When it comes to capturing the culprits responsible for a crime, sometimes traditional investigation methods, such as interrogating witnesses, coaxing a confession out of suspects, or gathering correspondence, simply won’t do. Sometimes, it is necessary to bring in a forensic science team, the likes of which have been brought significantly to prominence by the highly popular TV show CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. If you are interested in some of the most exciting parts of forensic science, then you are in the right place, as this guide has been created to give you a complete overview. Read on now for everything that you need to know.
X-Ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy
X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy can be used in forensic science to great effect. It uses x-rays to analyze a particular sample, and then the elements in a sample can be established and identified. The benefit of using this in a forensic setting is that it is a non-destructive technique, meaning that the sample can remain intact. If you are interested in the types of companies developing these types of machines, you should check out the amazing work done at Malvern Panalytical.
DNA Analysis
When you think of forensic science, it is likely that DNA analysis is one of the first parts that naturally comes to mind. This is where a sample from the scene, such as a hair, or semen, or blood, can be identified and then cross-checked against a large DNA database. The first criminal to be caught using this method was Colin Pitchfork, who raped and murdered the 15-year-old Dawn Ashworth in Leicestershire, England, in 1986. Now over thirty years later, the methods have become more accurate and even faster.
Ballistics
When you think about murders, one of the most traditional methods of killing someone is simply shooting them with a gun. Nonetheless, the use of a gun in a murder can leave a whole variety of marks. This means that if investigators uncover bullets from a crime scene, they are able to compare them under a microscope and learn more about the provenance of the shooting. This way, they are able to identify the gun used and even who might have used it.
Fingerprint Analysis
There’s a reason why criminals in films and TV shows always seem to be wearing gloves when they are committing crimes. This is so that their fingerprints are not easily identifiable at the scene of a crime. The reason why fingerprint analysis, which is over 100 years old, is so useful is that no two fingerprints are the same, meaning that they can be accurately traced to the criminal at the scene. This means that when officers arrive on the scene of a crime, they are most likely to dust for prints immediately, as this is one of the best clues to solving a crime. This is also why you might be required to give biometric data when applying for a visa, so your fingerprints can be checked against a database to see if you are wanted anywhere or not.
