Journal of forensic sciences最新文献

Death scene investigation by medicolegal death investigators: Frequency and associated factors in two US jurisdictions 法医死亡调查员的死亡现场调查：两个美国司法管辖区的频率和相关因素。

IF 1.8 4区医学

Journal of forensic sciences Pub Date : 2025-09-11 DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.70109

Jennifer R. Snippen PhD, S. Marie Harvey PhD, Kimberly K. Repp PhD, Marit L. Bovbjerg PhD

{"title":"Death scene investigation by medicolegal death investigators: Frequency and associated factors in two US jurisdictions","authors":"Jennifer R. Snippen PhD, S. Marie Harvey PhD, Kimberly K. Repp PhD, Marit L. Bovbjerg PhD","doi":"10.1111/1556-4029.70109","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1556-4029.70109","url":null,"abstract":"Scene investigation, a fundamental component of medicolegal death investigation, has not been adequately studied. Using data from an electronic case management system, we analyzed 4509 deaths from two nationally accredited offices, over a 4-year period (2018–2021). We determined the proportion of death scenes directly investigated by medicolegal death investigators (MDIs) and examined factors associated with direct scene investigation. MDIs directly investigated scenes in 76% of the cases in this study, which excluded deaths occurring in medical facilities. Using logistic regression to control for the effects of all variables analyzed, we explored factors that were positively and negatively associated with direct scene investigation. MDIs were most likely to examine scenes when the decedents were young, male, white, the death occurred outdoors, and the circumstances were reported as apparent homicide, suicide, or otherwise “suspicious.” Scenes were less likely to be directly investigated by MDIs if the death was reported in the hours after midnight and originally reported as “natural.” Scene responses differed between the two offices in the study. Overall, these results indicate a need to further explore potential barriers or biases that may impact the consistency and accuracy of medicolegal death investigation. The findings also suggest a need to study operational guidelines or structural constraints that shape individual office practices. This study adds to limited research in the field and contributes information to support development of a more consistent, rigorous national response to this critical public health and public safety function.","PeriodicalId":15743,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic sciences","volume":"70 5","pages":"1882-1891"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145034755","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Evaluating novel and conventional cell-separation techniques for sexual assault investigations 评估新的和传统的细胞分离技术的性侵犯调查。

IF 1.8 4区医学

Journal of forensic sciences Pub Date : 2025-07-11 DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.70131

Janine Schulte PhD, Simon Egger MSc, Sarah Kron, Eva Scheurer MD, Iris Schulz PhD

{"title":"Evaluating novel and conventional cell-separation techniques for sexual assault investigations","authors":"Janine Schulte PhD, Simon Egger MSc, Sarah Kron, Eva Scheurer MD, Iris Schulz PhD","doi":"10.1111/1556-4029.70131","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1556-4029.70131","url":null,"abstract":"Biological evidence from sexual assaults frequently includes few male cells (i.e., spermatozoa) and numerous female cells (i.e., epithelial cells). In practice, their genetic analysis typically involves separating the victim's cells from the perpetrator's sperm using conventional differential extraction or advanced cell enrichment/capturing techniques. A descriptive study on simulated sexual assault samples was carried out by the recruitment of 10 heterosexual, monogamous couples. Post-coital swabs were collected before and after consensual sexual intercourse, with a sampling period of up to 96 h, and subjected to analysis to detect, quantify, and genotype adhering sperm by three distinct cell-separation techniques: differential extraction, laser capture microdissection, and DEPArray™. Methods differed in sperm detection and genotyping efficacy, while foreign DNA was identifiable up to 96 h. Time since intercourse and individuals were statistically significant factors (p ≤ 0.05) on male DNA yields, while hygienic behavior was not. Prior sperm enrichment was pivotal for cell capture technologies to counteract the abundance of epithelial cells, achieved by a prior mild digestion step for laser microdissection. Evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of standard and advanced methods provided a novel, comprehensive understanding of their merits, postulating that modern applications can assist conventional ones in challenging crime samples.","PeriodicalId":15743,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic sciences","volume":"70 5","pages":"1704-1720"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1556-4029.70131","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144621615","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

