Ground penetrating radar and electrical resistivity tomography surveys with a subsequent intrusive investigation in search for the missing Beaumont children in Adelaide, South Australia.

Jane, Arnna, and Grant Beaumont went missing from Glenelg Beach in Adelaide, South Australia on 26 January (Australia Day) 1966. Despite multiple land and sea searches over nearly 60 years, the children have not been found. New credible eyewitness testimony led to a site of interest at the now disused New Castalloy factory in North Plympton, Adelaide. This site has a complex stratigraphy of anthropogenic fill, which made ground penetrating radar (GPR) investigations unpromising. Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), while not commonly used in a forensic capacity, provided an alternative approach that allowed suitable depth penetration to resolve a feature of interest, which was subsequently excavated by the South Australia Police. This feature did contain organic, and animal remains but, sadly, not the grave of Jane, Arnna, and Grant Beaumont. However, this investigation highlights the potential to use ERT in a forensic capacity, as well as the limitations of using geophysical techniques for covert burial detection.

Forensic analysis of iOS binary cookie files.

iPhone operating system (iOS) devices utilize binary cookies as a data storage tool, encoding user-specific information within an often-neglected element of smartphone analysis. This binary format contains details such as cookie flags, expiration, and creation dates, domain, and value of the cookie. These data are invaluable for forensic investigations. This study presents a comprehensive methodology to decode and extract valuable data from these files, enhancing the ability to recover user activity information from iOS devices. This paper provides an in-depth forensic investigation into the structure and function of iOS binary cookie files. Our proposed forensic technique includes a combination of reverse engineering and custom-built Python scripts to decode the binary structure. The results of our research demonstrate that these cookie files can reveal an array of important digital traces, including user preferences, visited websites, and timestamps of online activities. It concludes that the forensic analysis of iOS binary cookie files can be a tool for forensic investigators and cybersecurity professionals. In the rapidly evolving domain of digital forensics, this research contributes to our understanding of less-explored data sources within iOS devices and their potential value in investigative contexts.

Exploring the ethical dimensions in forensic entomology: From codes of conduct to professional accountability.

This article investigates a critical part of professional careers: adhering to a code of ethics that defines proper behavior within the context of one's specialized practice. It aims to improve the setting of forensic entomology work by highlighting the ethical issues that frequently emerge. The primary goal is to uncover common ethical issues involved in this field's everyday activities and provide informed advice on appropriate resolution options. This investigation dives into the complex interaction of religious beliefs, cultural aspects, and issues of ethics, evaluating their relevance in forensic entomology. It examines a wide range of ethical issues, from the ethics involved in collecting samples at crime scenes and morguesto the ethics created into scientific investigations, report writing, and court testimony. These guiding principles are critical in setting scientific standards and building public trust in forensic entomology's ability to provide exceptional services. Notably, regardless of whether the forensic entomology service provider is accredited by any validating organization, these ethical requirements remain critical, emphasizing their global application.

Assessing iPhone LiDAR & Recon-3D for determining area of origin in bloodstain pattern analysis.

Bloodstain pattern analysis (BPA) has proven to be a useful tool in forensic and criminal investigations for quite some time. Traditionally, documenting a crime scene for a bloodletting event was completed using manual techniques, physical strings, and a tape measure. In more recent years, laser scanners and 3D software programs have become a preferred method to capture accurate data that improves the validity and reliability of BPA. The initial cost of laser scanning equipment is relatively high, rendering these systems inaccessible to some police and smaller agencies. Recon-3D is a newly developed iPhone application that utilizes the iPhone LiDAR sensor in combination with video data to create 3D point clouds of crime scenes. To assess the viability of Recon-3D for area of origin analysis, two tests were performed. One was a series of bloodstain impacts which were analyzed in FARO Zone 3D software, while the second was a series of 6 repeated Recon-3D scans of two 90-degree walls which was then compared to the FARO Focus S350 scanner using CloudCompare software. A total of eight impact patterns were made at three different distances from a wall. The area of origin was measured and compared to the known location of the blood source. The average total 3D error for the area of origin set at 25, 50, and 100 cm from two perpendicular walls was found to be 6.04, 15.16, and 36.59 cm, respectively. These results are similar to past studies where programs such as HemoSpat have been used. The results of the point cloud comparison show that on average, 95% of the points from Recon-3D fall below a threshold of 3.6 mm when compared to a FARO Focus S350 laser scanner. Thus, the results of this test suggest that Recon-3D is an accurate and affordable scanning application for bloodstain patterns at crime scenes and the data provide acceptable results for area of origin analysis in BPA programs which accept laser scanner data.

