Forensic Science Institute

Author: Dr. Mark McCoy – Page 4

Training Events – 2009

Advanced Homicide and Crime Scene Training for Law Enforcement Officers working Indian Country matters, February 2-5, 2009. Participants for this seminar were limited to FBI and BIA/Tribal Law Enforcement Officers currently working Indian Country matters. Topics covered included Forensic Anthropology, Forensic Pathology, Forensic Entomology, Crime Scene Reconstruction, Arson, and Case Presentations. This seminar was co-hosted by the FBI’s Indian Country Unit.

Latent Print Comparisons: Putting ACE-V Into Words, November 17 and 18, 2009 – This training workshop for latent print examiners and others in law enforcement covered all aspects of the Analysis, Comparison, Evaluation and Verification (ACE-V) methodology, including distortion and the mental process that occurs when analyzing latent prints. The workshop will focus on how to describe the ACE-V process to jury members, attorneys, and other professionals. Blind verification and its impacts on the latent print community will also be covered. The workshop, sponsored by the Forensic Science Institute, will be taught by two latent print examiners currently with the FBI Laboratory.

Posted on April 16, 2019 by Dr. Mark McCoy

Training Events – 2008

Digital Evidence for the First Responder, January 31, 2008 – The Forensic Science Institute hosted the Certified Electronic Evidence Collection Specialist (CEECS) certification course. The CEECS is a basic one-day course offered only to Law Enforcement officers and Law Enforcement support personnel. The course was designed to instruct personnel on how to collect electronic evidence in a forensically sound manner. The course included lecture, a practical exam, and a written exam. Upon successful completion of the written examination, the course attendee was awarded a CEECS certification issued by the International Association of Computer Investigative Specialist (IACIS).

Daubert Challenges to Latent Print Testimony, March 11, 2008 – The Forensic Science Institute hosted a seminar by two leading experts in Latent Print Identification. Heather Webster and Melissa Gische, both examiners with the FBI Laboratory, presented lectures specifically designed for law enforcement and forensic science personnel as well as students and faculty. This seminar was co-hosted by the Norman, Oklahoma Police Department and the Oklahoma Division of the International Association for Identification. Topics covered in this seminar included a brief history of significant court cases challenging the scientific reliability of fingerprint evidence; Daubert guidelines- what they are and how to address them in a Daubert hearing; preparation for cross-examination; and current issues (“hot topics”) in the field.

Posted on April 16, 2019 by Dr. Mark McCoy

Training Events – 2007

Bloodstain Pattern Analysis, January 8-12, 2007 – The Forensic Science Institute along with the Oklahoma Bureau of Investigation co-hosted this basic bloodstain pattern analysis workshop instructed by Oklahoma’s own Tom Bevel.

Advanced Bloodstain Pattern Analysis, March 13-14, 2007 – The Forensic Science Institute and the Oklahoma City Division of the FBI co-hosted this lecture by a leading expert in Blood Stain Pattern Analysis. Mr. Tony Onorato of the DNA Analysis Unit in the FBI Laboratory presented a workshop with numerous case examples in the use of blood spatter and bloodstain pattern analysis. This forensic tool has been instrumental in numerous violent crimes around the country. Mr. Onorato leads a nation-wide effort in the establishment of standards in this discipline.

Posted on April 16, 2019 by Dr. Mark McCoy

Training Events – 2006

Microscopic Hair Comparison and Mitochondrial DNA Training, October 16-20, 2006 – The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) and the Forensic Science Institute sponsored a training school on microscopic hair comparisons and mitochondrial DNA analysis.

Bomb Factories & the First Responder, October 25, 2006 – The Forensic Science Institute hosted one of the world’s leading experts on explosive peroxides. Dr. Kirk Yeager from the FBI Laboratory presented a lecture specifically designed for the law enforcement, first responder and bomb squad communities. As Dr. Yeager stated, “the newest series of explosives to take hold in terrorist arsenals across the globe has been the peroxide family. Two explosives in particular, TATP and HMTD have emerged as serious threats.” Dr. Yeager has personally responded to scenes around the world following the use of these explosives to include Morocco, Turkey, Israel, Jordan and Uzbekistan. These explosives and precursors have also been encountered by law enforcement in the United States.

