Biometric Analysis Unit

Final Project Jerald Costa Abstract The Biometric Analysis Unit assist the police department in bringing justice to those who have committed a crime. In order for this unit process and aid local law enforcement in their cases, due diligence is needed and additional funding. Analyzing deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and fingerprints are the most important forms of biometric used to proves a person enrolments in a criminal case. Besides just properly collecting and analyzing the date; storing the data is necessary too. Storing a person’s biometrics can be used to them to multiple cases local or nationwide if they committed multiple crimes that are unsolved. A presentation on each form of biometrics and the different systems will be discussed in its entirety. We will also give examples of how the crime lab assisted with proving guilt or innocents of the suspect in order to justify the reason needed for the additional funding. Keywords: DNA, Biological Evidence, PCR, Latent Prints, CODIS, IAFIS What is Deoxyribonucleic Acid? 99.9% of human DNA is the same. 0.1% of our DNA is what makes us all different. Deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, is a very critical piece of evidence in a criminal case because it is left behind without people knowing and it can tell you so much about a person; or any living thing. DNA is broken down into three different parts; deoxyribo comes from deocisribose sugar, nucleic is where DNA is located which is inside of the nucleus, and acid which stems from the phosphate (Andersen, 2011). There is four basic building block in DNA: Adenine (A), Cytosine (C), Guanine (G), and Thymine (T). Each of these chemicals pair up to each other, A with T and C with G, to form base pairs. These base pairs attached to deoxyribose sugar and phosphate to make a nucleotide. Nucleotides arranged in two strands are connected by hydrogen bonds and as the strands continue to form the spiral look take effect called a double helix (Andersen, 2011). Inside of this double helix contains information pertaining to an individual. This is known as a person’s genetic fingerprint or gene. A gene is a segment of DNA on a chromosome. Each gene is located at a specific location on the chromosome name a locus (Lee, 2014). If you look at a specific locus you will see a specific gene such as eye color. This gene can be found at the same locus for every person. Everyone has 46 chromosomes, 23 chromosomes from each of their parents, and approximately 20,000 genes that contain genetic information pertaining to our growth, development, and health for example. The genetic information contained in the DNA is in the form of a chemical code also known as the genetic code (NSW, 2012). Each human has a variation of genetic codes. Therefore, we are all unique individuals. When DNA is found at a crime scene it is collected and sent to this lab for processing. Biological Evidence Biological evidence is recovered from a crime scene and appears in the form of blood, tissue, hair, teeth, semen, vaginal secretions, ear wax, or any other bodily fluids. The four primary conditions biological evidence may be encountered are dry, wet, liquid, and tissue. Dry evidence appears crusty and contains no moisture. Bodily fluids such as blood, saliva, fecal, vaginal secretions and semen can be found in a dry state. When collecting dry stains, collect as much of each stain as possible and submit the entire items or cut the sections containing the stain and send it to the lab. If the dry stain is an item that is fixed to the location, such as a wall, moist a cotton swab and swab the stain until the area becomes clean or 6 to 8 swabs are collected. Let the swabs air dry before packaging in a dry clean envelope. A control sample should also be taken and packaged separately. This sample should be labeled as the controlled sample (Biological evidence, n/d). The difference between wet and liquid evidence is wet evidence is damped and liquid evidence is a pool of biological fluid such as blood and urine. Wet stains are collected in the same manner as dry stains. Instead of using a moist cotton swab you would use a clean dry swab to collect the wet stain and allow them to air dry before packaging (Biological evidence, n/d). Use a pipette or syringe to withdraw a sample from the depth of liquid stains. The sample should be placed in an ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) test tube and acid citrate dextrose (ACD) test tube to test DNA and serology and alcohol. Refrigerate and send to the lab as soon as possible (Biological Evidence, n/d). Tissue evidence is are fragments of the skin or skin cells left behind in the form of touch DNA which we will discuss later on. In many cases, the sample of DNA collected is not enough for us to process. Therefore, we amplify the sample using Polymerase Chain Reaction. Polymerase Chain Reaction Polymerase Chain Reaction, or PCR, is a method used to analyze short sequences of DNA or samples that contain only a minute quantity of DNA. This involves cloning the samples of DNA to amplify the sample. The first step in PCR amplification is to unwind the two strands of DNA by heating it up to 94 to 96 Celsius. This is known as denaturation (Smith & Sweet, n/d). The next step is annealing where the temperature is decreased to 55 to 72 Celsius and the short segments of DNA primers are combined to the end of the sample. In the third, step the temperature is elevated slightly to 72 to 75 and the extension begins (Smith & Sweet, n/d). With one cycle, a single segment of double-stranded DNA template is amplified into two separate pieces of double-stranded DNA. These two pieces are then available for amplification in the next cycle. This cycle would continue and more and more copies are generated. This procedure would usually take weeks, but now PCR is accomplished in a test tube and only takes a few hours (Smith & Sweet, n/d). Why is PCR Important? When Crime Scene Investigator sends DNA