CC 307 FORENSIC INVESTIGATION WINTER 2013 MID-TERM EXAMINATION STUDY GUIDE

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1 CC 307 FORENSIC INVESTIGATION WINTER 2013 MID-TERM EXAMINATION STUDY GUIDE The following readings are included on the mid-term examination: Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: Securing and Searching the Crime Scene Chapter 3: Recording the Crime Scene Chapter 4: Collection of Crime Scene Evidence Chapter 5: Physical Evidence Chapter 7: Crime Scene Reconstruction Chapter 13: Trace Evidence I Hairs & Fibers Chapter 14: Trace Evidence II Paint *, Glass, and Soil * NOTE: WE DID NOT COVER PAINT EVIDENCE IN CLASS SO THIS MATERIAL WILL NOT BE INCLUDED ON THE MIDTERM. The exam will consist of: PART 1: MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS (30 QUESTIONS, 30 MARKS) PART 2: SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS (4 QUESTIONS, 20 MARKS) TOTAL: OUT OF 50 MARKS The mid-term examination is scheduled for Feb. 11 th, pm to 2pm You will have 2 hours to complete the mid-term examination and it will be worth 30% of your final grade for the course. The exam will run from 12pm to 2pm. The mid-term examination will be in the same classroom as the lectures. You are expected to be familiar with all material covered in the course up to the mid-term this includes material from the readings that were not discussed in the lecture, and vice versa. The multiple choice questions will be based on both the readings and the lecture material. The short answer questions will reflect material that was discussed in lecture. There will be four short answer questions on the examination. Each question will be worth a different amount of marks. Carefully read what the questions is asking for and note the grade value of each question. You may answer the questions in point-form, but be certain to provide a complete answer in order to receive full marks. The short answer questions will be drawn from the pool of sample question included in this study guide. 1

2 Sample Multiple Choice Questions 1. Which of the following pieces of evidence was NOT mishandled during the O.J. Simpson investigation? a. A bloody Bruno Magli footwear imprint b. Blood-soaked socks c. A bloodstained white envelope d. A DNA sample from a bra clasp e. Blood droplets on the Bundy Road residence walkway 2. Locard s Principle of Exchange states that: a. At a constant temperature, the amount of a given gas that dissolves in a given type and volume of liquid is directly proportional to the partial pressure of that gas in equilibrium with that liquid b. A body in motion tends to stay in motion c. When there is free access of air a body decomposes twice as fast than if immersed in water and eight times faster than if buried in earth d. Light travels at a constant velocity e. When two objects come into contact with each other, a cross-transfer of materials occurs 3. During the initial crime scene walk-through, what should the first responder do? a. Develop a strategy for the examination and documentation of the evidence b. Determine the focal points of the offence c. Determine the path of contamination d. All of the above e. Both b and c 4. In this method of crime-scene sketching, you establish a line from which all objects to be sketched are measured at a 90 degree or right angle: a. Baseline b. Topographic c. Triangulation d. Fixed-point e. Vandalay method 2

3 5. Police are preparing to conduct a search of a suspected serial killer s backyard. Specifically, police believe that the skeletal remains of several victims may be buried on in the yard. Which of the following crime scene search patterns would be most useful for this type of investigation? a. The Spiral Search Pattern b. The Line or Strip Search Pattern c. The Quadrant or Zone Pattern d. The Grid Search e. The Wheel Pattern 6. At a crime scene you find a victim s fingernail scrapings on the floor. These scrapings would be correctly packaged in: a. An investigator`s wallet b. A loose brown paper bag c. A druggist fold d. An ordinary mailing envelope e. None of the above 7. A foot imprint taken from a crime scene is analyzed in a crime lab and the results of the analysis determine that the print is consistent with a size-11 brand of Nike. The imprint evidence is a(n): a. Exchange characteristic b. Class characteristic c. Locard characteristic d. Individual characteristic e. Matching characteristic 8. When a given fact or finding leads to a conclusion that is probable but not definitive, the investigator is utilizing a. Falsifiability b. Generalization c. Inductive Reasoning d. Deductive Reasoning e. Epistemological Reasoning 3

