Journal of Forensic Research

Introduction: Accurate sex estimation plays a very important role in determining the identity of unknown individuals. Age determination also has become increasingly important in forensic science for both living and remains. Vertebrae are one of the least studied bones for age and sex identification; however, its presence at a death scene is the most common of all. The 12th thoracic vertebra (T12) is easily identifiable in a disarticulated skeleton, due to its unique morphology. Identification depending on radiological techniques is an emerging valuable tool in forensic science field.

Methodology: The study was conducted on 123 Egyptian patients; 61 males and 62 females and the age range was from 10 to 64 years. The subjects used in this study were patients who had a need for Computer Tomography (CT) scan of the abdomen for several medical reasons in the Radiology Departments of Cairo University and the CT was done for them after giving informed consent. None of the vertebrae used possessed any pathological condition and vertebrae with moderate to severe degenerative changes and osteophyte formation were excluded from this study. Fifteen linear measurements were taken for T12 thoracic vertebrae. All the procedures for this study were approved by the ethical committee of faculty of medicine, Cairo University. Microsoft excel 2010 was used for data entry and the statistical package for social science (SPSS version 21) was used for data analysis.

Results: Males were statistically significant larger than females in all measurements of T12, and sex was identified from T12 at accuracy rate 88.6%. In addition, there was significant positive correlation between age and most of measurements, however, this correlation wasn't strong.

Conclusion: Computed tomography of T12 vertebrae is a useful tool for sex and age Identification of unknown; however, further studies are needed for proper evaluation of its role on age estimation.

Crime scene reconstruction is the process of determining or eliminating the events that occurred at the crime scene by analysis of physical evidences. Through this paper we will discuss a case of accident that was turned into murder (i.e. Under Section 302 of Indian Penal Court) because the family members of the deceased alleged that the deceased was murdered and then dragged by tying to a vehicle to dispose off the body and to destroy the evidences. In this paper we discuss how this sensational case was solved by the scientists of Forensic Science Laboratory, Haryana through the reconstruction of crime scene by analyzing crime scene appearance, the locations and positions of the physical evidence, and the injuries to the deceased. This involved scientific crime scene investigation, interpretation of patterned evidence at the scene, laboratory testing of the physical evidence, systematic study of related case information, and the logical formulation of a theory.

In this study, it was aimed to evaluate the autopsy findings of deaths due to hanging in the last 25 years in Eskisehir province located in western Anatolia and to share them in the literature. The gender, age, scene of crime, the material used for hanging type and hanging, autopsy findings and toxicological findings were examined using the data of Eskişehir Forensic Medicine Branch Directorate and judicial investigation files in that period. It was determined that hanging cases have increased in the recent years. 65.1% of the cases were male 72.1% of the cases were typical hanging. Hanging cases can only be solved by the collective work of crime scene investigators, police officers, prosecutors and doctors.

Sexing of an individual by skeletal remains can be well established by using pelvis in adults especially on fused bones only. Forensic fetal Osteology is the field which needs to be explored for sex determination. The 34 pairs of Fetal pelvis bones (>22 weeks and <22 weeks of gestation) in different stages of decomposition were studied for morphognostic parameters i.e. Genove's composite arch and Schutkowski's Arch Criterion, Sciatic Notch Angle and Auricular Surface Elevation and compared with 26 pairs (10 Males+16 Females) of adult hip bones with already known sex. Criteria evaluated and their results were good enough for establishing sex in fetal specimens especially of >22 weeks with 100% accuracy. The findings in our study showed 100% accuracy in determination of sex by fetal ilium bone which can be used as a potential tool for sex determination.

In accident cases are always an important and hurdle for investigating agency when is it doubt which are generally arise from the violation of statutes that typically require the driver of an automobile involved in an accident to stop, identify himself and his vehicle and render aid to persons injured in the accident. We, through this present study, have tried to explain the importance of the spot examination and preservation of the scene of crime in accident cases, which are generally avoided while investigation of accident cases in India.

Through this paper, the author tried to explain the circumstances can change the view of the public as well as the investigating agency, by using the forensic expert view and opinion, proper examination of vehicles (in hit-n-run case or direct impact or side by side collision), victim’s injury and scene of crime (spot of occurrence) and by-standers. We have reported three types of accident cases easier approach as 1-2-3 steps for accident cases analysis, which provide the forensic community a hands-on for accident investigation.

