In 1966, a tragic crime shook Japan: a miso company executive and his family were murdered, and their home was set ablaze. Two months later, a company employee, Iwao Hakamada, was arrested and later sentenced to death based on evidence that would later be questioned. The key evidence? Bloodstained clothing found in a miso tank, which the prosecution claimed belonged ...
Sexual assault investigations often face a tricky situation. There are usually more female cells than male cells in the evidence. This makes it hard to get clear DNA results. Scientists have been testing different ways to separate these cells. They want to find the best method to identify the attacker's DNA. A recent study looked at three different techniques. These...
Breath tests for cannabis are not new, but they usually focus on smoking. Now, researchers wanted to see if these tests could also detect THC from edibles. They had people eat cannabis-infused treats and then tested their breath at different times. Before eating the edibles, some participants already had THC in their breath. After eating, THC levels changed in diffe...
Crime scene investigations just got a high-tech makeover. Scientists have found a clever way to detect blood using a smartphone and a special glowing chemical called luminol. When luminol meets blood, it lights up, and a smartphone can record the whole process in a video. This new method is not just cool; it's also eco-friendly. It uses a tiny amount of luminol comp...
In crime scene investigations, blood is a big deal. It can solve murders, rapes, and other serious crimes. But how do experts know if the blood is human? Two methods were put to the test in Pakistan. The first method uses a special tool called Anti-Human Hemoglobin (Ah-HB). It's cheaper but not as sensitive as the second method, which uses Seratec HemDirect (S_HD) s...
A 92-year-old man, Ryland Headley, was recently found guilty of a brutal crime committed back in 1967. He was convicted of raping and murdering 75-year-old Louisa Dunne in her own home in southwestern England. This case is notable for being one of the oldest cold cases ever solved in the U. K. The trial revealed that Dunne was strangled and asphyxiated. Neighbors re...
Crime-fighting tools are getting a tech upgrade. Sensors are stepping into the spotlight, offering a faster, cheaper way to tackle crime. But there's a catch. Current sensors have some big problems. They're pricey, tricky to use, and need experts to make sense of the results. Researchers have been busy testing new sensor tech. They looked at over 1, 400 studies. Out...
In Richland County, a unique opportunity is opening doors for students. They are getting a firsthand look at the work of coroners. They are learning about forensic science and death investigation. This is all thanks to the Richland County Coroner Cadet Program. This program is not your typical classroom experience. It is a two-week intensive training session. S...
Forensic science is getting a boost from new sequencing technology. This tech lets scientists get genetic info from tough samples. One new tool, IBDGem, looks at sequencing data, even from low-quality samples, to figure out if a DNA match is likely. But here is where things get tricky. IBDGem checks if the sample comes from someone in a reference database. This is no...
In the world of forensic science, figuring out someone's age can be a real puzzle. There are many ways to do it. One of them is by looking at how bones and teeth develop. The bones in the neck, known as cervical vertebrae, can tell a lot about how grown-up a person is. These bones are a solid clue for figuring out age. When these bones are studied alongside other si...