Forensics Talks

Join us on February 1, 2024, at 2 PM Eastern for an intriguing Forensics Talks episode, EP 96, with Sarah Williams, Associate Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University. Williams, a leading figure in forensic biology, has pioneered advancements in body fluid identification and DNA analysis. This episode will delve into her groundbreaking research on Raman Spectroscopy and microRNA, her experience as a forensic scientist, and her role in educating the next generation of forensic experts. Don't miss this deep dive into the science of bodily fluids with Sarah Williams!

Originally aired on:  Feb 1, 2024

Michael Moulden is a seasoned Fire Scene and Chartered Crime Scene investigator with over 30 years of experience, having conducted 1000+ investigations globally. Holding a master's degree in forensic engineering and science from the Royal Military College, Mike is an Honorary Fellow at Cranfield University and a senior research fellow at the University of Exeter. Currently, he serves as a Crime Scene Science and Fire Investigation expert at the Naif Arab University for Security Science (NAUSS) in Riyadh, contributing to training, research, consultancy, and casework. Mike's diverse career includes roles with EFI Global and Zetetech Forensic Investigations, with notable investigations such as the UN-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon, Grenfell Tower, and the German Wings Mass Homicide. His commitment extends to volunteering with Geoscope Services, aiding in the forensic recovery of Allied POW/MIA war casualties. Mike's international impact encompasses five tours in Afghanistan, mentoring a crime scene investigation unit for the Afghan Ministry of Interior, and providing training to Ukrainian Law Enforcement. A dedicated educator, he continues to deliver crime scene documentation training for the Institute of International Criminal Investigations (IICI) based in the Hague, making Mike a distinguished speaker for our Forensics Talks program.

Originally aired on: Jan 18, 2023

Husam Shbib is currently working as a digital forensic consultant in Saudi Arabia. He has experience in different cybersecurity fields such as penetration testing, user access reviews, configurations reviews, IT and cybersecurity audit, risk assessment, and programming. He has a bachelor degree in computer science and holds multiple certifications in the cybersecurity field, such as ICMDE, 3CI, 3CE, CCE, eCDFP, etc. He likes playing CTFs with friends and solving online challenges regularly. He was keen on cybersecurity domain since the middle school and decided to approach this career.

Originally Aired on: Jan 11, 2024

Join us in conversation with Matthias Schmidt, CEO of Analyzer Pro. Matthias graduated in 2020 with a Master of Science in Physics from the Technical University of Vienna. He stands at the forefront of accident reconstruction, developing advanced software for collision reconstruction and speaking at international conferences like the European Association for Accident Research and Analysis EVU and the Austrian Association of Court Experts. Notably, as the CEO and one of the developers of Analyzer Pro, he drives advancements in the field. Beyond his CEO role, Matthias contributes significantly to industry journals like "VKU" and "Impact Magazin," influencing the evolution of accident reconstruction. He's also actively engaged as a member of scientific boards, an external lecturer at DEKRA Automobil-GmbH, and the organizer of crash test days in Murska Sobota, Slovenia. Join us for an enlightening conversation with Matthias Schmidt, a leader in accident reconstruction, and the driving force behind Analyzer Pro's innovation.

Originally aired on: December 21, 2023

Join us for an exclusive interview with Amber Riley, an esteemed international speaker renowned for her expertise in forensic odontology and oral pathology. With a wealth of experience, Amber delivers comprehensive continuing education programs to dental and medical professionals worldwide. She serves as a Forensic Dental Consultant to the San Diego County Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and plays a crucial role in the U.S. Government disaster mortuary operational response team. Amber's contributions extend beyond her forensic work; she is an advisory Board Member to the Oral Cancer Foundation and a professional risk and liability consultant specializing in dental sciences. Her credentials include being the President of the American Society of Forensic Odontology, a Fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, and memberships in esteemed associations like the International Association of Coroners & Medical Examiners, the California Dental Hygienists’ Association, and the American Academy for Oral Systemic Health. 

Join us as we delve into compelling discussions on forensic odontology, pathology, and a myriad of related topics. Don't miss this opportunity to gain insights from a leader in the field!

