- J SIMPSON PROJECT
The date is June 13, 1994. Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman have been harshly stabbed to death outside of Nicole’s residence in Brentwood in California. The murder is likely to have happened in the wee morning hours of this same day.
Blood
Sixty-one drops of blood were taken from the victims using the 7ml pipette .at the scene of the crime. The samples are having been carefully stored in the evidence bags using sterile cotton swabs to guarantee analytical accuracy. This signifies the possibility that DNA analysis could be carried out to compare it to that of the suspect.DNA is physical evidence that could link the suspect to the crime scene. The Polymerase Chain Reaction and the Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism DNA matching schemes are recommended for this particular case due to the nature in which events unfolded in this murder (Nathan, 2017). The PCR would make millions to billions of copies of a given DNA test and enable the scientists to take a significantly small sample of DNA and amplify it into an adequate amount of amount to allow a detailed study. The RFLP, on the other hand, would be recommended too in the testing of the DNA sample because it would exploit the variations that are there in the homologous sequences of DNA, which are sometimes referred to as the polymorphisms. This would allow the detection of the location of the individual at the point of murder.
Hair and Fiber
The particles of the hair from both the victims and the surrounding location at the point of crime are neatly tucked and stored. The glove was found at the home of Simpson. Then, the gloves that have been found at the hands of the victims have also been tucked separately from the one that was taken from Simpsons’ belongings. Dark blue cotton clothing has been identified and collected from the two victim’s bodies. Some hair and fibre samples were found in a blue knit cap that had been worn by the killer. Therefore there was a possibility that it had been worn on repeatedly. The samples then placed in a 6”x 9” Kraft evidence envelopes. The hair and fibre collected in the crime scene could reveal very pertinent issues concerning the murder. It could explain if the hair that is consistent with Goldman and observed on the brown were found on Goldman (Coughlan, 2018). It was also essential to determine if the gloves that were found at the home of Simpson had hair or fibre that was consistent with that which was found on the bodies of the two victims of the murder.
Socks
The socks that were found in the bedroom of Simpson were found to be having blood droplets. They were collected using the disposable tweezers and placed under the evidence bag. Little droplets the blood was but could be magnified by the microscope later on to get a broader scope of the blood structure, size, and composition. The socks which were hidden under the bed were thought to carry valuable information about the crime scene. The black combs were used to ensure that all the samples of blood that were visible in the socks have been obtained for further forensic analysis. The socks primarily focused on the tiny droplets that were not easily seen with the naked eye. Therefore the investigators should have been very keen when separating the blood and avoid any confusion with the blood of the victims since the blood socks were found at separate scenes. There was a need to establish if there was any relation to the victims’ blood (Nathan, 2017).
Shoe Print
Bloody footprints have been identified at the scene of the crime. The lead towards the back alleyway and inside these, Simpsons’ Bronco has been observed to be expensive, judging from the Bruno Magli Italian shoes from which they have been made. The shoes are size 12. There are only two sets of footprints at the scene of the crime. From size and appearance, they seem to be of only one type of shoe. The size of the boots was obtained using corner rulers, which was accurate enough to give the overall size of the shoes in terms of the length and the width hence making it possible to try and estimate the likely owner of the shoes. This would be done later by comparing such measurements to the shoe size of the chief suspect in the just beginning murder investigations.
Fingerprints
The bloody fingerprints that are located at the door to the house of the deceased have all been collected. First of all, the black fingerprint powder was sprinkled on the fingerprinted surface, and then the process of capturing the outline resumed. This was done through photography. The photographs were of a high resolution, and the forensic measurement scale was used in the image for future references. It was tried as much as possible to be accurate by using low-angle. The significance of this fingerprint is tremendous in finding out who exactly is responsible for the killing. The fingerprints of the victims have been recorded too in an attempt to give the investigators a chance to determine whether they match to the ones that are at the doorsteps. Accurate measurements have been done to the collected fingerprints evidence, and the correct data is indicated in the printed evidence bags. According to Coughlan(2018), The corner rulers very vital at this stage when the measurements are to be taken. This was the top priority of the evidence collection team, given the importance and weight of fingerprints in trying to position suspects at the sight of the murder.
