Forensics Impressions

What is a skid mark?

A tire mark on the road that is made when the tires are locked

What are some tools used in crimes?

Bolt cutters, screw drivers, knives, crowbars

Where are some places tool marks might be found?

Bones, locks, doors, frames

What else can differentiate teeth?

Chips, fillings, crowns and caps

Is a shoe print an individual or class characteristic?

Class

What needs to be analyzed on a tool mark?

Dimensions of the impression, ridges or striation patters, defects, and paint or metal shards left on the tool.

What can a footprint tell us about a crime?

Direction of approach, point of entry, sequence of events, gender and height of perpetrator

A bite mark and suspect would have both of these characteristics in common:

Distance from cuspid to cuspid, shape of mouth arch, unaligned teeth, teeth width and thickness, spacing, missing teeth, curves of biting edges, unique dentistry, wear patterns: chips/grinding

What is forensic odontology?

Forensic medicine that deals with dental evidence

The rhythm of your walk

Gait

What can footprints say about how a person walks?

Gait patterns(rhythm), walking style, stride, height, stance, pigeon toed or slew footed

What are two ways tool mark impressions can be classified?

Impressions and scratches

3 types of impression evidence

Imprints, indentations, striations

Why is it important to take photos of the tire tracks?

It is transient evidence and will only temporarily be there

Generally, a taller person will have a _____________ shoe size.

Larger

How can you tell if someone is running?

Long strides, deep prints, deep toes

What is a plastic footprint?

Making an indentation in a substance like mud or snow

What is a mold?

Negative replica of the impression made by the object

Where can bite marks be found at a crime scene?

On the victim, on food, on the perpetrator, on wood

How can you tell if someone if limping?

One foot is deeper than the other

Is an imprint plastic or patent?

Patent

What are the 3 types of footprints?

Patent, plastic, latent

What is needed for a footprint to help convict a suspect?

Photo or casting evidence of footprint, actual shoe of suspect, and expert witness to testify they are a match.

Is an indentation plastic or patent?

Plastic

What is a cast?

Positive replica of the object making the impression

How can you tell if someone is carrying something heavy?

Prints deep, shot steps, wide base, scuffing, shuffling

What can your shoe prints tell you?

Range of height, walking style, standing or running, point of entrance/exit, path to the weapon, linkage

How can you tell if someone is walking backwards?

Short irregular stride, deep toes, dirt displacement in direction

The ________________ of a tool are considered class evidence.

Size and Shape

Generally, a shorter person will have a ____________ shoe size.

Smaller

How can tools be used in a crime?

Stabbing or hitting someone or breaking into things.

Your step length

Stride

Why should we look at back tire tracks instead of front ones?

The backs run over the fronts and the fronts narrow when turning

What can an odontologist discover?

The identity of the victim or the perpetrator

What causes tool marks?

The use of the tool against a softer object

What evidence is there from tire tracks?

Track width, wheelbase, turning diameter

What is a patent shoe print?

Tracking a substance like paint or blood

What is a latent shoe print?

Transferring layers of thin grime to hard surfaces; invisible to the naked eye

How can a tire track impression be individualized?

Wear marks, nails, patching, and gravel

How can shoe prints be matched to an individual shoe?

Wear patterns, cuts, nicks, scratches, gouges, stones

What are indentations?

When an object pushes into material that is softer than the object;3-D

What are imprints?

When material from one area is transferred to another;2-D

How can you tell if the footprints are a man's or woman's?

Women have smaller feet and are pigeon toed. Men have large feet and are slew footed

______________ parts of a tool are considered individualized evidence.

Worn or damaged

Are people's teeth helpful in identifying a human?

Yes! Teeth will stay intact and the DNA is preserved will in the pulp of the tooth