4 9. The persistence of evidence will depend on which of the following? a. Location or environment in which the evidence is located b. Activity around the evidence location c. Time from the transfer of the evidence to the discovery and collective of the evidence d. Both a and b e. All of the above 10. Assuming that fine blood spatter that is similar in appearance to that created by a gunshot wound must have been created by a gunshot wound is an example of what fallacy? a. False Linkage b. Generalization c. Falsifiability d. Bifurcation e. Cognitive Dissonance 11. When a bullet penetrates a panel of glass, it leaves a crater-shaped hole that: a. Is wider on the exit side b. Is wider on the entrance side c. Forms randomly and hence the direction of impact cannot be determined by its appearance d. A or C e. B or C 12. Flotation is a method used by scientists to determine what about a particle of glass? a. Density b. Refractive Index c. Mass d. Weight e. Volume 13. Where are the pigment granules that impart hair with colour found? a. Cortex b. Medulla c. Cuticle d. Both a and b e. All of the above 4

5 14. A hair sample was examined, and its medulla appeared to have a pattern described as resembling a string of pearls. It was most likely from what animal? a. Rabbit b. Deer c. Cat d. Mouse e. Yeti 15. Which is NOT a class characteristic of a suspect s sneaker? a. Wear marks b. Brand c. Colour d. Size e. Style 16. In digital photography, light is recorded as a specific charge on millions of tiny what? a. Silver halide grains b. Charge-coupled devices c. Semi-conductors d. Pixels e. Picture nodes 17. Which statement about note-taking is NOT true? a. The name of the individual who packaged and marked items of evidence should be recorded b. Note-taking is done after all crime-scene processing has been completed c. Notes should include the location of each item of physical evidence that is recovered d. Disposition of items after collection must be included e. Note-taking should include task assignments for the crime scene search 18. The best way to guarantee that evidence will withstand inquiries about what happened to it from the time of its finding to its presentation in court is to do what? a. Properly mark evidence for identification b. Properly complete evidence log submission forms c. Photograph the crime scene d. Make detailed notes of the crime scene search process e. All of the above 5

6 19. What is the first logical step in soil analysis? a. An examination for debris under low-power microscopic magnification b. A side-by-side visual comparison of soil samples for colour and texture c. Use of the density-gradient tube technique d. Use of thin-layer chromatography e. An investigation of the geographical and/or geologic origin of the sample 20. The medullary index of human hair is the medullary index for most other animals. a. The same as b. Greater than c. Less than 21. During the testing of the refractive index of a glass sample, the disappearance of the, a halo of light, indicates that the glass and liquid have the same refractive index. a. Stationary Line b. Carrier Halo c. Luminol Essence d. Becke Line e. Molecular Excitation Point 22. Thin-layer chromatography uses as its moving phase. a. A carrier gas b. Silica gel c. Liquid d. A thin film e. A gas 23. Which colour of the visible spectrum has the highest frequency and the shortest wavelength? a. Violet b. Green c. Red d. Yellow e. Pink 6

7 24. Wayne Williams was convicted of serial murder mainly on the strength of what type of evidence? a. Fiber evidence b. DNA samples from hair evidence c. Bite-mark comparisons on victims d. Soil samples left at the crime scene e. Forensic analysis of glass from a broken window 25. The process of chromatography involves: a. Bombarding a sample with neutrons while inside the core of a nuclear reactor b. Separating and identifying the components of a mixture c. Passing light through a sample to produce a colour spectrum d. Submerging a sample in a mixture of chemicals e. None of the above 26. What fiber s microscopic appearance includes a ribbon-like shape (i.e., flat) with twists at irregular intervals a. Polyester b. Cotton c. Kapok d. Linen e. Silk 27. Spectrophotometry involves measuring a. Isotope degradation b. Gamma ray production c. Mineral and nutrient content of soil samples d. Density e. The absorption spectrum of a substance 28. Organic material can be distinguished from inorganic material based upon the presence of: a. Nitrogen b. Hydrogen c. Carbon d. Oxygen e. Silicon 7