Originally aired on: Dec 14, 2023

A former EMT/paramedic Bruce Goldfarb is an award-winning journalist whose work has appeared on All Things Considered, the Washington Post, USA Today, American Health, Baltimore magazine, and many other print and online publications. Goldfarb was executive assistant to the Chief Medical Examiner for the State of Maryland from 2012 to 2022. In that role, he was public information officer for the OCME and curator of the Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death. His first book, 18 TINY DEATHS, was released in 2020 and outlines the extraordinary story of Frances Glessner Lee, an independently wealthy matriarch who revolutionized the field of forensic death investigation and who is well known for her crime scene dioramas recreated in minute detail. Goldfarb's second book, OCME, Life in America's Top Forensic Medical Center, details the precarious state of forensic death investigation, which in many parts of the country is failing to provide essential public health services to the public. 

Originally aired on: Nov 16, 2023

Steven Jameson is currently the Superfisory Visual Information Specialist for the Operational Project Unit, FBI, Quantico Laboratory. His duties include documenting crime scenes and preparing visual deliverables that aid in the investigations and at trial. Steve has a long career with the U.S. Navy and has had a range of duties including underwater demolition, "hard hat" diver. He also worked with the CIA, Directorate of Operations and he is presently serving as a Chieft Warrant Officer with the U.S. Navy Reserves where he is assigned to SEAL Team EIGHTEEN. Join us as we discuss some of the different technologies and challenges to documenting large scale crime scenes and how these are turned into visual graphics and virtual models for use at trial.

Originally aired on : Sep 21, 2023
 

Nick Harris obtained a BSc Hons Degree in Podiatric Medicine in 1995 from Salford University after which he worked in private practice as a Podiatrist until 2002. He then emigrated to Canada and in 2003, joined the Peel Regional Police. In 2016, Nick joined the Forensic Identification services with Peel Regional Police and soon found that his previous profession and education had applications in the forensic world as it pertained to criminal investigations. Nick has advanced training in footwear impression examination, is a qualified barefoot morphologist, and has been deemed an expert witness within the Canadian court system. He is now the only certified forensic gait analyst currently known to be in Canada. Join us as we discuss how gait analysis contributes to forensic investigations.

Originally aired on: Sep 28, 2023

Mobile Devices for Forensic Documentation | EP 89 | Robert Wyman | Sep 7, 2023 | 2PM Eastern
 
Join us for an insightful interview on Forensic Talks with Robert Wyman, President of Wyman Enterprises, Inc. With a wealth of experience, Mr. Wyman specializes in offering Forensic Photography and Evidence Documentation services. His expertise spans various fields, including personal injury, wrongful death, premises liability, as well as investigations into homicide, robbery, battery, fraud, criminal negligence, and public corruption cases.

Mr. Wyman holds the distinction of being recognized as an Expert Witness in both Federal and State courts, along with local jurisdictions. His contributions have made a significant impact on the field, with his work being featured in multiple publications, including books on Traffic Crash Reconstruction and Evidence Documentation, as well as numerous articles in renowned magazines and industry newsletters.

One of Robert's remarkable contributions is his advocacy for the use of cost-effective tools, mobile devices, and smartphone apps in preserving and documenting evidence at crime and crash scenes. This advocacy has sometimes faced resistance due to misconceptions surrounding personal cell phone usage in forensics. In this exclusive interview, Robert will share his unique perspective on how mobile devices are revolutionizing the forensic documentation landscape. He will also provide valuable tips and recommendations for cutting-edge apps that can be instrumental in enhancing evidence collection and documentation at crash and crime scenes.

Don't miss this opportunity to gain insights from an industry leader and innovator. Tune in to Forensic Talks and discover how technology is reshaping the future of forensic documentation.

