Forensic Investigation Final Exam APRIL 19

What is one of the current weaknesses of forensic science?

The inability of the examiner to assign exact or even approximate probability values to the comparison of most class physical evidence

Whose responsibility is it to make an intelligent and complete examination of the crime-scene evidence?

The laboratory analyst

Whose responsibility is it to pay for a hepatitis B vaccination for a law enforcement officer who may have contact with bodily fluids while on the job?

The law enforcement agency

Which statement accurately describes the product rule?

The overall frequency of occurrence of an event, such as a match between two substances, can be obtained by multiplying together the frequencies of all independently occurring instances related to that event.

What does the term "rapid DNA" mean?

The process of quickly obtaining a DNA profile from a buccal swab

Which of the following items exemplifies a class characteristic?

The size of a shoe

Which of the following is a main difference between the spiral search pattern and the grid search pattern?

The spiral search pattern employs one person, while the grid search pattern employs two people.

Which of the following takes place during the internal examination?

Weighing, dissecting, and sectioning each organ of the body

The Henry system of classification gives a number to each finger based on the presence or absence of which ridge pattern?

Whorl

In 1903, a convict by the name of ________ arrived in prison and had exactly the same body measurements and appearance as another prisoner of the same name. Fingerprints were used to distinguish them.

William West

Which of the following characteristics would you expect to see on the remains of a teenager?

Wrist bones fused

expert witness

a person who is permitted to testify at a trial because of special knowledge or proficiency in a particular field that is relevant to the case.

Physical evidence of a known origin, such as blood or hair samples from a suspected perpetrator, is known as _____.

a reference sample

According to complementary base pairing, the only arrangement possible in the DNA double-helix configuration is the pairing of bases ________.

adenine to thymine and guanine to cytosine

A pathologist would want to make a determination of _____ at the scene as early as possible because the dead body is adjusting to the environmental temperature.

algor mortis

A solution of hydrochloric acid, copper chloride, and water works well as _____ for steel surfaces.

an etching reagent

When an investigator is comparing whether the shape of the blood drops are circular or oval, he/she is probably considering the impact _____.

angle

A drop of blood deposited at an angle of impact of about 90 degrees will be ________.

approximately circular in shape with no tail

Following a crime, Mark attempts a crime-scene reconstruction. There are two trails of blood, two meters apart from each other. Mark draws straight lines through the two trails. The point where the two lines intersect is known as the ________.

area of convergence

Michigan v. Tyler dealt with _____-related evidence obtained on four occasions spanning 25 days beyond the original event.

arson

During a bank robbery, two out of three robbers start stealing the money while the third stands guard over the hostages. When a bank worker attempts to run out of the room, the robber dealing with the hostages shoots the man in the heart and he dies. In the investigation following the robbery, the investigator classifies the spatter around the body of the victim as a(n) ________.

arterial spray spatter

A ballistics examiner might use a firearm's _____ to compare and contrast markings on a firearm's shell cartridge with discharged cartridges found at a crime scene.

breech face mark

The recommended practice is to wrap the _____ in tissue paper and place it into an evidence envelope before it is shipped to the crime laboratory.

bullet

When the forensic pathologist observes a body that displays a cherry-red discoloration, _____ might be suspected.

carbon monoxide poisoning

In protecting a fingerprint on a small object, it should be covered with _____ to protect it from damage.

cellophane

For _____, a technician would want to use tightly sealed jars or new paint cans to avoid the evaporation of residue.

charred debris

Forensic entomologists can approximate how long a body has been exposed after the onset of decomposition by ________.

examining the stage of development of the fly larvae

When type B blood is linked to a criminal suspect profile, all individuals having A, AB, and O blood should be ________.

excluded

During the _____, a forensic pathologist would note any apparent medical intervention to avoid any evidence of such from being misinterpreted in relation to the cause of death.

external examination

The Bertillon system was followed by relying upon _____ as a system of identification.

finger ridge patterns

In the process of lifting a fingerprint, an evidence collector would want to apply _____ before utilizing broad adhesive tape.