Prescription eyeglasses as a forensic physical evidence: Prediction of age based on refractive error measures using machine learning algorithm.

Refractive errors (RE) are commonly reported visual impairment problems worldwide. Previous clinical studies demonstrated age-related changes in human eyes. We hypothesized that the binocular RE metrics including sphere and cylinder power, axis orientation, and interpupillary distance (IPD) can be used for forensic age estimation of an unknown individual. RE data of both eyes were collected from the clinical optometric exams and prescription glasses of 2027 Egyptian individuals aged between 2 to 93 years. The differences between age groups as well as sides, and sexual dimorphism were explored. Two modeling methods were compared: multiple and stepwise linear regression (LR) versus machine learning Regression Forest (RFM). Data were apportioned into training and test datasets with a ratio of 80/20. The results showed significant differences among the age groups in each eye for all variables. Stepwise LR improved the results over models based on the one-sided lens due to selection of IPD in addition to the left and right axis, and left sphere as independent variables. For the RFM, the left axis and IPD were the most important features. RFM outperformed LR in terms of accuracy and root mean squared error (RMSE). The estimated age within ±10 years showed 81.4% accuracy rate and RMSE = 8.9 years versus 38.5% accuracy rate and RMSE = 17.99 years using RFM and stepwise LR, respectively, in the test set. The current study upholds the significance of the age-related changes of refractive error in formulating alternative forensic age estimation models when standard methods are unavailable.

Monitoring of simulated clandestine graves of victims using UAVs, GPR, electrical tomography and conductivity over 4-8 years post-burial to aid forensic search investigators in Colombia, South America.

In Colombia there are estimated to be over 121,000 missing people and victims of forced disappearances. Forensic investigators therefore need assistance in determining optimal detection techniques for buried victims, to give victims' families closure and for the wider community to see that justice is being served. Previous research has created 12 controlled simulated clandestine graves of typical Colombian murder victim scenarios at 0.5 m - 1.2 m depths in savannah and rainforest sites in Colombia. The 0-3 years of geophysical monitoring results of were published, with this paper reporting on 4-8 years monitoring of both UAV drone results and geophysical data. The UAV results from the year 8 survey, published for first time from Colombia, showed that the simulated graves could still be located using NDVI and NIR multi-spectral data, but not using optical or other multi-spectral data. The 0-3 years of geophysical data found the simulated clandestine graves could be detected with electrical resistivity and GPR methods, with the 4-8 year surveys evidencing that they could still be detected using bulk ground conductivity surveys, GPR horizontal time slice datasets and 2D ERT profiles. Research implications suggest initial use of UAV remote sensing technology to pinpoint likely search areas, before subsequent ground reconnaissance, geophysical surveys and their interpretation, before intrusive investigation methods are employed for detecting missing and disappeared persons in Colombia.

The suitability of using domestic pigs (Sus spp.) as human proxies in the geophysical detection of clandestine graves.

