Unit 3 AC1.2- Assess the usefulness of investigative
techniques in criminal investigations
● 100 minutes total
● Choose 4 personnel- 25 minutes each
● Assess- make a judgement, i.e. is the technique useful when investigating crimes?
Forensics
Describe briefly:
● Collect trace evidence; analyse hair, bodily fluids, glass, paint etc
● Uses DNA profiling, chromatography techniques etc
● Will collect elimination samples- which excludes certain people from being suspects eg: first
responders, CS personnel and analysts
● Must collect evidence appropriately and preserve it well
● May carry out initial testing at the scene to determine the type of biological material
What types of crime require the use of forensics?
➔ Most types of crimes, especially where trace evidence can easily be found, such as violent crimes,
sexual assaults, murders, robberies etc
In what situations is forensics used?
➔ Can be analysed in a lab
➔ Collected from a crime scene
➔ Take samples from a police station
➔ Presented to the jury in a courtroom
A strength of forensics is Genetic Genealogy
Describe briefly as a strength:
● Genetic/forensic genealogy determines relationships between individuals through DNA testing- people
can also find genetic matches and discover their ancestry
● This is done through tracing a family tree with public records, such as birth and marriage certificates
● This is also useful when solving criminal cases as law enforcement agencies may look on genealogy
sites for matches in DNA found in crime scenes
● Third party sites like GEDmatch can find profiles that match a particular segment of DNA- this can help
identify suspects through their relatives
● By using genetic genealogy, American law enforcement identified over 70 suspects in 2019
Case study- focus on how this is a strength of forensics and is useful
● Colette Aram was a 16 year old girl who was abducted, raped and strangled in 1983
● They took DNA samples from the crime scene but eventually no suspect was found
● Then in 2008, a man named Jean Paul was arrested and his DNA was taken
● Analysts realised his DNA was nearly identical to the match of the killers’ profile
● Jean Paul was ruled out as he was not alive in 1983, but they concluded the killer must be a close
relative of Jean
● This lead to the arrest of the true killer- Jean Paul’s father- Paul Hutchinson
techniques in criminal investigations
● 100 minutes total
● Choose 4 personnel- 25 minutes each
● Assess- make a judgement, i.e. is the technique useful when investigating crimes?
Forensics
Describe briefly:
● Collect trace evidence; analyse hair, bodily fluids, glass, paint etc
● Uses DNA profiling, chromatography techniques etc
● Will collect elimination samples- which excludes certain people from being suspects eg: first
responders, CS personnel and analysts
● Must collect evidence appropriately and preserve it well
● May carry out initial testing at the scene to determine the type of biological material
What types of crime require the use of forensics?
➔ Most types of crimes, especially where trace evidence can easily be found, such as violent crimes,
sexual assaults, murders, robberies etc
In what situations is forensics used?
➔ Can be analysed in a lab
➔ Collected from a crime scene
➔ Take samples from a police station
➔ Presented to the jury in a courtroom
A strength of forensics is Genetic Genealogy
Describe briefly as a strength:
● Genetic/forensic genealogy determines relationships between individuals through DNA testing- people
can also find genetic matches and discover their ancestry
● This is done through tracing a family tree with public records, such as birth and marriage certificates
● This is also useful when solving criminal cases as law enforcement agencies may look on genealogy
sites for matches in DNA found in crime scenes
● Third party sites like GEDmatch can find profiles that match a particular segment of DNA- this can help
identify suspects through their relatives
● By using genetic genealogy, American law enforcement identified over 70 suspects in 2019
Case study- focus on how this is a strength of forensics and is useful
● Colette Aram was a 16 year old girl who was abducted, raped and strangled in 1983
● They took DNA samples from the crime scene but eventually no suspect was found
● Then in 2008, a man named Jean Paul was arrested and his DNA was taken
● Analysts realised his DNA was nearly identical to the match of the killers’ profile
● Jean Paul was ruled out as he was not alive in 1983, but they concluded the killer must be a close
relative of Jean
● This lead to the arrest of the true killer- Jean Paul’s father- Paul Hutchinson