An alternate method for casting of three-dimensional footwear imprints in snow and sand 在雪和沙中铸造三维鞋印的另一种方法。

IF 1.8 4区医学

Journal of forensic sciences Pub Date : 2025-07-09 DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.70117

Hal Sherman BS, Peter Diaczuk PhD, Nicholas Petraco MS

引用次数: 0

Quality issue management and disclosure in forensic science: A survey of practice and perceptions 法医学的质量问题管理和信息披露：实践和观念的调查。

IF 1.8 4区医学

Journal of forensic sciences Pub Date : 2025-07-07 DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.70121

Anna L. Heavey MBA, Max M. Houck PhD, Gavin R. Turbett PhD, Simon W. Lewis PhD

{"title":"Quality issue management and disclosure in forensic science: A survey of practice and perceptions","authors":"Anna L. Heavey MBA, Max M. Houck PhD, Gavin R. Turbett PhD, Simon W. Lewis PhD","doi":"10.1111/1556-4029.70121","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1556-4029.70121","url":null,"abstract":"Addressing calls for transparency regarding errors and limitations in forensic processes is an ongoing concern for the forensic science service provider community and the stakeholders it serves worldwide. Foundational to this goal is developing a consistent approach to the identification of issues that have, or could have, an impact on the quality and reliability of forensic results. A standardized approach to the classification of quality issues detected within forensic agency management systems may be the strategic key to supporting consistent identification and disclosure, along with enhancing a positive quality culture throughout forensic service providers and building understanding of “error” in forensic science with end users of forensic information. A survey of international forensic science service providers was conducted to gain deeper insights into current systems of issue identification, classification, management, and disclosure along with perceptions on quality issues, their use and communication by forensic agency staff. The survey results demonstrate that development of a standardized approach would be of significant value to the forensic science community and its stakeholders, with potential benefit not only to improved communication and use of quality issue data but also in advancing a positive culture of quality and credibility in forensic service provision to support justice outcomes.","PeriodicalId":15743,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic sciences","volume":"70 5","pages":"1866-1881"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1556-4029.70121","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144585901","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Decision trees for combining morphological traits and measurements of the skull for osteological sex estimation 结合形态学特征和测量颅骨的决策树用于骨性别估计。

IF 1.8 4区医学

Journal of forensic sciences Pub Date : 2025-07-04 DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.70123

Morgan J. Ferrell PhD, John J. Schultz PhD, Donovan M. Adams PhD

{"title":"Decision trees for combining morphological traits and measurements of the skull for osteological sex estimation","authors":"Morgan J. Ferrell PhD, John J. Schultz PhD, Donovan M. Adams PhD","doi":"10.1111/1556-4029.70123","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1556-4029.70123","url":null,"abstract":"Forensic anthropologists commonly estimate osteological sex using separate metric and morphological analyses, without integrating both data types into a single statistical model. Combining data types into one classification model has the potential to increase sex classification accuracies for the skull. Therefore, the present study seeks to improve sex classification accuracies for the skull by combining morphological and metric variables using decision trees. The main objectives are to (1) generate multiple decision trees that combine metric and morphological variables, (2) compare the classification accuracies of the generated trees to current standard osteological sex estimation methods, and (3) compare the results of the combined data trees to separate morphological and metric trees. The sample included 212 European Americans (males = 106, females = 106) and 191 African Americans (males = 114, females = 77). Decision trees were trained on 80% of the sample and tested using a 20% holdout sample. Multiple trees were generated using 12 morphological and 14 metric variables. The skull (87.9%–100%) and cranium (90.9%–100%) models achieved higher accuracies compared to the mandible models (72.7%–92%). Additionally, the pooled, population-inclusive models performed as well as or better than the separate population models. Overall, the combined-data models attained higher classification accuracies than previous studies that integrated skull measurements and morphological traits, as well as compared to separate decision trees for both data types. Future research should continue to explore implementing decision trees for osteological sex estimation, including models combining metric and morphological variables from multiple skeletal regions.","PeriodicalId":15743,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic sciences","volume":"70 5","pages":"1653-1669"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144565580","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