Research in many forensic science fields commonly uses domestic pigs (Sus spp.) as proxies for human remains, due to their physiological and anatomical similarities, as well as being more readily available. Unfortunately, previous research, especially that which compares the decompositional process, has shown that pigs are not appropriate proxies for humans. To date, there has not been any published research that specifically addresses whether domestic pigs are adequate human proxies for the geophysical detection of clandestine graves. As such, the aim of this paper was to compare the geophysical responses of pig cadavers and human donor graves, in order to determine if pigs can indeed be used as adequate human proxies. To accomplish this, ground penetrating radar (GPR) and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) responses on single and multiple pig cadaver graves were compared to single and multiple human donor graves, all of which are in known locations within the same geological environment. The results showed that under field conditions, both GPR and ERT were successful at observing human and pig burials, with no obvious differences between the detected geophysical responses. The results also showed that there were no differences in the geophysical responses of those who were clothed and unclothed. The similarity of the responses may reflect that the geophysical techniques can detect graves despite what their contents are. The study implications suggest that experimental studies in other soil and climate conditions can be easily replicated, benefiting law enforcement with missing persons cases.

Consideraciones médico-legales laborales de la fórmula de Balthazard / Occupational medical-legal considerations of the Balthazard formula

La determinación del porcentaje de pérdida en pacientes lesionados con múltiples secuelas por riesgos de trabajo resulta un verdadero reto para el perito, esto adquiere mayor relevancia cuando en el fuero judicial se pueden presentar discrepancias en los criterios para el uso o no de fórmulas matemáticas para el cálculo. La fórmula de suma combinada, creada por el Médico Forense Víctor Balthazard, no es más que un ordenamiento de una regla de tres que ordena los porcentajes otorgados a cada secuela de mayor a menor para evitar que el porcentaje final sobrepase el 100%, o bien que resulte en un porcentaje mayor que una secuela única puntuada en el baremo y que por gravedad en la intensidad de la misma resulte con un porcentaje menor al calculado por la secuela múltiple y que se ha utilizado en fueros laborales y de seguridad social alrededor del mundo. El Baremo contenido en el Código de Trabajo no establece explícitamente la forma en que se calcula el porcentaje de pérdida por secuelas múltiples, lo cual brinda libertad al perito para utilizar fórmulas, como lo es la fórmula de suma combinada, que permite calcular de forma congruente las pérdidas sucesivas sin sobrepasar a la persona más allá de su capacidad general total del 100% o de otorgar porcentajes mayores a secuelas de mayor gravedad que la suma de las pérdidas por el evento que se está valorando.

The determination of the percentage of loss in injured patients with multiple sequelae due to occupational hazards is a real challenge for the expert, this becomes even more relevant when in the judicial system there may be discrepancies in the criteria for the use or not of mathematical formulas for the calculation. The combined sum formula, created by the Forensic Physician Victor Balthazard, is nothing more than an arrangement of a rule of three that orders the percentages given to each sequel from highest to lowest to avoid that the final percentage exceeds 100%, or that it results in a higher percentage than a single sequel scored in the scale and that due to the severity in the intensity of the same results in a lower percentage than that calculated for the multiple sequel and that has been used in labor and social security courts around the world. The Schedule contained in the Labor Code does not explicitly establish the way in which the percentage of loss for multiple sequelae is calculated, which gives the expert the freedom to use formulas, such as the combined sum formula, which allows a congruent calculation of the successive losses without exceeding the person's total general capacity of 100% or to grant higher percentages to sequelae of greater severity than the sum of the losses for the event being valued.

Análisis de 27 marcadores STR del cromosoma Y en poblaciones de la selva del Perú / Analysis of 27 STR markers of the chromosome Y in the population of the jungle from Peru

