Advanced Evidence Analysis and Death Investigation

This unit deepens students’ practical and analytical skills in examining trace, impression, biological, and forensic chemistry evidence while conducting death investigations and scene reconstructions. Students practice evidence collection and preservation, interpret laboratory results (DNA, toxicology, GSR, inks), and prepare forensic reports and courtroom testimony to connect findings to investigative hypotheses.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze trace, impression, and biological evidence (hair, fibers, bloodstain patterns, bite marks, GSR, and DNA) and identify appropriate laboratory tests, limitations, and probative value to link persons and scenes
• Apply standard crime-scene protocols for documenting, collecting, preserving, and maintaining chain-of-custody for evidence across varied scenarios including homicides, fires, and explosive incidents
• Demonstrate procedures for assessing cause and time of death by integrating autopsy findings, toxicology, electrocution indicators, decomposition stages, and other forensic pathology inputs to inform investigative direction
• Evaluate forensic laboratory results and prepare clear, defensible reports and oral testimony that communicate methods, uncertainty, and the relevance of evidence (including Locard’s Exchange Principle) for legal decision-makers