A preliminary study of the evaluation of breech face impressions produced by various manufacturing methods 对各种制造方法产生的后膛面印痕的评价进行初步研究。

IF 1.8 4区医学

Journal of forensic sciences Pub Date : 2025-07-04 DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.70132

Veronica L. Franklin MS, Keith B. Morris PhD

{"title":"A preliminary study of the evaluation of breech face impressions produced by various manufacturing methods","authors":"Veronica L. Franklin MS, Keith B. Morris PhD","doi":"10.1111/1556-4029.70132","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1556-4029.70132","url":null,"abstract":"During cartridge case comparisons, firearm examiners must distinguish between different markings found on the cartridge cases. These characteristics can be classified into class, subclass, or individual characteristics. There is potential for a false identification if firearm examiners do not assess subclass characteristics carefully and mistake them as individual characteristics. Breech faces were manufactured by three different manufacturing methods (i.e., broach, plunge mill, and lathe) and two different finishing methods (i.e., glass bead blasting and tumbling). The manufacture resulted in subclass characteristics present on these breech faces. Ten test fires were collected from each breech face at each step in the manufacturing process. A confocal microscope was used to collect the 3D topographical scans, and pairwise comparisons were performed using the National Institute of Standards and Technology congruent matching cells (CMC) algorithm. The results revealed that carryover of subclass characteristics from the broached breech faces onto the breech face impressions occurred. The breech faces manufactured by plunge milling and lathe turning transferred minimal subclass characteristics to the cartridge cases. Using the ANOVA and Kruskal–Wallis H tests determined the presence of significant differences between all finishing groups except for the turned breech faces finished by glass bead blasting versus tumbling. In addition to the comparison of the cartridge cases using CMC, they were optically evaluated by comparison microscopy. The position of the CMC cells was indicated on these comparisons. The method of determining subclass characteristics by comparing the opposing edges of the breech face impressions on primers was also used.","PeriodicalId":15743,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic sciences","volume":"70 5","pages":"1770-1784"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144565579","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Phosphatidylethanol in post-mortem blood: A comparative study of blood matrices and its stability at routine storage conditions 死后血液中的磷脂酰乙醇：血液基质及其在常规储存条件下稳定性的比较研究。

IF 1.8 4区医学

Journal of forensic sciences Pub Date : 2025-06-26 DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.70106

Jeremai Hose MSc, Hilke Andresen-Streichert PhD, Mario Thevis PhD, Markus A. Rothschild MD, PhD, Martin Juebner PhD

{"title":"Phosphatidylethanol in post-mortem blood: A comparative study of blood matrices and its stability at routine storage conditions","authors":"Jeremai Hose MSc, Hilke Andresen-Streichert PhD, Mario Thevis PhD, Markus A. Rothschild MD, PhD, Martin Juebner PhD","doi":"10.1111/1556-4029.70106","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1556-4029.70106","url":null,"abstract":"Determination of alcohol markers in post-mortem cases can be useful to classify drinking habits and potential alcohol habituation prior to death. Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) is a direct alcohol marker and is already commonly used in a variety of contexts. However, its use in the field of post-mortem toxicology has been scarcely investigated so far. To evaluate its validity, PEth was determined in routinely collected post-mortem heart blood and femoral vein blood. The stability of PEth under routine storage conditions (−20°C) for a period of 60 days was examined. Post-mortem blood was collected during medicolegal autopsies and aliquoted. Parts of the samples were used to create dried blood spots (DBS) directly after collection. Further DBS were created using aliquots stored at −20°C on days 1, 2, 7, 14, 30, and 60. LC–MS/MS was used for quantitative PEth analysis, and initial blood alcohol was determined using GC-FID. Blood was collected from 50 different post-mortem cases. The heart blood/femoral blood ratio of PEth concentrations varied from 0.32 to 2.36 (mean = approx. 1.00), indicating a good comparability in total but a strong interindividual variation. In all PEth-positive samples, the PEth concentrations increased by approximately 20% after 24 hours and 70% after 60 days. Post-sampling formation of PEth was also found in blood samples without detectable amounts of ethanol. Neither storage at −80°C nor the addition of sodium metavanadate led to satisfactory stability of PEth. Based on our findings, the (sole) use of PEth for post-mortem toxicology caseworks is not recommended.","PeriodicalId":15743,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic sciences","volume":"70 5","pages":"1963-1972"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1556-4029.70106","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144510071","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Digitally Captured Signature solution errors revealed by calibration and testing: Two examples 校准和测试显示的数字捕获签名解决方案错误：两个示例。

