Forensics – The Past Meets the Present

jchasenovelist's avatarAuthor Jennifer Chase

Here are some fun facts about forensics. It is often thought that police forensics has been a relatively new contribution to interpreting, reconstructing, and solving crimes in our society.  Quite the contrary, police forensics, or more accurately described as forensic science, has been a part of history for more than a hundred years.

What is forensic science? 

The word “forensic” comes from the Latin word “forensis”, which simply means forum.  Today, the area of police forensics is split into two major working categories: criminalistics and forensic science.

Criminalistics is designed to develop and interpret physical evidence; namely, to identify the actual substance, object, or instrument used in the surrounding events of a crime scene.  Fingerprints, impression evidence, and trace evidence all fall into this category of expertise.  While forensic science, also referred to as forensic medicine or medical jurisprudence, encompasses some of the specialized areas…

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Writing and the Winter Olympics

Photo courtesy Associated Press

Photo courtesy Associated Press

Have you been watching any of the Winter Olympics in Sochi? I love how every four years we all become experts on curling and the biathlon and the luge as we analyze every athlete on our television screens. The spectacle of the opening ceremonies, the political implications at play between different countries, the rare chance that these men and women have to highlight the sports they love – all of it makes for fascinating viewing. But beyond just enjoying these Games for the sake of the competition, I started thinking about comparisons with the world of writing and publishing.

Isn’t crafting the perfect sentence somewhat like pairs figure skating? There is a flow to the language, with all of the pieces working together to create a moment of art. If you read the words out loud, the cadence rises and falls like waves.

There are some definite comparisons between participating in the skeleton and your first attempt at self-publishing. You start down that hill head first, putting everything on the line with great risk of rejection. Your writing is an extension of who you are, and to put it out there for an audience to review makes you vulnerable.

Maybe the writing process is like cross country skiing. You spend a lot of time by yourself and sometimes the scenery seems repetitive but you also get to experience exhilarating moments of real beauty. Or the biathlon, when you move along without much seeming to happen until suddenly you get to stop and take a shot at a book signing or meeting with a publishing house or a writing contest.

It could be that I’m stretching analogies a bit here, but it’s fun to brainstorm. So what do my fellow writers out there think? Have you watched a sport at the Olympics this year that you can relate to the making and marketing of your craft?

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Cold Weather Keeps the Criminals Inside

Photo Courtesy AP

Photo Courtesy AP

If you are reading this blog post from somewhere in the United States, chances are you are someplace cold. This winter has brought Arctic temperatures to places not used to seeing the thermometer go below freezing and then parked those single digits in the air for days at a time. We all saw the photos of what Atlanta looked like following a covering of ice and snow on the city. Even school systems like the one in Chicago, with a population certainly used to bitter cold and getting around in snow, were forced to shut down and surrender to Mother Nature.

But if you want to look at this winter with a glass half full approach as you layer up those sweaters and scarves for yet another day, here’s a positive note—several cities are reporting that violent crime is down due to the bad weather!

Just this week local news outlets in Michigan, North Carolina and Indiana have released stories about the fact that even the criminals are being deterred from traveling the streets. Home invasions, store robberies, car thefts and other crimes that require braving the elements have seen a dip. Officials warn, though, that other problems can take their place. For instance, more people home from work and perhaps more alcohol consumed without the responsibility of a job for a day or two means that there can be an increase of calls to homes for arguments and instances of domestic abuse.

Criminals are human, too. That’s why we study them and are so fascinated by their psychology. If we all tend to be affected by family and media and even the weather, why do some of us head down a path of crime while others do not?

Bundle up, everyone. Spring will be here soon. Until then, may the icy roads and below zero wind chill temperatures keep everyone on their best behavior.

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A Character Powerful Enough to Drive a Series

GettyImages_82861051When I first decided to write a full-length novel, I did not initially plan to write a series.  I had a different serial killer story idea with a strong female protagonist, and I wanted to write about it.  It was as simple as that.  I do now see the error of my ways, but I think in the end it all worked out.  I spent a fair amount of time thinking about Compulsion before I wrote anything down on paper.  In retrospect, I think I was planning a series all along and did not even know it!

“It’s not every day when a writer creates a character powerful enough to drive a novel; when that character is also powerful enough to drive a series, it’s an incredibly rare treat.”