Introducción: los marcadores de repeticiones cortas en tándem del cromosoma Y (Y-STR) se ubican en la región no recombinante del cromosoma Y, su herencia es por vía paterna, no son detectables en el ADN femenino. Estas propiedades hacen de los Y-STR una herramienta útil en las investigaciones forenses, como las agresiones sexuales, paternidades y otros delitos violentos; asimismo son útiles en estudios genealógicos y evolutivos. El objetivo de la investigación es ampliar la evidencia científica de la distribución por regiones o país de los haplotipos del cromosoma sexual Y, estudios similares en poblaciones peruanas son escasas debido al número menor de polimorfismos Y-STR de uso frecuente en genética forense y de poblaciones. Material y métodos: en la investigación se analizaron 141 muestras de ADN de la selva del Perú, de las que 104 muestras corresponden a la región de Iquitos (Loreto), 29 muestras son Awajun (Amazonas) y 8 muestras de Tambopata (Madre de Dios). Las muestras fueron procesadas empleando PCR directa con el kit Yfiler™ Plus PCR Amplification para 27 STR, los productos amplificados fueron analizados por electroforesis capilar en el Applied Biosystem™ 3500XL Genetic Analyzer y los datos obtenidos se importaron al software GeneMapper® ID-X v1.5 para generar los perfiles genéticos. Con los resultados obtenidos se realizó el análisis estadístico y la estructura poblacional. Resultados: de las 141 muestras se obtuvieron 106 haplotipos únicos. La diversidad genética para cada marcador Y-STR estuvo entre 0,317 y 0,919. La diversidad haplotípica para la muestra total fue de 0,9906. El estudio registra que los haplotipos Y-STR estudiados presentaron elevado polimorfismo en la población analizada y, por lo tanto, son de gran utilidad en estudios forenses de identificación humana, así como en genética de poblaciones cuando se investigan grupos o individuos de América Latina. (AU)

Y-chromosome-specific short tandem repeat (Y-STR) markers reside on the non-recombinant portion of the Y chromosome, their inheritance is paternal, they are not detectable in female DNA. These properties make Y-STRs a useful tool in forensic investigations such as sexual assault, parenting, and other violent crimes; likewise they are also useful in genealogical and evolutionary studies. The objective of the research is to expand the scientific evidence of the distribution by region or country of the Y sex chromosome haplotypes. Similar studies in Peruvian populations are scarce due to the smaller number of Y-STR polymorphisms frequently used in Forensic and Population Genetics. Material and method: In the investigation, 141 DNA samples from the jungle of Peru were analyzed, of which comprised of 104 samples from Iquitos region (Loreto), 29 samples from Awajun (Amazonas) and 8 samples from Tambopata (Madre de Dios). The samples were processed using direct PCR with the Yfiler™ Plus PCR Amplification kit for 27 STRs, the amplified products were analyzed by capillary electrophoresis on the Applied Biosystem™ 3500XL Genetic Analyzer, and the data obtained was imported into the GeneMapper® ID-X v1.5 software to generate the genetic profiles. With the results obtained, the statistical analysis and the population structure were carried out. Results: Of the 141 samples, 106 unique haplotypes were observed. Gene diversities for each Y-STR marker ranged from 0.317 to 0.919. The haplotype diversity for the total sample was 0.9906. This study supports that the Y-STR haplotypes in this population are highly polymorphic in the analyzed population and, therefore, are very useful in forensic studies of human identification, as well as in population genetics when investigating groups or individuals from Latin America. (AU)

Two heads are better than one: Dual systems obtain better performance in facial comparison.

Forensic facial image comparison based on recognition algorithms has been widely applied in forensic science. Previous researches have been concentrating on the cases of using single system during comparison, while how to use multiple systems has not yet been studied. In this paper, a dual-systems model (including SeetaFace and FaceNet) for facial comparison was constructed, and Bayesian networks were utilized as the basic frame. In order to prove its superiority, a large-scale experiment (on the dataset CelebA) has been carried on to evaluate the score-based likelihood ratio. We used three likelihood ratio evaluation tools (Empirical Cross-Entropy, Cost Likelihood Ratio, Limit Tippett Plots) to assess the performance of the model. The Wasserstein distance was also used to evaluate the detailed likelihood ratio performance. The experimental results show that the likelihood ratio performance of our dual-systems model is better than single system. Besides, our method of model building and evaluation can also be used in the condition of triple or more systems.

Forensic analysis of biological fluid stains on substrates by spectroscopic approaches and chemometrics: A review.

