring the radical argument that the large-scale death of undocumented migrants in Arizona?s Sonoran Desert should be viewed as an extended massacre.This is the first volume to focus exclusively on massacres as a unique form of violence. Its interdisciplinary approach illuminates similarities in human behavior across time and space, provides methods for identifying killings as massacres, and helps today?s societies learn from patterns of the past.Contributors Cheryl P. Anderson | Cate E. Bird | William E. De Vore | David H. Dye | Julie M. Fleischman | Julia R. Hanebrink | Ryan P. Harrod | Keith P. Jacobi | Ashley E. Kendell | Krista E. Latham | Justin Maiers | Debra L. Martin | Alyson O?Daniel | Anna J. Osterholtz | Marin A. Pilloud | His Excellency Sonnara Prak | Tricia Redeker Hepner | Sophearavy Ros | Al W. Schwitalla | Dawnie Wolfe Steadman | J. Marla Toyne | Vuthy Voeun | P. Willey A volume in the series Bioarchaeological Interpretations of the Human Past: Local, Regional, and Global Perspectives, edited by Clark Spencer Larsen
Call Number: *** E-Book unlimited user access ***ISBN: 9781683400691Publication Date: 2018-12-11