samples to the Biometric Analyst Unit, the amount of DNA available to analysis can sometimes be limited. Isolating DNA from skin cells, blood, other bodily fluids, or even hair left behind at a crime scene can sometimes be a challenge because of the amount of collected evidence received. There is an easy solution to this problem known as PCR. PCR is cost effective, fast, and can amplify the sequences from the isolated DNA. Allowing this lab to amplified the amount of DNA received and properly analyze it. Once there is an enough DNA to test, we can determine if the hair, blood, tissue, or other bodily fluids belonged to the suspect or the victim. This can be the first solid lead towards solving the criminal case. Combined DNA Index System Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) is a database created by the FBI to store, maintain, and compare DNA collected from victim and crime scenes. This database, COIDS, is used by National (NDIS), State (SDIS), and Local (LDIS) forensic laboratories (Federal Bureau of Investigation, n/d.). Each state is eligible to serve as their own SDIS, along with Puerto Rico, the U.S. Army Lab in Georgia, and Washington DC. Since CODIS have different tiers, each tier has their own requirements of storing DNA; LDIS being the least strict and NDIS is the most strenuous (Federal Bureau of Investigation, n.d.). CODIS has the capability to compare newly entered DNA to DNA that was already inputted into the system. Because of this, CODIS can link DNA collected from one crime scene to another. It can even link newly entered DNA to cold cases. Unidentified DNA is stored in CODIS until it is matched to a person. At that time, it is removed from the system. Latent Print Latent prints are impressions left behind from the friction ridges on a person’s finger, palm, and sole of their feet. Just like that 0.1% of DNA, a person’s fingerprint is detailed, unique, difficult to alter, and remains the same throughout their lifetime; making them unique to just one person. Since ever person has his/her own fingerprint, it has become one of the main pieces of DNA a crime scene analyst looks for. Latent prints can be found on porous (paper, money, untreated wood), non-porous (glass, metal, glossy paint), and semi-porous (Plastic, wax paper, varnished wood) surfaces. The possibility of obtaining prints from these types of items are high (Holder, et al, 2011). Prints on non-porous and semi-porous items can be very fragile, so processing them for preservation should be accomplished sooner than later. To process these items, you can first conduct a visual examination and see if you can see any prints by changing the angle and adjusting the light. You can also use fluorescence examination by exposing the latent print to a laser or other light source using a filter to block incident light. Another process is known as iodine fuming. Iodine fumes stick to oils in fingerprints. Put iodine crystals and evidence in a fuming chamber. Superglue fuming, also known as cyanoacrylate ester, is another technique because it reacts to the moisture on the latent print and bonds to it (Dotterer, 2010). Touch DNA evidence can be defined as evidence with no visible staining that would likely contain DNA resulting from the transfer of epithelial cells from the skin to an object. It has been stated in publications that forensic scientists can obtain a DNA profile from as few as five to six cells. However, just because a surface is touched and a few skin cells are left behind does not guarantee a meaningful DNA profile can be obtained. Detecting and obtaining an interpretable DNA profile are two different concepts (Williamson, 2011). Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System The Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System, or IAFIS, is a national fingerprint and criminal history system that responds to requests 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to help local, state, and federal investigators solve and prevent crime and catch criminals and terrorists; making it the largest criminal fingerprint database in the world. IAFIS houses the fingerprints and criminal histories for more than 70 million subjects in the criminal master file along with more than 34 million civil prints. Included in the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) criminal database are fingerprints from 73,000 known and suspected terrorists processed by the U.S. (FBI, 2014). It also consists of three fundamental stages: data acquisition, feature extraction, and decision-making. During data acquisition, the fingerprint that needs to be recognized is sensed. The feature extraction, the machine graphically shows a representation of the fingerprint. The final stage is decision making. At this stage, the fingerprint is compared to images stored within the system. Latent prints can be scanned directly from negatives, photographs, or uploaded from a digital camera. (Moses, et al, 2011). The examiner marks the minutiae characteristic of a fingerprint with a dot when a print is scanned into the IAFIS system. The system then reads and creates a geometric map based on the marked dot on the unknown print. Sometimes, prints will return that do not have the same pattern. When searching the IAFIS database with an unknown print, the system will generate a “candidate list” of the closest matching fingerprint images that is in the database (FBI, 2014). Criminal Cases DNA: On May 3, 1992, three-year-old Christine Jackson was abducted from her home, raped and murdered while spending the night with her siblings and their father Kennedy Brewer. Two days after her disappearing, Christine’s body was found approximately 500 yards from where she was kidnapped. From the beginning, the police had suspected Brewer because there were no signs of forced entry (Innocents Project, 2016). Three years after being arrested, Brewer case went to trail. Even though there was a semen sample recovered from the body, it was never tested against Brewer’s