8 29. Blood spatter evidence at a crime scene might be an example of which of the following types of evidence? a. Directional evidence b. Locational/Positional evidence c. Temporal Evidence d. Both a and b e. All of the above 30. You are called to the scene of a murder at Club NV in downtown Brantford on Thursday at midnight. The murder weapon was a handgun, the victim was a university student, and there were a dozen witnesses who saw Keyser Soze do it. Unfortunately, Soze is not apprehended. Next Thursday, you are called to the scene of another murder at Insomnia Nightclub in downtown Brantford at midnight. The victim is a university student, the murder weapon is a handgun, but there are no witnesses. You list the following premises Murder 1 was committed on a Thursday, Murder 2 was committed on a Thursday Murder 1 was committed with a handgun; Murder 2 was committed with a handgun Murder 1 was committed in a downtown bar; Murder 2 was committed in a downtown bar The victim in Murder 1 was a student; The victim in Murder 2 was a student Murder 1 was committed by Keyser Soze Based on these premises, you determine that Murder 2 was committed by Keyser Soze. This is an illustration of: a. Inductive reasoning b. Social information processing c. Bifurcation d. Deductive reasoning e. Ecological Fallacy 8

9 1. What is Locard`s Principle of Exchange? Sample Short Answer Questions 2. Identify and describe two ways in which crime scenes may be distinguished from one another. 3. You are the first police officer at the scene of a crime. Prior to the collection of evidence, what steps should you take as the first responding officer? 4. Identify and describe the major types of search patterns that can be adopted at a crime scene. 5. While investigating a crime scene, you discover a bloody sweater. Briefly describe how you would collect and preserve this piece of evidence. 6. Define crime scene reconstruction. Compare and contrast two approaches to crime scene reconstruction, deductive and inductive reasoning. Provide an example of each. 7. Compare and contrast class and individual characteristics of evidence. Provide an example of each. 8. You are investigating a break and enter at a residential home and determine that the primary point of entry was through a window, which was broken. A suspect is taken into custody; you find fragments of glass on his pants. Identify and describe two approaches to determine if the glass substance found on your suspect matches glass from the crime scene. 9. Dr. Welsh claims students threw two stones through his living room window. By analyzing patterns in the glass fracture, describe how you would determine the: a. Direction of impact b. Sequence of impact 10. A hair sample is brought into the crime laboratory and you are asked to conduct forensic tests to determine if the hair sample belongs to the victim or the victim s pet, a cat. Describe the forensic procedures you would use to determine the origin of the hair sample. Your answer should include a discussion of the relevant morphological features of hair and their forensic value. 11. A hair sample is brought into the crime laboratory and you are asked to conduct forensic tests to determine if the hair sample found on a suspect matches with a reference hair sample from the crime scene. The suspect is a 16-year-old Caucasian male with bleached blonde hair. Describe the forensic procedures you would use to match the suspect with the 9

10 reference hair sample. Your answer should include a discussion of the relevant morphological features of hair and their forensic value. 12. A copy of the midterm exam was stolen from Professor Welsh s office. Campus security locates a piece of torn fabric in the office. Further investigations identify a student suspect. A search of the student s apartment reveals a pair of jeans that have been ripped. Identify the characteristics of the fiber samples that would be identified and compared during an initial microscopic examination. 13. Jeff is suspected of killing his estranged wife. Police have identified a ripped piece of fabric at the crime scene. A search of Jeff s closet reveals a shirt with a piece ripped out of it. To determine whether the dye in the two fiber samples have the same chemical composition, you have been asked to examine the samples with a micro-spectrophotometer. What is spectrophotometry? Briefly describe the theory of light that underlies this forensic test. 14. Over the last two week, there have been five overdose deaths resulting from a suspected bad batch of heroin. It is common for heroin dealers to reduce the purity of the product by mixing in other chemicals that look like heroin but do not cost as much. You have been asked to test the purity of a sample of this suspected heroin using gas chromatography. What is chromatography? Briefly describe how the process works. 10

11 Answer Key for the Multiple Choice Questions Question 1 to 10 Questions 11 to 20 Questions 21 to 30 1 d 11 a 21 d 2 e 12 a 22 c 3 d 13 a 23 a 4 a 14 c 24 a 5 c 15 a 25 b 6 c 16 d 26 b 7 b 17 b 27 e 8 c 18 e 28 c 9 e 19 b 29 d 10 b 20 c 30 a 11