CHAPTER 2

FORENSIC SCIENCE AS APPLIED TO

CRIME INVESTIGATION

TOPICS
1. What is Forensic Science?
2. The Role of Forensic Science in Criminal Investigations
3. Criminal Profiling - Getting Inside a Criminal’s Mind
4. Importance of Forensic Science in Law
5. The Scope of Forensic Science

LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:
1. Understand by heart the meaning of Forensic Science
2. How is Science applied to Criminal and Civil Laws
3. Role of Forensic Science in Criminal Investigations
4. How is criminal profiling done
5. Importance of Forensic Science in Law

Specialized Crime Investigation with Legal Medicine

Vanessa Clamor Edaniol, RN
Instructor 1 (Temporary) Page 1
 TOPIC 1: WHAT IS FORENSIC SCIENCE?

Forensic Science is defined as “the application of science to those criminal and civil
laws that are enforced by the police agencies in a criminal justice system”.

Forensic Science deals with the application of the knowledge and methodology of
various discipline of science to legal matters. It involves the use of computer science and
engineering for evidence analysis as well as forensic medicine (Legal Medicine).

For instance, Physics is used to understand the pattern of a blood spatter, Biology to
establish the source of an unidentified suspect, Chemistry to determine the composition of drugs,
and Legal Medicine to establish the cause of death as well as the manner of death. Thus the role
of forensic science in criminal justice and the legal system is highly critical but is often
underrated.

Forensic science, also known as criminalistics, is the application of science to

criminal and civil laws, mainly – on the criminal side – during criminal investigation, as
governed by the legal standards of admissible evidence and criminal procedure.

TOPIC 2: THE ROLE OF FORENSIC SCIENCE IN CRIMINAL

INVESTIGATION

Forensic science is that piece without which the puzzle of a criminal investigation is
incomplete. Without the application of forensic science, criminals can never be convicted unless
an eyewitness is present, while detectives and law enforcement agencies are involved in the
collection of evidence, be it physical or digital, it is forensic science that deals with the analysis
of those evidence in order to establish facts admissible in the court of law.

Thus in a world devoid of forensic science, murderers, thieves, drug traffickers and
rapists would be roaming scot-free.

The duties and responsibilities of a forensic scientist in a criminal investigation is

crucial as it involves the careful examination of an evidence while ensuring that it is not
tampered with. A diverse pool of forensic scientists and forensic tools go into the investigation
scientist and forensic tools go into the investigation of a criminal act.

For instance, forensic pathologists are skilled at determining the cause of a death by
performing autopsies. An autopsy helps establish the cause and manner of death through the
examination of body fluids and tissues. Forensic scientists analyse physical evidence
(fingerprints, blood, hair, etc.) collected from the incident scene to identify suspects.
Additionally, forensic professionals use image modification tools to search for criminals
absconding from the law for a long time. This tool enables them to digitally age a photograph to
understand how the individual would look at aging.

TOPIC 3: CRIMINAL PROFILING – GETTING INSIDE A CRIMINAL’S

MIND

This needs no introduction as we have often encountered its use in popular television
series such as Criminal Minds, Law and Order, Profiler and the film, Silence of the Lambs.
Criminal profiling dates back to 1888 and is believed to have been originally used and adapted
by the FBI.

Specialized Crime Investigation with Legal Medicine

Vanessa Clamor Edaniol, RN
Instructor 1 (Temporary) Page 2
 Criminal profiling enables forensic scientists to zero down on suspects by
determining a criminal’s patterns and personality. It is based on a psychological evaluation of the
belongings seized from an offender. This helps in drawing a complete social and psychological
assessment of the offender. Although it is often questioned for its accuracy, effectiveness and
scientific validity, its role in the criminal investigation cannot be neglected.

The basic steps of criminal profiling include in-depth analysis of the crime scene,
analysing the incidence and drawing comparisons with similar events in the past, evaluation of
the victim’s background and activities, considering all possible motives and preparing a detailed
description of the suspects in order to compare it with previous cases.

TOPIC 4: IMPORTANCE OF FORENSIC SCIENCE IN LAW

The word “forensic” has its roots in the Latin word “forensic” which means a
forum. Back in early Rome, a forum referred to a public place where judicial proceedings and
debated were held. Thus, the origin and the very definition of “forensic science” point to its close
association with the legal system. Forensic science involves the collection, preservation, and
analysis of evidence suitable for prosecuting an offender in the court of law. The application of
forensic science in the criminal justice is, therefore, an apparent picture.

The legal system widely recognizes the role of forensic evidence in the trial of
criminal offenders. This is because when scientific techniques and methods are used, there is not
much scope for bias or injustice. That is why DNA profiling and a host of other forensic
evidence are widely accepted in courts across the world. Interestingly, the first forensic
technique ever used involving finger and palm print identification dates back to the Chinese (650
A.D).