DNA. Instead, medical examiners and prosecutors based their case on the “bite marks,” of only the top two teeth, on the victim’s body. The defense called on a licensed dentist who testified that the marks were not made by human teeth. Instead, they were insect bite marks. One March 24, 1995, Brewer was convicted of capital murder sentence to death (Innocents Project, 2016). In 2001, the semen sample from Christine’s body was tested using advanced DNA testing. This test proved the Brewer did not rape three-year-old Christine. Based on this new information, Brewer charges were dropped and he was exonerated on February 15, 2008. He had spent a total of eight years in prison and was the first person exonerated through post-conviction DNA testing in Mississippi (Innocents Project, 2016). The use of PCR: Kirk Bloodsworth was convicted of first-degree murder, sexual assault and rape of a nine-year-old Maryland girl in 1985. Bloodsworth was placed at the scene of the crime by five eyewitnesses who claimed to have seen him with the victim. Bloodsworth was sentenced to two life sentencing that ran consecutively (Innocence Project, 2014). While in prison Bloodsworth learned about DNA profiling and his attorney persuaded officials to compare his DNA to the DNA collected from the scene of the crime. In 1992, the prosecution agreed to a DNA test which would be performed by Forensic Science Associates (FSA). Polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, was used to compare the blood stain from the victim and Bloodsworth to the DNA from the victim’s shorts, underwear, a stick from the scene, and an autopsy slide. During the DNA comparison, the spermatozoa were insufficient to test and the DNA found on the victim panties was not a match to Bloodsworth. Bloodsworth was released from prison in Jun 1993 after spending eight years on death row (Innocence Project, 2014). Fingerprints: In 1991, Stephen Brodie, a deaf man, was arrested and quested about the rape of a 5-year-old girl in 1990. After being questioned for hours, without an interpreter, Brodie became overwhelmed and confessed to the crime due to the intimidation of the police. Brodie’s attorney tried to have the confession throughout due to the situation, but the judge ruled the confession admissible (Miller, 2010). Look at the possibility of a guilty verdict, which is punishable up to 99 years, Brodie took a plea deal for five years in prison. Unknown to him and his attorney, the police had hair and fingerprint evidence from the crime scene that did not match Brodie. The fingerprint found on the victim’s window was tested prior to Brodie being convicted of sexual assault but the prosecutors failed to disclose this information (Miller, 2010). On September 27, 2009, a judge exonerated Brodie. Conclusion Biological evidence is essential in criminal cases. With proper funding, the Biometric Analyst Unit can become well equipped to handle cases like Brewer, Bloodsworth, and Brodie. We can assist the investigators and District Attorney with convicting the proper suspect’s and charge them with the crime they committed instead of having innocent people sitting in jail for years for crimes they did not commit. In addition, having additional funding will allow us to train additional personnel on how to conduct PCR testing, process more cases, and have a shorter turnaround on biological evidence. Each laboratory in the unit is important but there are more cases being processed that deals with DNA and fingerprints. References Andersen, P. (2011, December 7). What is DNA? Retrieved from http://youtu.be/q6PP-C4udkA Biological Evidence. (n/d). Retrieved from https://edge.apus.edu/access/content/group/public-safety-and-health-common/CMRJ/CMRJ330/Content/Biological%20Evidence.pdf Dotterer, B., (2010). Processes to Develop Latent Prints on Porous Surfaces. Retrieved from http://www.caronproducts.com/lib/sitefiles/pdf/forensicsliterature/Fingerprint_Process.pdf Holder, E. H., Robinson, L. O., Laub, J. H., & National Institute of Justice (U.S.). (2011). The Fingerprint Sourcebook. Washington, DC: U.S. Dept. of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice Innocence Project. (2014) Know the Cases: Browse Profiles: Kirk Bloodsworth. Retrieved November 28, 2014, from http://www.innocenceproject.org/Content/Kirk_Bloodsworth.php Innocence Project. (2016). Kennedy Brewer. Retrieved from http://www.innocenceproject.org/cases/kennedy-brewer/ Lee, A. (2014, January 4). Chromosomes, genes, and alleles (IB Biology). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpNmlbnI1o0 Miller, C. (2010, September 28). Stephen Brodie, Deaf Man Convicted of Child Rape, Cleared 20 Years After Crime. Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews.com/news/stephen-brodie-deaf-man-convicted-of-child-rape-cleared-20-years-after-crime/ Moses, K. R, (2011). Automated Fingerprint Identification System, chapter 6. Retrieved from https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/225326.pdf NSW. (2012, June 27). Genes and Chromosomes. Retrieved from http://www.genetics.edu.au/Publications-and-Resources/Genetics-Fact-Sheets/FactSheet1GenesandChromosomes Smith, B.C., Sweet, D., (n/d). DNA and DNA Evidence. Retrieved from: https://edge.apus.edu/access/content/group/public-safety-and-health-common/CMRJ/CMRJ330/Content/DNA%20and%20DNA%20Evidence.pdf The Federal Bureau of Investigation (2014). Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System. Retrieved from https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/fingerprints_biometrics/iafis The Federal Bureau of Investigation (n/d). Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on the CODIS Program and the National DNA Index System. Retrieved from http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/lab/biometric-analysis/codis/codis-and-ndis-fact-sheet Williamson, A. (2011, September 18). Touch DNA: Forensic Collection and Application to Investigations. Retrieved from http://www.acsr.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Williamson.pdf