IF 1.8 4区医学

Journal of forensic sciences Pub Date : 2025-06-24 DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.70100

Nikolaos Kalantzis PgD, MSc, Sarah Fieldhouse PhD

引用次数: 0

Review of: Handbook of bloodstain pattern analysis By Toby L. Wolson (Ed.), Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. 2024 回顾：手册的血迹模式分析由托比L.沃尔森（编），博卡拉顿，FL: CRC出版社。2024

IF 1.8 4区医学

Journal of forensic sciences Pub Date : 2025-06-24 DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.70114

Nicole Blackwell MFS

引用次数: 0

Study on efficiency of the half-volume GlobalFiler™ PCR protocol: Internal validation, degraded trace analysis, and comparison with full-volume protocol using casework samples 半体积GlobalFiler™PCR协议效率的研究：内部验证，降解痕量分析，并与使用案例样品的全体积协议进行比较。

IF 1.8 4区医学

Journal of forensic sciences Pub Date : 2025-06-24 DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.70110

Tamás Cseppentő MSc, Katalin A. Rádóczy MSc, Eszter É. Lőrincz MSc, Gábor Bihari MSc, Norbert Mátrai PhD, Bálint Megadja MD, Attila Heinrich PhD, Sándor Füredi PhD, Nóra M. Magonyi PhD

{"title":"Study on efficiency of the half-volume GlobalFiler™ PCR protocol: Internal validation, degraded trace analysis, and comparison with full-volume protocol using casework samples","authors":"Tamás Cseppentő MSc, Katalin A. Rádóczy MSc, Eszter É. Lőrincz MSc, Gábor Bihari MSc, Norbert Mátrai PhD, Bálint Megadja MD, Attila Heinrich PhD, Sándor Füredi PhD, Nóra M. Magonyi PhD","doi":"10.1111/1556-4029.70110","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1556-4029.70110","url":null,"abstract":"Due to its versatility, the GlobalFiler™ PCR Amplification Kit is commonly used in forensic analyses. The half-volume protocol used in our laboratory was validated by manually and automatically assembled PCRs involving increased number of PCR cycles. Validation parameters included tests of sensitivity, stability, reproducibility, repeatability, and casework study, in accordance with the guidelines of the Scientific Working Group on DNA Analysis Methods and the European Network of Forensic Science Institutes. To examine the efficiency of our custom half-volume and the manufacturer's full-volume protocol, we also compared the results of 266 casework samples amplified two times with both protocols. Our results demonstrated the high discriminatory power and robustness of the kit, as all the studied parameters provided appropriate results when the optimal 0.5 ng DNA input was used, regardless of the PCR preparation method. In the case of undegraded samples, DNA inputs in a range of 1–0.075 ng produced DNA profiles in an optimal RFU range without significant allelic dropout for both PCR preparation methods. Regarding the tests on degraded casework samples, the average locus dropouts for lowly, moderately, and highly degraded samples were 12.05%, 19.2%, and 33.79%, respectively, proving again the kit's abilities even in half-volume reaction mix. This protocol caused no loss of information, as comparing its results to the full-volume protocol's, the recovery of alleles showed no statistical difference. Based on our results, the GlobalFiler™ kit's numerous positive properties proved valid in the case of our half-volume protocol as well.","PeriodicalId":15743,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic sciences","volume":"70 5","pages":"1985-1996"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144487544","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0