Posted on April 16, 2019 by Dr. Mark McCoy

Research: Method Development and Validation for Drug Identification and Confirmation by LC/MS-MS for Limited-specimen Cases

Driving under the influence of drugs (DUID) cases represent the largest portion of cases handled in most forensic toxicology laboratories. Blood is a commonly used specimen and is often analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). A common extraction for this method requires two milliliters of blood. If more than one extraction is necessary, a larger volume of blood is required. Recently, laboratories have started using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS) to obtain a lower limit of detection and extractions which require less blood to complete. Currently, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) Laboratory operates LC-based extractions which require 250 to 500 microliters of sample to complete, but these are limited to specific drug classes. A general drug screen for forty drugs has been developed and validated using 250 microliters of blood. Even with this reduction of volume requirements, there are still instances in which less than one milliliter of blood is available for use by the analyst. An additional validation has been completed which required 100 microliters of sample to confirm the presence of thirty-nine drugs. A comparison between these methods was completed to verify the sensitivity of the 100 microliter method.

Danielle Ross-Carr – 2017

Posted on April 16, 2019 by Dr. Mark McCoy

Research: Relocation of Remains: Scavenger Patterns in North Central Oklahoma

The processes by which human remains are scattered and destroyed by mammalian vertebrate scavenging behaviors are significant to forensic death investigations, in terms of focusing search techniques, improving remains recovery, and contributing to more timely and successful case resolution. This study utilized domestic pig (Sus scrofa) carcasses as human analogues, placed at a wildlife conservation area during three seasons, to assess members of the scavenger guild of the area, their associated behavior, and related effects on remains to address these issues. Carcasses were observed by digital video, motion triggered game cameras, and site visits. Biological radio telemetry transmitters, which are typically used to track living wildlife, were implanted in carcasses to assess long distance movement of skeletal elements. It was shown that there were three main participants in the vertebrate scavenger guild, the coyote (Canis latrans), the Virginia opossum (Didelphis viriginiana), and the bobcat (Lynx rufus). Each of these species left unique taphonomic identifiers on carcasses. They also contributed significantly to the destruction and dispersal of skeletal elements. There were clear patterns in time of carcass acquisition, tissues consumed by each species, and the subsequent dispersal of elements caused by each activity. Mammalian scavenging drastically increased time to skeletonization, which has the potential to lead to inaccurate estimations of post-deposition/post-mortem interval using current techniques. Further research is needed to understand if these patterns are similar in human adult remains and other ecoregions.

Kama King – 2015

Posted on April 16, 2019 by Dr. Mark McCoy

Indentification of Human Blood Messenger Ribonucleic Acids Through Non-Polymerase Chain Reaction Based Multiplexing

The identification of human biological fluids has been a significant component of forensic science for hundreds of years, yet the majority of forensically relevant body fluids still cannot be uniquely identified. Due to the increase in the abundance of forensic casework and the lack of confirmatory tests for many body fluids, protein-based methods of body fluid identification are no longer adequate in a world. Over the last ten years, a novel approach for the identification of body fluids utilizing messenger ribonucleic acids (mRNA) has emerged as a promising means of uniquely identifying forensically relevant body fluids. In 2003, Juusola and Ballantyne outlined the potential use of mRNA for the confirmatory identification of numerous forensically relevant human body fluids, and subsequent research demonstrated effective results. The development of a rapid screening method for the conclusive identification of human blood is essential to the advancement of forensic science. Current approaches for such analysis use amplification-based techniques that are not congruent with forensic case workflow. Therefore, an approach that is based on the hybridization of mRNA and DNA and is also independent of amplification would better suit the needs of the forensic community. The majority of the blood specific primers tested amplified the expected target gene. However, the use of generated nucleotide probes cross-linked to a nylon membrane demonstrated minimal success. The administered sample rapidly defused radially, and a substantial amount of background noise existed when imaged. Modification of the protocols continued to produce similar results. Therefore, the hypothesis outline for this thesis is conclusively rejected. While the hybridization of mRNA and DNA was effective, the ability to accurately detect the abundance of these duplexed molecules was inadequate. The significance of this work comes from a greater understanding that an effective method for the detection of mRNA-DNA duplexes is required before a hybridization approach to analysis can be achieved. The need for a more user-friendly mRNA assay for the identification of forensically relevant body fluids remains. While the identification of tissue specific mRNA through hybridization is theoretically possible, a more sensitive detection method must be identified.