fingerprint powder

A _____ is a physician who has been trained to conduct autopsies for determining the cause of an unattended or unexpected death.

forensic pathologist

A _____ is a result of the body's oil and perspiration being deposited on a surface having been touched.

latent print

Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) is a computer program that _______.

maintains databases of DNA profiles

Forensic anthropologists may be helpful in identifying victims of _____ through the collection of teeth and bone fragments.

mass disasters

Practitioners of forensic ________ help identify victims when the body is left in an unrecognizable state.

odontology

Trace evidence such as _____ can prove very valuable in the analysis of tool marks left in the forcible entry into a structure.

paint chips

Which of the following will most likely result in a satellite spatter of blood?

Blood falling on wood

What can serve as a means for recording the exact dynamics of a crime scene in the moment it was first discovered?

Body-worn cameras

Of the four major federal crime laboratories in the United States, the one maintained by the _____ assists with the enforcement of the Organized Crime Control Act of 1970.

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives

The ruling in the Supreme Court Case of Melendez-Diaz v. Massachusetts set the standard for a forensic scientist to _____ in order to satisfy the requirements of the Sixth Amendment.

personally appear in court

An object that can establish that a crime has or has not been committed or can link a crime and its victim or its perpetrator is considered ________ evidence.

physical

In digital imaging, a square electronic dot is known as a(n) _____.

pixel

DNA _____ are enzymes that assemble a new DNA strand in the proper base sequence determined by the original DNA strand.

polymerases

A latent print not generating a hit on the Automated Fingerprint Identification System might indicate _____ of the file print.

poor quality

Contrary to television shows, an investigator should avoid retrieving a firearm by sticking a pencil in the barrel so that the _____ are not disturbed.

powder deposits

The Fourth Amendment guards against unreasonable searches and seizures with warrants being issued when there is _____.

probable cause

In a _____ search pattern, an area is divided into smaller areas where teams of investigators are assigned to search for evidence.

quadrant/zone

Which postmortem condition develops over the first 24 hours and disappears after about 36 hours, and represents the phenomenon of muscles becoming rigid in the position the body was in at the time of death?

rigor mortis

The quantity, consistency, and color of bile is important to a forensic pathologist in the examination of _____.

stomach contents

An investigator is relying upon the _____ under the metal's surface to make possible the process of serial number retrieval for a firearm.

strain

Collecting a portion of unstained surface material near a recovered stain by removal or swabbing is known as _____.

substrate control

Assigning exact or even approximate probability values when comparing most class physical evidence is difficult for some disciplines, but important—because without it, __________ could misinterpret the strength of the evidence.

the jury

When a firearm is recovered underwater, it should be transported to the crime laboratory in a receptacle containing _____.

the same water

When an investigator can determine the size and shape of a tool from a blood marking left on a countertop, he/she is dealing with a _____ pattern.

transfer

The area of convergence is the location on a _____ dimensional plane where the drops originated, while area of origin is the location on a _____ dimensional plane.

two; three

A fingerprint left by touching a surface after having encountering blood would most likely be considered a(n) _____ print.

visible

If the classification of fingerprints has a 16 listed for one of the fingers, a(n) _____ has been found.

whorl

Kirsten reported being raped after a night out at a bar. Sperm was discovered during her medical exam. It was also discovered that Kirsten tested positive for GHB (a date rape drug). All DNA evidence was submitted to the crime lab for examination. The DNA profile from the sperm will be entered into which database?

CODIS

What type of analysis subjects a suspect specimen and a standard/reference specimen to the same tests and examinations for the ultimate purpose of determining whether they have a common origin?

Comparison

Who is involved with death investigations and may or may not be a licensed physician?

Coroner

Using _______ DNA database search techniques, a suspect could be linked to a crime through matching a DNA profile of a close relative with DNA evidence collected from a discarded pizza crust eaten by the suspect.

Familial

The crime laboratory operated by the _____ performs more than one million examinations each year, with worldwide recognition as a model for others.

