This past Monday, April 25, our Fundamentals in Biomedical Sciences Class was visited by Mr. Glenn Garside as a kick-off to forensics week! Mr. Garside will be leading all of our activities this week. We will be focusing on obtaining forensic evidence from a traffic related homicide. In regards to forensic evidence, Mr. Garside explains that “the devil is in the details”. Even the smallest pieces of evidence can make or break an investigation. Some examples of forensic evidence include, but are not limited to death investigation, crime scene, forensic pathology, DNA, blood, saliva, bodily fluids, ballistics, fingerprints, and digital forensics. Ballistics relate to injury or damage to property caused by a firearm. Digital forensics includes many different types of evidence such as computer or cell phone activity, vehicle GPS, and banking records. Those who work with forensic evidence must be a jack of all trades and willing to keep up with new information/technology. The collection of forensic evidence has many many different branches and is constantly evolving. Physical and circumstantial evidence can help to determine the motive behind a homicide as well as how the crime was committed. The discovery of the “why” and the “how” a crime was committed can help determine an ultimate goal: who did it. Detectives, prosecutors, and attorneys are all examining the forensic evidence to help their case or, in the case of the detective, solve the crime.
Mr. Garside completed his presentation by pointing out many myths related to forensic evidence. Contrary to popular belief there are not always fingerprints, there is not always DNA, not everyone who commits suicide leaves a note, you do not have to have forensic evidence to prove your case, time of death is extremely hard to determine, and not every death case has the same evidence. Mr. Garside ended his presentation by showing us photos of real deceased humans and the affects the wreck had on their body. We saw examples of seat belt injuries, road rash, and more. It was quite sad, but incredibly interesting to see. I greatly enjoyed his presentation, and I am incredibly excited for the events of the week ahead.
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