Collection and packaging
The pieces of evidence that have been collected have been separately kept in recloseable evidence bags. This is to ensure that labels are well outlined hence help in avoiding cross-contamination. The items that are still wet have been kept under conducive temperature to prevent drying, which would eventually lead to critical changes that might alter the investigators’ perception. Furthermore, the crime scene has been surrounded using ‘Crime scene do not cross’ barrier tapes to make sure that the crime area is not contaminated in any manner. Failure to do this would mean that much tampering would happen, and evidence would be interfered with, as clearly stated in Coughlan(2018).
Videos were then taken of the crime scene to ensure that whatever was recorded during the preliminary monitoring of the crime scene was accurate. No irregularity had happened as far as following the chain of custody procedures as possible. The digital data concerning the crime scene was safely keyed in and kept as it awaited the forensic experts’ interpretations.
Advice what the results illustrate
The result from the lab analysis provides information and clues which can be used as physical evidence in the determination of the accused was present in the crime scene. Through an examination of the physical evidence presented the forensic expert in the lab, the expert provides information about the accused biochemical and biometric result correlation with the evidence provided by the accused. The examination enables the lab technician to classify the evidence into more distinct classes like whether the DNA in the blood or hair evidence found on the crime scene matches the accused DNA thus determine the presence or the absence of the accused on the crime scene. Even the fingerprint from the crime scene analysis results in the identification of whether they belonged to human being and their origin can be determined beyond reasonable doughty. Such classification and identification evidence presented in a lab make it essay to conclude that the evidence collected in consistence with a specific source or not.
With such a conclusion, the evidence is always used to illustrate commonality in evidence origin. This is then compared with a common/reference standard like accused DNA in the evidence presented in blood, blood in the sock and hair or fibre in both the gloves and the socks. This draw to the conclusion that the evidence collected is identical in all aspect to the reference source thus being able to connect the accused; an instrument used to the physical environment of the crime (Peterson et al., 2010). The result presentation of common origin presents a definite conclusion of the accused presence on the crime scene and verse versa. In the same time identification help in the reconstruction of the crime scene to prove interaction of the crime suspect with the crime scene thus helping in hypothesizing the order of event in a crime scene and refuting any evidence presented by the accused.
Narrative report on where the investigation stands at this point
On June 13, 1994, I was called to investigate the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, who had been stabbed outside of Nicole’s residence in Brentwood in California. The murder is likely to have happened in the wee morning hours of this same day. On arriving at the crime scene, I found the police had sealed the crime scene to prevent evidence contamination and instructed a fellow police officer to notify Simon about the murder. The officers on arriving at his house, they identified bloodstain on the door on his car, which forced the police to enter and search in his house without a warrant. This resulted in the identification of socks and gloves hidden under his bed both with a bloodstain.
At the crime scene, we collected physical evidence which included blood different blood stains from the victim and carefully stored in the evidence bags using sterile cotton swabs to guarantee analytical accuracy. Hair and fibre particle from both the victim and the surrounding environment was collected as well as a glove which was found behind the victim with each undergoing separate packaging. Picture and measurement were taken on shoe print which was found on the crime scene and the information recorded. Back at the Simpson house, a glove akin to the one found on the crime scene was found and collected as potential evidence as well as his socks. Sample of a bloodstain found on his vehicle door was also collected and stored for forensic analysis. All this information was sent the lab for analysis and conclusion on the correlation of the physical evidence collected on both scenes.
References
Coughlan, S. M. (2018). The (I am) Partial Jury: A Trial Consultant’s Role in the Venire Process. Brook. L. Rev., 84, 671.
Nathan, D. A. (2017). Nowhere to Run, Nowhere to Hide. Journal of Sport History, 44(3), 477-479.
Peterson, J., Sommers, I., Baskin, D., Johnson, D., Senior, C.-P., & Research Associates. (2010). The Role And Impact Of Forensic Evidence In The Criminal Justice Process Revised Final Report. Retrieved from https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/231977.pdf