Class Forensics Analysis

Fingerprint Analysis:

In class we learned how to identify and lift out prints.When lifting prints, we each made a latent print. We did this by using the oils from our faces and touching a glass surface and a black surface. We used a dark powder for the glass and a white powder for the dark surface.

Hair/Fiber Analysis:

We identified Asian hair, African American female hair, cat hair, dog hair, Dyed Caucasian female hair, Synthetic hair, wool, cotton, nylon, and silk. Each strand of hair had specific characteristics.

-The Asian hair was a dark brown color, the tip of the hair was cut, and there was a a distinctive line through the middle of the strand of hair.

-The African-American female hair was light brown and on the outside were other tips coming off of the strand, maybe hair was dry.

-The cat's hair was black and had skin on the end as if it had been pulled out. There were also ridges on on the hair.

-The dog's hair had a cut tip and spots.

-The dyed Caucasian female hair was light brown. It's tip was cut and had a light inside with a dark outside

-The synthetic hair was brown. The tip was cut and there were many cracks on the strand

-The wool was color treated and was dark blue. The outline of the wool was all over the place.

-The cotton was white and was all over the place but more fiber than the wool.

-The nylon was tan and in a pile weave type pattern

-The silk was navy blue and had a plain pattern

Handwriting/Forgery Lab:

For the lab, we all wrote the same sentence using each letter of the alphabet. We than found the 12 characteristics of our handwriting. After we did a check forgery and each person had to create a fake check including a fake name. After each check was made they had to be ripped up and traded with another group. In using the handwriting analysis we did before, we compared and used the prior analysis as a guide to identify who wrote the   Since each person had distinctive characteristics in their writing it became quite easy to identify the individual.

Lip Analysis:

We made impressions of our lips by use of lip gloss or lipstick. After making impressions we marked all of our distinctive marks or cracks on our lips.

-My lips had a big space in the middle, my bottom lip was bigger, there were cracks in both the top and bottom of our lips and they were also wavy.

Drug Analysis: 

In lab we completed an experiment using six possible drugs.
The drug could have had a high PH, could have been cocaine or LSD. When using the cocaine reagent the sample should have turned blue to be a positive match to cocaine. For the LSD, the sample would turn yellow if a positive match.

1. The first sample had a PH of 6, so the PH paper was orange-yellow.

     Cocaine reagent: Green -    

     LSD reagent: Red, -

2. The second sample had a PH of 9, so the PH paper was green.

     Cocaine reagent: Blue +

     LSD reagent: Fuchsia -

3. The third sample had a PH of 3, so the PH paper was dark orange.

     Cocaine reagent: Yellow, -

     LSD reagent: Yellow +

                                                      4. The fourth sample had a PH of 8, so the PH paper was green.

    Cocaine reagent: Blue, +
    LSD reagent: Red, - 

    

5. The fifth sample had a PH of 6, so the PH paper was yellow.

     Cocaine reagent: Green -

     LSD reagent: Red -

 6. The fifth sample had a PH of 3, so the PH paper was dark orange.

     Cocaine reagent: Yellow, -

     LSD reagent: Yellow, +

Create a Profile:

In this lab we had to create a profile of a criminal, we were given five articles of evidence to use to identify the criminal and the victim.

                                                      Clue 1 was a group of 4 fingerprints. My group and I decided that it                                                         was from the right hand based on how they are placed on the page.

Clue 2 was a piece of red hair. We discovered the hair to be a Caucasian's colored hair.

 
Clue 3 was a ripped-up note that we had to put together. 

The note read: "you will never find her."

 
                                 Clue 4 was another hair that was proved to be that of an African- American female. 

 

Clue 5 was either blood or lip-gloss smear. We decided that it was supposed to be a  blood smear since it was too thick to have been lip stick or lip-gloss.


As a group, together we were required to investigate and use our previously learned knowledge to find out who was involved and who committed the crime. My team members and I determined that the guilty one was an African American woman, and that the victim (or someone who was there) was a Caucasian female. 

 

Poison Analysis:

We completed a lab where we tested for poisons such as sugar, household ammonia, Aspirin, and Cyanide.



Sugar-If sugar, the sample would turn purple with the sugar reagent. There were 3 samples each turned blue, we found that none of the samples were sugar nor turned purple, each sample turned blue



Household Ammonia-If household ammonia, it will have a strong PH. Sample 1 turned fuchsia with reagent and had a PH of 11, so therefore it was ammonia. Sample 2 had a PH of six and had no change in color with ammonia reagent, was not a positive match for ammonia. Sample 3 also had a PH of three and no change on color with ammonia reagent.

Cyanide-If cyanide, the color will change to a bloody red color using indicator. The first and third samples were colorless with indicator. The second sample turned a bright bloody red color. 

Aspirin-If aspirin, the PH would be below 7 and the BTB will make the sample turn yellow. The first sample turned yellow ans its PH was 1. The second sample turned green and its PH was 6. The third sample turned green and PH 6. Each sample contained aspirin.

Footprint Analysis

During this lab, my group and I did an a analysis of our feet.

-My Foot-

Experiment Title: Footprint Analysis for Iyanna

Date:11/17/11 
Time: 12:05
Observer’s Name: Natassja, Sammie and Brandon 

Weather Conditions: Partly cloudy 
Temperature: 64F
Wind Direction: (NW) 
 

Wind gust: 46mph 
Wind speed: 29 mph 
Relative humidity: 83% 
 

Most Recent Precipitation: Rain 11/16/11 
Substrate: Sand
Number of Track’s identified: 1 
 

Impression measurements: 

 -Length: 11 inches, Width (widest generally ball of foot): 5 inches  

Position in track series: Forward  
Direction of Track: North 
 

Analysis: In the end, we found that everyone has a distinctive footprint, due to size, height, width, shoe type, gender, and weather conditions.

Witness Experiment:

Working in groups of four, we were instructed to cut out faces from magazines provided by the teacher. Each face having to be the same race and gender. Once the faces were cut out the students had to cut out the eyes, lips, nose, and hair of their face. After we had to try and put each face back together. My group chose four Caucasian women and decided to create an identity of a woman with a distinctive face. In doing this it was a way of one to identify a criminal or victim if a witness. This activity showed us the importance of recognition when investigating crimes and helped us to remember specific features of faces.