BACKGROUND: Bodily fluid stains are one of the most relevant evidence that can be found at the crime scene as it provides a wealth of information to the investigators. They help to report on the individuals involved in the crime, to check alibis, or to determine the type of crime that has been committed. They appear as stains in different types of substrates, some of them porous, which can interfere in the analysis. The spectroscopy techniques combined with chemometrics are showing increasing potential for their use in the analysis of such samples due to them being fast, sensitive, and non-destructive. FINDINGS: This is a comprehensive review of the studies that used different spectroscopic techniques followed by chemometrics for analysing biological fluid stains on several surfaces, and under various conditions. It focuses on the bodily fluid stains and the most suitable spectroscopic techniques to study forensic scientific problems such as the substrate's characteristics, the influence of ambient conditions, the aging process of the bodily fluids, the presence of animal bodily fluids and non-biological fluids (interfering substances), and the bodily fluid mixtures. The most widely used techniques were Raman spectroscopy and attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR FTIR). Nonetheless, other non-destructive techniques have been also used, like near infrared hyperspectral imaging (HSI-NIR) or surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), among others. This work provides the criteria for the selection of the most promising non-destructive techniques for the effective in situ detection of biological fluid stains at crime scene investigations. SIGNIFICANCE AND NOVELTY: The use of the proper spectroscopic and chemometric approaches on the crime scene is expected to improve the support of forensic sciences to criminal investigations. Evidence may be analysed in a non-destructive manner and kept intact for further analysis. They will also speed up forensic investigations by allowing the selection of relevant samples from occupational ones.

On the Application of Microfluidic-Based Technologies in Forensics: A Review.

Microfluidic technology is a powerful tool to enable the rapid, accurate, and on-site analysis of forensically relevant evidence on a crime scene. This review paper provides a summary on the application of this technology in various forensic investigation fields spanning from forensic serology and human identification to discriminating and analyzing diverse classes of drugs and explosives. Each aspect is further explained by providing a short summary on general forensic workflow and investigations for body fluid identification as well as through the analysis of drugs and explosives. Microfluidic technology, including fabrication methodologies, materials, and working modules, are touched upon. Finally, the current shortcomings on the implementation of the microfluidic technology in the forensic field are discussed along with the future perspectives.

An exercise in scientific problem-solving: Illustrating the utility of the principles of the Sydney Declaration.

In forensic science, scientific problem-solving is characterized by the recognition of traces as part of iterative reasoning processes to assign meaning to those traces in order to interpret and reconstruct events. Through a set of fundamental principles, the Sydney Declaration presents a foundation of forensic science through the lens of a scientist. The distinction between a scientist and a technician may require clarification-where a prototypical technician follows a prescribed set of 'standard operating procedures' and may be limited in the interpretation of the resultant data, the scientist utilizes knowledge, skills, experience and imagination to identify the issue at hand and develop lines of inquiry for testing and interpretation. This case report draws on the Sydney Declaration in order to highlight the importance of learning about events from careful consideration of both obvious and less obvious traces. A case involving the assault of a police officer is examined to illustrate the use of the Principles: the problem originally defined by investigators at the scene and later by prosecutors resulted in incorrect analysis and interpretation of traces, hampering efforts at an accurate reconstruction of events. This exercise serves to demonstrate that in order to engage in scientific problem-solving, it is necessary to apply observation and reasoning in forensic investigations in order to yield an outcome that can be clearly articulated. The overarching goal is to support the drive to improve forensic science practice, education, and research through a case illustrating the value of the principles of the Sydney Declaration.

Fingermarks in wildlife forensics: A review.

Wildlife forensics is defined as providing forensic evidence to support legal investigations involving wildlife crime, such as the trafficking and poaching of animals and/ or their goods. While wildlife forensics is an underexplored field of science, the ramifications of poaching can be catastrophic. The consequences of wildlife crime include disease spread, species and habitat loss, human injury, and cultural loss. Efforts to use forensic science to combat poaching are currently limited to DNA-based techniques. However, fingermark analysis for the identification of perpetrators of wildlife crimes has not been explored to the same extent, despite being a cost-effective, simple-to-use forensic method that is easy to deploy in-field. This review covers literature that has explored fingermark examination techniques used on wildlife-related samples, such as pangolin scales, ivory-based substances, bone, and eggs, as well as feathers and skins, among more obscure trafficked items. Useful preliminary work has been conducted in this subject area, demonstrating that commonly used fingermark analysis techniques can be applied to wildlife-based items. However, many of these studies suffer from limitations in terms of experimental design. More work should be done on creating studies with larger sample sizes and novel approaches should be validated under environmental conditions that mimic real crime scenes. Further research into determining the forensic fingermark analysis techniques that perform the most efficiently in the environmental conditions of the countries where they are needed would therefore benefit legal investigations and help to reduce instances of poaching.