Forensic evidence is extensively used worldwide to both convict and exonerate

defendants. Thus, forensic science laboratories have mushroomed up all over the globe in the
past couple of decades. In facts, special acts have been enacted in the US, Canada, and Australia
to improve the rendering of forensic services. This would ensure that crimes are detected with
greater certainty and consequently conviction rates can increase. Such acts place a great
emphasis on time-efficient and quality management of crime scene.

TOPIC 5: THE SCOPE OF FORENSIC SCIENCE

The following are the scopes of Forensic Science:

Forensic Biology/DNA:

Apart from fingerprints analysis, DNA profiling is the other commonly used forensic
technique in criminal investigations. DNA being as unique to an individual as fingerprints, help
forensic professionals identify or confirm an unidentified person, or to eliminate suspects from a
list of accused. The biological evidence most commonly used for DNA profiling includes blood,
saliva, semen, skin, urine, and hair. However, DNA fingerprints are usually never used as the
single piece of evidence in the court of law.

Forensic Odontology:

Forensic odontology helps in the identification of victims when the body is left in an
unrecognizable state. This is achieved through an examination of their teeth, the alignment, and

Specialized Crime Investigation with Legal Medicine

Vanessa Clamor Edaniol, RN
Instructor 1 (Temporary) Page 3
overall structure of the mouth. Forensic dentist or odontologist aids in the comparative
identification of a person by examining the development and anatomy of the teeth including any
restorative dental corrections such as filling. It is often applied to criminal investigations for bite
mark analysis.

Controlled Substances:

Chemicals that are legally recognized as having the potential for abuse are called
controlled substances. This includes “street drugs” such as ecstasy or heroin and prescription
drugs such as oxycodone. The ability to detect and identify such controlled substances plays a
crucial role in aiding law enforcement agencies in their fight against drug abuse and drug-based
violence.

Forensic Toxicology:

Forensic Toxicology involves analysis of biological samples to check for the

presence of toxins and drugs. This branch of forensic science is of prime importance in road
accidents, poisoning, sexual violence etc. The toxicology reports furnish key information about
the nature substances present in an individual pertaining to an incidence. It also determines
whether the quantity of substances is normal as per a therapeutic dosage or exceeds the
permissible level. Since newer variants of drugs are developed each day, this branch of forensic
science is ever-evolving and demands up-to-date approach.

Forensic Anthropology:

This deals with the examination of compromised human remains or skeletons to help
determine the age, height, gender, and ancestry. It also helps establish the time since death by
identifying and examining injuries, if any. These analyses give valuable leads to investigators on
identifying victims, especially in cases where the bodies are beyond recognition.

Forensic Pathology and Medico – Legal Death Investigation:

Forensic pathology is a branch of pathology that helps determine the cause of death
by examining the cadaver. Forensic medicine involves the collection and analysis of medical
samples to deduce facts admissible in the court of law. For instance, identification of wounds
patterns can help determine the weapon used to inflict the wound. Additionally, forensic
pathologists can examine exit and entry wounds in deaths pertaining to the use of firearms or
other projectiles. A forensic pathologist can, therefore, draw crucial inferences on whether the
death is natural, criminal or accidental.

Impression and Pattern Evidence:

Impression evidence is the evidence created when two objects come in contact with
enough force to create an “impression”. This could involve a two-dimensional impression such
as fingerprint or three-dimensional one such as the marks on a bullet. Pattern evidence analysis
involves identification and analysis of additional information within an impression. Impression
and pattern evidence when used in conjunction can help establish vital links between a
suspect/tool to crime scene.

Trace Evidence:

Evidence such as fibres, soil, hair, gunshot residue, wood, and pollen are some of the
many examples of trace evidence. It derives its name from its tendency to be easily transferrable
between objects, people or the environment during a crime. Trace evidence often plays a pivotal
role in establishing a prime link between a suspect and the victim. For instance, a soil sample
obtained from the shoes of victim can give critical clues on the location of the crime and thus
help in tracing the perpetrator.

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Cyber Forensics:

Cyber Forensics involves the analysis of evidence found in computers and digital
storage media like pen drives hard disks etc. Its major objective is identifying, preserving,
recovering, analysing, and presenting facts and opinions about the digital information. Although
it is mostly used for the investigation of cybercrimes, it also widely used in civil proceedings.

Ballistics:

Ballistics is a specialized Forensic Science that deals with the motion, behaviour,
dynamics, angular movement and effects of projectiles, such as bullets, rockets, missiles, bombs
etc. The use if ballistics in forensics is mainly in criminal investigations. For instance, the
examination of the bullet found at a crime scene can reveal what type of gun was used to fire it
and whether it is associated with any other crime in the past. In fact, ballistic details are
documented in a large database that is accessible by law enforcement agencies across the globe.

Specialized Crime Investigation with Legal Medicine

Vanessa Clamor Edaniol, RN
Instructor 1 (Temporary) Page 5