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Which type of natural or synthetic evidence can be useful in establishing a connection between people, places, or objects?

Fibers

Which type of pattern is made because of gravity's pull on active bleeding from a wound?

Flow

Jacob moves into a new house, and while digging to plant a tree, he unearths a set of human bones. Homicide is suspected and a crime-scene investigation ensues. Who will be called upon to determine the body's age, race, sex, and height?

Forensic anthropologist

Which individuals use their extensive knowledge of the blowfly lifecycle to help make time-of-death determinations?

Forensic entomologists

Who is an expert who determines whether people are competent to make important legal decisions or stand trial?

Forensic psychiatrist

What are the three indexes of DNA profiles that exist in the CODIS database?

Forensic, offender, and arrestee

Who is the author of Finger Prints?

Francis Galton

Ted Jones's lawyer attempts to use the results of a polygraph test to prove that Ted is mentally ill and has no recollection of a murder he was convicted in. The judge is concerned whether the polygraph test is an adequate technique to use in this situation, while the lawyer guarantees the test is foolproof. In this situation, what should the lawyer do to meet the Frye standard?

Get an expert to testify that this is an accepted technique.

Windowpanes containing holes made by a bullet or other projectile are included in the ________ category of evidence.

Glass

What was Leone Lattes' contribution to forensic science?

He devised a simple procedure for determining the blood group of a dried bloodstain.

What was Calvin Goddard's contribution to forensic science?

He refined the techniques of comparing two fired bullets by using the comparison microscope.

What was Hans Gross' contribution to forensic science?

He wrote the first treatise on applying science to the field of criminal investigation.

Which system of fingerprint classification converted ridge patterns on all ten fingers into a series of letters and numbers arranged as a fraction?

Henry

Which of the following viruses can be contracted through contact with infected blood or tissue at a crime scene?

Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, HIV

In the early 1990s, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) utilized the _____ in analyzing bullet and cartridge evidence.

IBIS

What is the process of determining a substance's physical or chemical identity?

Identification

In the context of recording a crime scene, which of the following statements is true?

If additional personnel are contacted during an investigation, their names, titles, and time of arrival should be recorded.

In which case was it decided that taking a buccal swab of an arrestee's DNA was reasonable under the Fourth Amendment?

Maryland v. King

Who was known as the "father of forensic toxicology"?

Mathieu Orfila

What process is the most efficient way to copy short tandem repeats (STRs)?

Multiplexing

Local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies currently submit their fingerprint data to _____ on a voluntarily basis, resulting in more than 750 million fingerprint images.

NGI

Which system, with more than one and a half million images, is utilized by more than 200 law enforcement agencies around the world?

NIBIN

Studies sponsored by the _____ demonstrate very high error rates for blunt instrument spatter patterns.

NIJ

Drug use would most likely contribute to which manner of death?

Natural causes

A suspect was caught outside a residence that had just been burglarized. This residence had blue, red, and beige carpets. A red fiber was removed from the pants of the suspect and exemplar fibers from the house were also recovered. All fibers were submitted to the crime lab for examination. Will this evidence identify the suspect as the burglar?

No

How many ridge comparisons are necessary to identify two fingerprints as the same?

No number has been agreed upon.

________ constitutes the 23 pairs of chromosomes in the nuclei of our cells.

Nuclear DNA

Which of the following statements about a nucleotide is correct?

Nucleotides are repeating units that can be strung together to form a DNA strand.

What were some suggestions made by the National Research Council on how to implement quality assurance measures to measure the competency of the examiners in laboratories?

Peer review, proficiency testing, analyst certification, and periodic external audits

_____, a silver nitrate-based reagent, is used to develop latent fingerprints on porous surfaces.

Physical developer

__________ left behind at a crime scene most often play(s) a crucial role in reconstructing the sequence of events surrounding the crime.

Physical evidence

Which of the following statements is true regarding limitations in dealing with physical evidence?

Physical evidence may exclude or exonerate a person from suspicion.

What is a technique for replicating or copying a portion of a DNA strand outside of a living cell?