Application of omics techniques in forensic entomology research.

With the advent of the post-genome era, omics technologies have developed rapidly and are widely used, including in genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and microbiome research. These omics techniques are often based on comprehensive and systematic analysis of biological samples using high-throughput analysis methods and bioinformatics, to provide new insights into biological phenomena. Currently, omics techniques are gradually being applied to forensic entomology research and are useful in species identification, phylogenetics, screening for developmentally relevant differentially expressed genes, and the interpretation of behavioral characteristics of forensic-related species at the genetic level. These all provide valuable information for estimating the postmortem interval (PMI). This review mainly discusses the available omics techniques, summarizes the application of omics techniques in forensic entomology, and their future in the field.

Breaking with trends in forensic dating: A likelihood ratio-based comparison approach.

Further steps toward understanding the time-related information contained within bloodstains found at the crime scene are rightly considered a top priority in forensic science. Contrary to widely held assumptions, the reason for the delayed exploitation of bloodstains dating methods in practice is not the lack of suitable analytical techniques for monitoring degradation processes. The problem lies in the variability of the environmental and circumstantial conditions, playing a vital role in the degradation kinetics of blood deposits. The present article demonstrates the possibility of breaking with current approaches based on absolute age estimations to finally answer time-centered questions in real forensic scenarios. The proposed novel framework for situating forensic traces in time is based on the likelihood ratio assessment of the (dis)similarity between the evidence decomposition and sets of reference materials obtained through supervised aging. In such a strategy, every dating procedure is constructed on a case-by-case basis to fit examined blood traces, thereby limiting the adverse influence of external factors on the validity of age estimations and providing a way for future crime scene implementation.

Forensic Microbiology in India: A missing piece in the puzzle of criminal investigation system.

BACKGROUND: Forensic Microbiology is an emerging branch of science that has great potential to assist criminal investigations. Having said that, microbial analysis is not performed routinely during forensic investigations in India. This could be attributed to lack of specific training and lack of evidence-based standard protocol. OBJECTIVES: The authors attempt to highlight the key areas in forensic microbiology that need to be explored in a developing nation like India. CONTENT: Forensic microbiology could help in linking a person to a crime, determining the cause of death, estimating postmortem interval (PMI), etc. Additionally, applications are being developed by forensic microbiologists across the globe to investigate the coordinated and dynamic changes in microbial activity which occur after the death of a human host. Such evidence from the human postmortem microbiome can aid in criminal investigations and administration of justice. These recent advances and developments have the potential to transform the field of forensic microbiology in a developing country.

Hyperspectral imaging in forensic science: An overview of major application areas.

Analysis of evidence is a challenge. Crime scene materials are complex, diverse, sometimes of an unknown nature. Forensic science provides the most critical applications for their examination. Chemical tests, analytical methods, and techniques to process the evidence must be carefully selected by the forensic scientist. Ideally, it may be interpreted, analyzed, and judged in the original context of the crime scene. In this sense, hyperspectral imaging (HSI) has been employed as an analytical tool that maintains the integrity of the samples/objects for multiple and sequential analysis and for counter-proof exams. This paper is an overview of forensic science trends for the application of HSI techniques in the last ten years (2011-2021). The examination of documents was the main area of exploration, followed by bloodstain analysis aging process; trace analysis of explosives and gunshot residue. Chemometric tools were also addressed since they are crucial to obtain the most important information from the samples. There are great challenges in applying HSI in forensic science, but there have been clear technological and scientific advances, and a solid foundation has been built for the use of HSI in real-life cases.