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In The News

2013-02-25 | Genetic Sleuthing, Or How To Catch The Right Identical Twin Criminal
The police in Marseille France are struggling to solve a sexual assault case. They have solid video evidence and have even matched DNA from the crime scene with two suspects but they still can’t figure it out. See, the problem is that the suspects are identical twins. Identical twins look pretty similar so unless the police get lucky like they did in Boston, video evidence can’t usually be used to tell them apart. And identical twins share the same DNA so conventional DNA tests can’t be used either. The police are in a real pickle.

2013-02-20 | Cognitive and Contextual Influences in Determination of Latent Fingerprint Suitability for Identification Judgments
Knowledge of another examiner's previous determination that the latent was unsuitable was found to increase the likelihood that the examiner would conclude that the latent was unsuitable. However, knowledge of a previous "suitable" determination by another examiner did not increase the likelihood of a "suitable" conclusion by examiners. The finding that effects were weaker, although not entirely removed, in those with IAI certification suggests that training may be an appropriate route for reducing the effect of contextual influence and bias in suitability determinations. It was also shown that a latent prints that were previous classed as "unsuitable" in a non-biasing context tended to still be judged to be "unsuitable" by examiners that were presented with the latent in a strongly biasing context (a major case in which a previous examiner was purported to have made an Individualization).

2013-02-20 | Quantitative Measures in Support of Latent Print Comparison
Latent prints of friction ridge impressions have long been useful in identification, and the methodology of examining latent prints, known as ACE-V (analysis, comparison, evaluation and verification), has been well documented. The need to quantify confidences within ACE-V has been articulated in several recent influential reports to strengthen the science of friction ridge analysis. This research addresses the evaluation of three quantitative measures: rarity of features, confidence of opinion and a probabilistic measure of similarity.

2013-02-14 | St. Paul Lab review finds errors
The police department hired two consultants to work on improving the lab after a Dakota County District Court hearing last year disclosed flawed drug-testing practices. A judge is considering admissibility of suspected drug evidence in four cases. The police chief halted the lab's drug testing and fingerprint analysis over the summer, but the lab recently resumed fingerprint work by certified analysts.

2013-02-14 | Independent review of St. Paul Police crime laboratory reports
Two independent consultants hired to review the St. Paul Police crime lab found major errors in almost every area of the lab's work. The reports they filed following their reviews were made public Thursday.

2013-01-25 | Amherst crime lab probe sought by Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan following chemist Sonja Farak's arrest on drug thefts
Sullivan has asked the state Inspector General to do a full audit of the lab to determine if evidence was comprised during the past year. Sonja Farak, a chemist there, pleaded innocent Tuesday in Eastern Hampshire District Court to evidence tampering and stealing heroin and cocaine. Her arrest has caused authorities to temporarily shut down the lab. Hampden District Attorney Mark G. Mastroianni said earlier this week that the situation at the crime lab has created serious problems for his office. The laboratory was the testing site for drugs involved in cases his office prosecutes. He went so far as to say he would not be surprised to see some of them dismissed because of questions about the lab’s integrity.

2013-01-08 | Application of Spatial Statistics to Latent Print Identifications: Towards Improved Forensic Science Methodologies
This project addresses the question of fingerprint uniqueness (i.e., the discriminating value of the various fingerprint ridgeline features) by statistically evaluating the spatial distribution of these features. The purpose of the project was to review the latent print ACE-V comparison methodology to ascertain the fingerprint features considered during the comparison process and apply principles of spatial analyses to calculate false-match probabilities. The objectives were to spatially analyze fingerprint features (e.g., minutiae and ridge lines) using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) techniques and empirically derive probabilities to provide a quantitative measure of the discriminating value of the various ridgeline features. The resultant probabilities are applicable for subsequent qualification of latent print comparison conclusions.

2013-01-01 | About the IAI Latent Print Certification Board
Since its inception, the I.A.I.'s Latent Print Certification Board has proficiency tested thousands of applicants, and periodically proficiency tests all IAI Certified Latent Print Examiners (CLPE’s) as part of the recertification requirement every five years.

2012-12-12 | St. Paul Police crime lab review report by SFE - CS cases

2012-12-12 | St. Paul Police crime lab review report by SFE