Polymerase chain reaction

Which spatter pattern occurs when blood collects in a level place, such as a concrete floor?

Pool

Also known as a detailed verbal description of a perpetrator, what was utilized within the Bertillon system and combined with a system of precise body measurements?

Portrait parlé

Which of the following postmortem determinations can be made by a forensic entomologist?

Postmortem interval (PMI)

What has recently been introduced in crime labs as an innovative approach to the statistical analysis of DNA mixtures?

Probabilistic genotyping software

What is the polymer of amino acids?

Proteins

What is RUVIS and why is it useful?

RUVIS stands for Reflected Ultraviolet Imaging System. It can locate prints on most nonabsorbent surfaces without the aid of chemical or powder treatments.

Which statement is true of DNA segments that contain repeating base sequences?

Repeating sequences act as filler or spacers between the coding regions of DNA.

In Mincey v. Arizona, what could investigators have done after the home was secured in order to avoid having the case overturned on appeal?

Requested a warrant to search and seize evidence

An investigator seeking to determine a brand of footwear from a collected impression might utilize what database system?

SICAR

Which of the following statements is true of short tandem repeats (STRs)?

STRs are an ideal candidate for multiplication by polymerase chain reaction because of their shortness.

Which is more likely to be found on a concrete block than on a mirror?

Satellite spatter

SEM is used to locate microscopic primer and gunpowder particles on the adhesive used to collect primer residues on a shooter's hands. What does SEM stand for?

Scanning electron microscope

At a crime scene that is especially bloody, a medical examiner observing multiple cuts to a victim's forearms might suspect which cause of death?

Sharp-force injury

What is the purpose of the NamUs database?

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System is a national database for missing persons and unidentified decedent records.

When determining the sex of the person who contributed a DNA sample, what is the focus of attention?

The amelogenin gene

Which of the following information can be uncovered as a result of bloodstain pattern interpretation?

The angle at which a droplet struck a surface

Which rifling method involves cutting the metal of the barrel with a series of concentric steel rings?

The broach cutter process

Which of the following information should be recorded on the chain of custody?

The collector's initials, location of the evidence, and date of collection

Which of the following is true of interpreting bloodstain patterns?

The disrupted edge of an elongated stain indicates the direction of travel of the blood drop.

Ralph is a forensic scientist who is in the process of matching the DNA from a crime-scene evidence to a sample. In which situation should he use mitochondrial DNA?

The evidence is from the charred remains of a victim.

Where is the vitreous humor located?

The eye

What was the world's first national database for forensics?

The National DNA Database

Which ammunition cannot be detected with hand swabbing or application of adhesive?

22 caliber rim-fire ammunition

When a firearm is discharged, unburned and partially burned particles of gunpowder are propelled out of the barrel. What is the furthest distance between firearm and target at which gunpowder particles can be detected?

36 inches

Which of the following was most likely involved when a death was caused by a blunt-force injury?

A club

Which of the following is an example of crime-scene reconstruction?

A criminalist analyzes the direction and patterns of bloodstains at the crime scene.

How should powders and fine particles be packaged?

A druggist's fold

What is the chain of custody?

A log documenting continuity of possession for evidence

Scientific Method

A series of steps followed to solve problems including collecting data, formulating a hypothesis, testing the hypothesis, and stating conclusions.

To deal with the potential rate of error in interpreting bloodstain patterns, _____ may serve as solid model for a verification process.

ACE-V

Each state in the United States has its own fingerprint database that is linked to the FBI's system. What is the name of this database?

AFIS

Who was known as the "father of criminal identification"?

Alphonse Bertillon

Which of the following is a responsibility of the expert witness at a trial?

An expert witness must establish to the satisfaction of a trial judge that he/she possesses a particular skill or has knowledge in a trade or profession that will aid the court in determining the truth of the matter at hand.

What is the most popular and convenient approach for removing primer residues from a suspect's hands?

Application of adhesive tape

Which of the following characteristics would you expect to see on a female skeleton?