I have received many questions, emails, and comments about Emily Stone, why I chose to write about her, and if she was anything like me.  My answer for the past five years has always been the same – Emily Stone is much more intelligent and tougher than I am.  In all seriousness, I have been influenced by an abundance of thriller novels and action movies my entire life.  I wanted to bring a character to the playing field that actually hunts the serial killers who are searching for new victims.

“Emily will have to use every weapon in her arsenal, and walk both sides of the law, in order to come out of this one alive.”

The reason why I thought about the storyline for so long before I jumped in and wrote the first Emily Stone novel is that there were many things that I had to consider.  How would she be able to accomplish this?  What would her weapons and communications be?  What I found out was that the character of Emily Stone could drive an entire series with new adventures and different characters the met along the way.  It challenged me to make sure that each Emily Stone novel could stand alone and I have strived to accomplish that feat.  There are several more novels slated with Emily Stone in the future.

“It is not only an excellent continuation of Stone’s story, but a wonderful stand-alone mystery as well.”

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Latest REVIEW on Amazon for DEAD BURN:

“It’s not every day when a writer creates a character powerful enough to drive a novel; when that character is also powerful enough to drive a series, it’s an incredibly rare treat. Jennifer Chase is one of those authors, and Emily Stone, the star of four of her detective novels, is most certainly one of those characters.   

Blond and beautiful, Stone has the looks of a swimsuit model, the heart of a vigilante and a mind sharp enough to outwit the craftiest criminals in California. In her view, the only thing worse than those who prey on women and children is a justice system that lets let them get away with it, and that’s precisely what happens in the case of Timothy Devlin.

Devlin believes himself to be untouchable, and when he is acquitted of a brutal rape, it seems he is right. But Devlin is about to find out that there are things a lot worse than a jail cell. Immediately following the trial, a serial killer starts picking off everyone associated with the case, beginning with Devlin’s crafty and completely unethical attorney. The killer considers himself righteous, purging the world of sinners. He traps his victims, then sets them afire, leaving them burnt to a crisp and investigators baffled.    

Emily wants nothing more than to catch the arsonist before he strikes again, but she soon finds herself in another equally desperate situation. GATE, a government anti-terrorist unit, wants her to work for them, and to ensure her compliance they have abducted her partner, Rick. Emily will have to use every weapon in her arsenal, and walk both sides of the law, in order to come out of this one alive. 

Whether you are a fan of gory slasher stories or the thinking person’s whodunit, Dead BurnDeadBurn_Gold_Action_cov will keep you on the edge of your seat.  It is not only an excellent continuation of Stone’s story, but a wonderful stand-alone mystery as well.  I promise you this—if you haven’t already read the first three books, you will after reading this Dead Burn!” 

~ Reviewer Dana Micheli, Writers in the Sky

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California Teacher Charged with Sexual Assault

Arrested_SCWhen we think of a sexual predator, it is likely that our first inclination is to picture a man. These odds are perpetrated by crime dramas that unfold on movie and television screen but also by the reality that an overwhelming percentage of individuals charged with sexual assault are males. However, women also are guilty of this horrific crime and the impact of their actions is just as deep and long-lasting.

This week in my home state of California, educator blogpost1Andrea Michelle Cardosa was charged with sixteen counts of child sex abuse. If convicted of the most serious charges, she could spend the rest of her life behind bars.

The charges came to light following the posting of a YouTube video by one of the alleged victims, Jamie Carillo. In the video, Carillo is having a phone conversation and the voice on the other end is said to be Cardosa. As they talk, acts of abuse are admitted. Carillo, who is now twenty-eight, states that the abuse started when she was only twelve years old and then continued for several years.

A second alleged victim has now come forward and is filing charges against her former school district for its negligence in not protecting students from a possible abuser within its school walls.

It is amazing that we live in a time when accusations of awful violations of trust and sexual abuse first are delivered via the internet. In other startling instances, the tables have turned and we have seen perpetrators of violent crimes take to sites like YouTube and Facebook to brag about their crimes.  Just more examples on how powerful our online connectivity has become.

I hope that the two young women who have come forward with their allegations are able to find some peace in the courage they showed in sharing their stories. If Ms. Cardosa is guilty of the charges she is facing, I hope her sentence is such that she never can harm another child.