The sexual assault cases are on a rise in India’s capital Delhi (approximate fivefold increase in last 10 years) and so are the cases where men are falsely implicated for the same. Many cases go unreported owing to the social stigma attached. There have been cases where women misused these laws for personal gains [1]. Hence, any sexual assault case should be investigated carefully and impartially so as not to miss a single piece of evidence. We present a similar case study where the crime scene showed signs of violence. The presence of Y-peak on Amelogenin locus in Identifiler STRs in vaginal swabs of victim raised doubt of case being positive but Y-Filer STR helped in distinguishing the male contributor from the alleged accused. This conclusion strongly indicates the power of Y-STRs in forensic DNA analysis –it not only helps in identification of perpetrator but also in exclusion of the innocent.

The present work is based on a case received in the State Forensic Science Laboratory, Junga, Himachal Pradesh, India. The laboratory was asked to fix the identity of the deceased by examining the latent impressions present on an identity card found at the crime scene, near the corpse. The writing on the identity card was completely washed out due to weathering, leaving behind only some latent impressions made by the writing instrument in place of writing. The laboratory successfully deciphered the identity of deceased by carefully examining these latent impressions even after a time lapse of about a year. A number of techniques were applied but stereomicroscope again emerges out as a versatile tool for surface examination and gave the best results.

Sexual assault samples are among the most frequently analyzed in a forensic laboratory. These accounts for almost half of all samples processed routinely and a large portion of these cases remain unsolved. These samples often pose problems to traditional analytic methods of identification because they consist most frequently of cell mixtures from at least two contributors: the victim (usually female) and the perpetrator (usually male). In this study we prepared simulated sexual assault samples and conducted amplification and DNA genotyping from sperm cells collected with laser microdissection at different time intervals to assess the DNA degradation at those intervals. Furthermore, we then investigated the possibility of recovering mtDNA from the collected sperm cells, particularly in cases where autosomal DNA was not suitably amplified. With this work we determined that it becomes possible to extend the timeframe for performing an analysis, by researching other sources of DNA, namely mtDNA.

Currently, parentage testing relies mainly on the study of Short Tandem Repeats (STRs) DNA profiles. Parentage cases could be DUO (motherless/fatherless cases) or TRIO (where both parents' and child's DNA profiles are available). The absence of the DNA profile of one of the parents in DUO parentage testing increases the testing uncertainties. The Lebanese population is known to have a high rate of endogamous and consanguineous marriages, which challenges the power of discrimination of the DNA profiles among different individuals.

The present study aimed at evaluating the effect of motherless paternity cases on the interpretation of parentage investigations in the Lebanese population with recurrent inbreeding practices. 64 real DUO parentage exclusions and 15 real TRIO parentage exclusion cases were re-evaluated by assessing the possibility of false inclusions when decreasing DNA profile sizes or when simulating DUO cases from TRIO ones.

One case showed false positivity with 6 mismatches in its TRIO state, but only one mismatch in its DUO scenario. The probability of parentage (POP) obtained for this case after omitting the mismatch (a frequent inappropriate malpractice in some local laboratories) was 99.9%. This simulated DUO case was cleared as an exclusion when tested using DNA profile sizes of 24 STR markers. None of the other cases showed false positive results.

The purpose of this research was to find out the substance which deactivate α-Amanitin Toxicity

The materials and methods used in the study include analysis with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to:

1.Demonstrate the standard α-amanitin at concentrations of 25, 50 and 100 μg/ml

2.Determine the deactivation of α-amanitin with 1) 18% acetic acid 2), calcium hydroxide 40 mg/ml, 3) potassium permanganate 20 mg/ml, 4) sodium bicarbonate 20 mg/ml

3.Report the statistical analysis as the mean ± standard deviation (SD) and paired t-test.

The result revealed that potassium permanganate could eliminate 100 percent of the α-amanitin at 25, 50 and 100 μg/ml. Calcium hydroxide, sodium bicarbonate and acetic acid had lower elimination rates at those concentrations: 68.43 ± 2.58 (-71.4, -67.2, -66.7%), 21.48 ± 10.23 (-29.4, -25.2, -9.9%) and 3.21 ± 0.02% (-3.2, -3.2, +1.1%), respectively. The conclusion of this study was suggested that potassium permanganate could be applied as an absorbent substance during gastric lavage in patients with mushroom poisoning. It also might be effective as a cleansing wash for uncooked mushrooms. Investigation of potassium permanganate’s ability to absorb α-amanitin in animal models and humans should be considered. .