What role does DNA evidence play in
solving crimes?
DNA
is the strongest and most reliable identification
evidence that exists.
Jobin discusses technology advances,
DNA as identification,
and whether or not DNA evidence can be used for
cold cases.
Solving
Crimes-
Forensic science, especially DNA analysis has changed how crimes
are investigated. With minscule samples forensic scientists
can solve or prevent crime, and exonerate the innocent.
Ballistic
Fingerprinting -- When a gun
is fired, ballistic fingerprints, marks on the bullet
and cartridge casings, are as unique as human fingerprints
always leaving identical marks. In the DC sniper
shootings, police matched bullet fragments from each victim
to prove the same gun was used. The
sniper could have been identified after the very first
victim. Law enforcement needed a national database of
every gun's ballistic fingerprint, before being
sold, to determine manufacturer, model, and serial
number of the weapon bullets were fired from. The
unique and reproducible qualities of ballistic fingerprints
are critical for rapidly solving gun crime by identifying
the specific weapon used. Opposition
from the National Rifle Association (NRA) and gun lobby
and efforts to expand ballistic fingerprinting were blocked
in Congress and state legislatures. Ballistic fingerprinting
technology is proven to be reliable. What is lacking are
politicians with enough backbone to stand up to the gun
lobby and establish a comprehensive ballistics database
to help law enforcement solve more gun crimes and
catch more criminals.
Solving
Cold Cases -- Every law enforcement department throughout
the country has unsolved cases that could be solved
through recent advancements in DNA technology.
Every year,
hundreds of suspicious, accidental and violent deaths never reach
North Carolina's medical examiners for investigation. The reason:
Doctors
don't report them. There are deaths from gunshot wounds, apparent
falls and head trauma. Deaths from suspected drug overdoses and
burns, choking and heat stroke.
Vidocq
Society --
Dedicated to dealing with long unsolved murders and other major
cases. The Vidocq credo is Veritas Veritatum - The Truth of Truths.
The Vidocq Society's 82 members come from 17 states and 12 countries
with a broad array of forensic specialties. The Society chooses
its cases carefully, working closely with local investigators and
prosecutors. All work is pro bono.
Be
a crime solver by exploring forensic science.
Practice analyzing evidence and try solving the crime. (Suitable
for children)
City
Confidential - Faith And Foul Play In Salt Lake City --
Salt Lake City, Utah, is a city based on hard work
and unshakeable Mormon faith. On the morning of October
15, 1985, two explosions sparked an investigation
that would shake Salt Lake to its core. The next
day, a third bomb went off in the car of Mark Hofmann,
a respected dealer in rare documents whose specialty
was uncovering missing pieces of Mormon history.
Mark's specialty was forgery. And when his schemes
to sell increasingly valuable fake documents started
to unravel, he tried to eliminate some creditors.
But the story goes into the heart of the Mormon culture
and church. One of Mark's customers was the president
of the church, whose primary interest was keeping
unflattering documents out of enemy hands, and the
trial centered more on the forgeries than the murders. The Salt
Lake City bombings tore at the heart of a city where the unquestioning
trust among most residents was based on their shared Mormon beliefs.