Approximately right subpubic angle

Ashandra, a forensic scientist, is attempting to carry out a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the replication of the minute amounts of DNA present in a sample. She is aware that the process is highly temperature dependent and uses a ________ to accomplish the process.

DNA thermal cycler

In the ruling of _____, the United States Supreme Court established several criteria that the judge can use in determining the admissibility and reliability of scientific evidence.

Daubert vs. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Which of the following is a basic service provided by a full-service crime laboratory?

Document examination unit

Which of the following classifies the back spatter of victim blood that strikes the shooter and enters the gun muzzle?

Drawback effect

When investigators encounter a series of blood drops that appear to be in some sort of a line and separate from other patterns, they might be dealing with which type of spatter patterns?

Drop trail

Ricardo is a forensic serologist attempting to separate the individual DNA fragments in a sample. He places the sample on a gel-coated plate and then applies electric potential to the plate. The molecules that carry an electric charge separate out from the molecules that do not possess an electric charge. What technique is Ricardo using?

Electrophoresis

Which of the following statements is true of the electrophoresis process?

Electrophoresis is useful for characterizing proteins and DNA in dried blood.

Which firearm mechanism is responsible for withdrawing a cartridge or fired case from the chamber of a firearm?

Extractor

In the ________, the FBI has physical evidence data profiles and corresponding criminal history information for nearly 75 million persons.

Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System

Which statement is true of the perimeter ruler method of documenting bloodstain patterns?

It involves setting up a rectangular border of rulers around the pattern.

Which of the following best describes the grid method of documenting bloodstain patterns?

It involves setting up squares of known dimensions over the entire pattern using string and stakes.

Which scientist(s) made the major breakthrough of deducing the structure of DNA, which pushed DNA research forward immeasurably?

James Watson and Francis Crick

In the ruling of _____, the United States Supreme Court established that trial judges assume the responsibility of being a gatekeeper in determining the admissibility of testimony that is inclusive of scientific, technical, and other specialized knowledge.

Kumho Tire Co., Ltd. vs. Carmichael

Which is considered an optional service unit provided by a full-service crime laboratory?

Latent fingerprint unit

Which digital-capture device eliminates ink-and-paper versions of fingerprint files by capturing an image of fingers or palms as they are pressed against a device's glass surface?

Livescan

_______ states that a cross-transfer of materials occurs when two objects contact each other.

Locard's exchange principle

What class of fingerprints appears to enter from one side of the pattern, then curve around and exit from the same side of the pattern?

Loop

The _____ has the oldest forensic laboratory in the United States, established in 1923.

Los Angeles Police Department

What type of handgun requires cartridges to be loaded and removed one by one from a small "gate" at the back of the gun?

Solid-frame revolver

Gianna, a fingerprint examiner, uploads a photograph of the print using a scanner. She applies a low-pass filter to the image to eliminate harsh edges and reduce the intensity difference between pixels. Next, she applies a high-pass filter which provides contrast between the elements and the background. What is the name of the method for the analysis Gianna is performing?

Spatial filtering

Which manner of death would most likely involve an examiner looking into a victim's mental health history?

Suicide

What fingerprint preservation technique must be done before any further attempts at preservation?

Take a photograph.

What is the name of the chemical test used to detect gunpowder residues around bullet holes?

The Greiss test

What is the human genome?

The total DNA content found within the nucleus of a human cell

Which of the following statements is true regarding mobile crime laboratories?

They are vehicles that carry supplies to protect and process the crime scene.

Why would someone in a crime laboratory use latex gloves when handling evidence?

To avoid contamination of evidence

Why is it important to use the line/strip search pattern for areas with well-established boundaries?

To avoid missing evidence that could exist inside of the search area

Why would a first responder want to exclude the victim's family and friends from a crime scene?

To keep evidence from being tampered with

Which comparisons are difficult to replicate with accuracy in the laboratory, and require a series of samples at various angles and pressures?

Tool marks

Which unit examines body fluids and organs to determine the presence or absence of drugs and poisons?

Toxicology