#2 The Science of Crime: Forensics II

Hii! Welcome back to STEM on the Streets! In today's episode, we'll be exploring the legal side of forensics. And if you are new here, my name is Aiza Jamil and alongside CAI (Crime AI) we'll be walking the darkest streets of STEM. For better context, go check out the previous episodes by clicking on the button👇.

(TW: mention of murder and r*pe)

In the last episode, we said that forensics is science married to law. Do you remember CAI?

 (✿◡‿◡)CAI: Unlike you, I do not have the memory span of a dead goldfish.

CAI, don't you think that's a tad bit rude?

 (✿◡‿◡)CAI: You created me to answer like that- so I wouldn't say it is rude.

Understood, CAI. Could you give us a quick topic list for this episode?

 (✿◡‿◡)CAI: Sure!

• WITSEC

• Forensics in court

--------------------------------------

• Fingerprints

• DNA

.....

 (✿◡‿◡)CAI: Aren't you going to thank me?

....No... I am thinking about changing your programming so that you refer to me as 'your majesty'.

 (◔_◔)CAI

WITSEC

Hey, CAI explain WITSEC, please.

(✿◡‿◡)CAI: Sure Your Majesty, A witness is a legal term for someone who is a witness of some sort of illegal act. Criminals don't want to go to jail-

Who does?

(✿◡‿◡)CAI: Ahem- when criminals try to avoid confrontation of their deeds they most of the time try to terrorise or even murder witnesses or their loved ones. WITSEC stands for Witness Security Program which-

I can take it from here, CAI.

(✿◡‿◡)CAI: As you wish Your Majesty.

WITSEC is a federal organisation with protects the identities of witnesses by providing them with new ones. WITSEC provides documentation, housing, and aid with basic living necessities.

This only exists to protect and to be able to solve crimes with the help of witnesses. Imagine...

WITSEC IN ACTION

(TW)

A week ago, you were walking down Seclus Street- the most crime-littered street on the face of Earth. It is nearing dusk. The sky is painted with shades of warm colours but the air is still cold. It was quiet. Your neighbour, an addict, was outside high on some sort of substance- he lay on his front lawn almost looking dead. You fiddle with your keys before your neighbour wakes up from his illegal dreams. You enter inside and take your shoes off.

As soon as you enter you hear loud noises outside- something not new to you. You peek out of your window to see a bunch of large men dressed in black and one who you recognise- Larry the garbage man. They drag your dead neighbour's body leaving a trail of blood behind.

It's been a week and the case has been taken to court- you testify as a witness to the scene alongside the person living in front of you, Sara. You decide to apply for WITSEC however Sara doesn't. You have been moved to a different place for a time and your identity has been kept a secret so far.

On the second day of the case, Sara starts receiving anonymous threats, and vivid descriptions of how she is to be murdered. The notes send Sara into a state of paranoia. By the second week of the case, Sara has been found murdered by a bullet on her front porch.

But because of your smart decision, the court case is solved and Larry and his garbage gang have been put behind bars.

Forensics in Court

In forensics, scientists investigate murder through science, like detectives. The thing is that forensic scientists are not allowed to give their suggestions in court as they are not detectives by profession. Forensic scientists are only allowed to provide evidence however, they can have their own opinions of the case but must not share them.

Fingerprints & DNA

Now that we have finished with the basics of legal forensics- it is time to go to the basic science side of forensics.

Fingerprints

Fingerprints are grooves on the tips of your fingers (and toes). If you take a close look you'll be able to see them. No two fingerprints are alike even for identical twins. There are three types of fingerprint types: Whorls, Loops and Arches. The rarest ones are the arches, check your fingers and find out what is your type of fingerprint!

CAI, tell us the history of fingerprints, please.

(✿◡‿◡)CAI: Marcello Marpighi was the first person to discover fingerprints in 1686, discovering that fingerprints can be left behind loops, whorls and their different ridges. And in 1788 Johann Christoph Andreas Mayer was the first one to discover that fingerprints were unique to every individual.

Did you know that fingerprints were first used to solve a crime in 1892? It happened in Argentina, where the police found a bloody fingerprint on a door frame and used it to identify the person responsible. This was a groundbreaking moment in crime investigation and set the stage for the use of fingerprints as a key identifier in solving crimes.

DNA

DNA stands for Deoxyribonucleic acid, it is a big word. DNA is the body's identity card and stores all of its information in it. DNA is made from four basic chemicals: adenine (A), thymine (T), guanine (G), and cytosine (C). When you mix and match these up you get a different person each time! Identical twins share the same DNA.

DNA has a lot of information about you on it and it is dangerous to share, like your credit card number. I'll give you an example: DNA can sometimes carry genetical diseases that don't show at the present moment and if health insurance companies find out they may not let you have insurance!

(✿◡‿◡)CAI: People believe that James Watson and Francis Crick discovered DNA but in reality, it was Rosalind Franklin whose Photo 51 was stolen by the two men!

The first ever case solved by the usage of DNA was between 1986 and 1988. It was used in Enderby in Leicestershire to solve the r*pe and murder of two school girls, Linda Mann and Dawn Ashworth.

And that would be all for today folks. I hope you enjoyed today's episode. In the next episode, we'll dive into the crime analysis with forensic toxicology.

I'm a forensics sleuth, what's your mystery to solve?

And this is Aiza Jamil signing out!