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Full-Text Articles in Forensic Science and Technology
Evaluation Of The Effect Of The Humic Acid Inhibitor On Forensic Genetic Investigations Of Human Skeletal Remains, Madeline King
Evaluation Of The Effect Of The Humic Acid Inhibitor On Forensic Genetic Investigations Of Human Skeletal Remains, Madeline King
Honors Theses
Postmortem survival of DNA in human skeletal remains occurs due to the compact microstructure of the skeleton and its ability to provide a strong, protective physical barrier to environmental insults. On a molecular level, DNA preservation in bones/teeth involves electrostatic interactions between the negatively-charged DNA backbone and positively charged calcium residues in hydroxyapatite, the latter of which is one of the main components of bone microstructure. Despite these protections, over time endogenous DNA becomes damaged, limiting our ability to detect it and affecting its utility in making a positive identification. Hence, forensic genetic investigations of unidentified human remains (UHRs) are …
Extraction Of Human Dna From Soil In A Simulated Clandestine Grave, Arely Joaly Parra Lopez
Extraction Of Human Dna From Soil In A Simulated Clandestine Grave, Arely Joaly Parra Lopez
Honors Theses
Locard’s Exchange Principle states that “every contact leaves a trace.” The same principle applies when a perpetrator of a homicide decides to bury a victim in a clandestine grave. If a perpetrator originally buried a murder victim in haste to prevent discovery and then decided to later move the victim’s body to a remote location for disposal, decomposition fluids from the victim’s body (which contain cellular material and therefore DNA) would remain in the surrounding grave soil at the original burial site. It is possible that investigators could: 1) prove that a human body had once laid in that location …