Do you think that the criminal justice system is more lenient on female offenders?

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Previous Blog Posts:

The “Affluenza” Defense

Examining the Digits: Uncovering Tough Clues in Crime Investigations

What Would You Write in Your Crime Scene Investigator’s Notebook?

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Are We Soon Going to See Robocop for Real?

RoboIf you are familiar with any of my books, you know that I have a strong interest in the way that technology can be used within law enforcement to track and capture criminals. In my novels, vigilante detective Emily Stone uses surveillance equipment that sometimes surpasses the resources of the local police department. However, a fascinating article that gives a peek into the not-distant future shows us that police officers from the largest cities to the smallest towns are only going to get more high tech.

In a piece on the Fox News site about the “cop of the future,” readers can learn about the gadgets that will be used regularly within the next ten to fifteen years to keep our streets safer. More officers will be equipped with lapel cameras, which can capture images of possible suspects and run them against profiles already on record on just record interactions with the general public, for purposes of protecting both the citizens and the officer from unfair charges of wrongdoing.

There also will be “smart bullets,” that can hone in on a suspect from a distance and maneuver to the target, placing the officer and innocent bystanders at less of a risk. Or, if a police officer is in pursuit of a perpetrator, the newly invented Google glass, which is mounted as eyewear, can be used to obtain real-time information on the suspect and the route he is taking. And, just as our health records are all transitioning to a central electronic system, officers will be able to view traffic citations, arrest records and other relevant information with a couple of clicks on a tablet.

Of course, steps must be taken to ensure that this technology is not used to invade privacy or used recklessly. But if officers are properly trained and the equipment is employed as intended, these advancements appear to have great potential to track down more criminals and keep our men and women in uniform safer.

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Which Key Piece of Evidence Can Make or Break a Case?

fingerprintsI have received so many questions, comments and emails about fingerprint evidence and crime scene investigations, so I decided to keep with the theme from one of my previous posts about fingerprints.  There is so much more the fingerprint evidence from discovery to identification.

The science of fingerprint identification is referred to as dactylography.  Fingerprint evidence is absolutely key in a crime scene investigation.   It is the most fragile piece of evidence that is searched for, documented, and collected first at the crime scene.  Environmental conditions and improper handling can contaminate it easily.  After collecting the evidence, then the difficult task of identifying and comparing begins.

The fingerprints must be grouped into one of the three main pattern categories of arch, loop, and whorl for eight different pattern types.  Each category has subcategories that interpret the established rules for the Henry classification system.

The arch is the simplest type of fingerprint pattern with two subcategories: plain arch and tented arch.  The plain arch is characterized by a side-to-side flow of ridges with less than a 45-degree angle and the tented arch flows with a sharper upward thrust of ridges at an angle of 45 degrees or more.  This pattern encompasses approximately 5% of all pattern types.

The loop, which is the most common, includes approximately 65% of all pattern types, which is then divided into radial patterns of the left slope loop and right slope loop.  A loop must have a recurve, a cross looping ridge, and a delta or the point that is the nearest to the ridge, in order to fall into this category.  Most crime scenes with developed or visible prints will fall into this main category.

The last and most complex pattern is the whorl, a definite circular pattern that includes approximately 30% of all pattern types, which divides into four specific categories: plain whorl, central pocket loop, double loop, and accidental whorl.  In addition, the whorl can be further divided into an inner or outer tracing.

Fingerprints can be located and collected from three main groups: plastic fingerprints caused by a negative three-dimensional impression such as clay or wet paint, fingerprints contaminated with foreign matter such as blood or dust, and latent prints that is generally not visible to the naked eye and must be developed by one of various developing techniques.

Latent prints are most commonly developed with various powders in several colors and lifted with adhesive tape.  The appropriate powder is charged as the excess powder is tapped from the bristles and gently dusted in the designated area with the tips of the brush.  The point of processing of the print becomes optimum when the development isn’t over processed.

Think about everywhere our fingerprints are transferred throughout the day.  Take a look at your own fingerprints and see which category it fits into.

Remember, fingerprints are truly amazing like a work of art and individual; no two are alike, just like a beautiful snowflake.

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