Posted on April 16, 2019 by Dr. Mark McCoy

Research: Indentification of Morphologically Similar Species of Necrophagous Flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) in Oklahoma: Reliability and Application of Techniques in a Forensic Setting

The development of taxonomic keys for carrion-associating blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) has greatly enhanced the field of forensic entomology by facilitating identification of species often associated with crime scenes. Keys for morphological identification of blow flies have been developed and refined by Whitworth (2006) and Marshall, et al. (2011). Research involving habitat preferences, ovipositional behavior, developmental rates, and succession to decaying matter has proved vital for the estimation of a post mortem interval (PMI) for crime scene investigators. Within the state of Oklahoma, there is suspected habitat overlap and migration of Calliphoridae species, stemming from varying environmental conditions and resource availability. This study assessed the relationship between morphological and genetic identification of three blowfly species (Lucilia cuprina, Lucilia sericata, and Lucilia mexicana) sampled from eight different locations within Oklahoma and one island location off of the coast of New Hampshire. A 308 basepair amplicon within the cytochrome oxidase I gene of mitochondrial DNA was obtained for twenty-four specimens. An additional genomic location was targeted to support the robustness of laboratory analyses. A 330 basepair amplicon within the 28S large subunit of ribosomal DNA was obtained for thirty-five specimens. Molecular phylogenetic results were compared to morphological identifications in order to ascertain the reliability of the respective laboratory techniques. Morphological and genetic identification techniques confirmed the previously undocumented presence of L. mexicana within Oklahoma. COI data was unreliable for distinguishing between morphologically similar Lucilia species; however 28S phylogenetic assessments were successful in defining most Calliphoridae species. Results serve as a template for future ecological and forensic research.

Posted on April 16, 2019 by Dr. Mark McCoy

Research: Behavioral Characteristics of Maternal Filicide: A Case Study

The purpose of this study is to identify the history and behavioral trends of maternal filicide in the United States. This study examines six cases of filicide that were highly publicized by the media. The media tends to overdramatize certain aspects of cases, which then leads to the overshadowing of actual facts. The data was gathered from court records, police reports, televised offender interviews, and records of psychiatric assessments. The cases that were reviewed were homicides that took place between 1997 and 2005. The study examined the childhood, mental history, prior criminal history, motives and the family-of-origin for each of the filicidal women. The mean age of the mothers at the time they committed the offense was 29.83 years. The women ranged in age from 18 to 38 years. The six women in the study killed a combined total of 17 children (16 males and 1 female). Males were overrepresented as victims in this study compared to other research involving maternal filicide.

Posted on April 16, 2019 by Dr. Mark McCoy

UCO DISCLAIMER STATEMENT: The views, opinions, and conclusions expressed in this page are those of the author or organization and not necessarily those of The University of Central Oklahoma or its officers and trustees. The content of this page has not been reviewed or approved by The University of Central Oklahoma and the author or organization is solely responsible for its content. It is the policy of the university to abide by and follow federal and state laws. Outbound links, such as third party websites or personal pages of UCO's students, faculty and staff represent individual views and do not necessarily reflect the views and/or policies of the university. The university is not responsible for the content of these pages or any links that you may follow from this server beyond this point. The statements and communications of the bloggers on the University of Central Oklahoma website do not represent a statement of the university's official position or policy.