Originally Aired On: September 9, 2021

Video Analysis in Collision Reconstruction | EP 88 | Mark Crouch | Aug 3, 2023 | 2PM Eastern
 
Mark is the Head of Investigations at Forensic Collision Investigation & Reconstruction Ltd., and has a Master’s Degree in Applied Physics (MSci. Hons.) from the University of London. Mark worked for the Metropolitan Police as a Forensic Collision Investigator for several years before forming FCIR. He has conducted investigations into hundreds of road traffic collisions, attending collision scenes, writing detailed reports, peer reviewing the work of others and researching new techniques within the field. Just this year, he released the second edition of Video Analysis in Collision Reconstruction and he teaches others how to work with video evidence for collision investigations. Join us as we discuss his work and how video evidence plays an important role in collision investigations.

Originally Aired on: August 3, 2023

50 Years of Forensics | EP 87 | Pat Wertheim | July 6, 2023 | 2PM Eastern
 
Pat began a career in law enforcement in 1973. He served as a police officer, detective, sergeant, and training officer, all the while doing crime scene investigations and latent fingerprint comparisons. In 1986, he realigned his career to focus exclusively on fingerprints. He has worked for local police, state law enforcement, and the Defense Forensic Science Center, where he was the latent print instructor for new hires during the ramp up period initiating the Forensic Expeditionary Division to staff new overseas forensics laboratories. Pat has also consulted on major cases in criminal and civil investigations and has exposed frauds involving fabricated evidence, erroneous identifications, and forged fingerprints. Some of his better known cases include the Shirley McKie Case (including the David Asbury case), the Fred van der Vyver case, the Alan McNamara case, and a civil investigation into a suspected fake Jackson Pollock painting.

Originally aired on July 6, 2023

3D Analysis of Questioned Documents | EP 86 | Roberto King | June 22, 2023 | 2PM
 
Dr. Roberto King, the Vice President of Product at foster+freeman, UK, previously foster+freeman's Chief Technology Officer, brings a wealth of experience and expertise in forensic chemistry. During this live interview, he will delve into the fascinating world of forensic science, with a particular focus on the use of 3D technology for the analysis of questioned documents. With a background in inorganic chemistry, Dr. King's research interests span fingermarks, body fluids, trace evidence, and contact transfer. Having presented over 150 lectures worldwide and published numerous research papers and book chapters, Dr. King is a recognized authority in the field. Don't miss this opportunity to gain fresh insights into the innovative applications of 3D technology in forensic document analysis. Join us for an engaging session! 

Originally aired on: June 22, 2023

Laurie Pieters-James is a a specialist Offender Profiler whose primary function is to assess, analyze & predict criminal behaviour. She has a strong background in psychology, criminology, intelligence and law and has been and advocate for cyber awareness and training. As the Chief Operation Officer at Cybareti Consulting Services, Laurie has been involved in the profiling, investigation, detection and prosecution of cyber crimes. We will explore the dark underbelly of cyber trafficking, discussing its alarming rise, devastating impacts, and potential solutions. Don't miss this opportunity to delve into a critical issue shaping our digital landscape. 

Originally aired on: June 15, 2023

Vision, Perception & Human Factors | EP 84 | William Messerschmidt 
 
William Messerschmidt is a former police officer and traffic homicide investigator. After serving the City of Auburn with distinction for 8 years, Mr. Messerschmidt left government service to work with the late Dr. Edward L. Robinson where his work was focused on the investigation and analysis of commercial and heavy vehicle crashes. While working alongside the physicists and engineers at Robinson & Associates, Bill was introduced to Dr. Jeffery Muttart and almost immediately went back to school for the study of Human Factors Psychology and Engineering. Since that time, Bill has studied Human Factors, focusing on transportation and industrial safety, at the University of Idaho, Emory-Riddell Aeronautical University, and The University of Aberdeen. Today, Bill’s Accident Reconstruction work is primarily focused on applying Human Factors science to the analysis of traffic crashes and industrial accidents. Join us as we discuss the importance and function of vision, perception, and human factors in forensics.

Originally aired on: May 11, 2023

Veterinary Forensics | EP 83 | Dr. Rachel Touroo 

Dr. Rachel Touroo joined the ASPCA in 2012 as the director of its Veterinary Forensics program and is currently the senior director of Veterinary Forensic Sciences. In this role, Dr. Touroo oversees the ASPCA Veterinary Forensic Science Center, assists law enforcement with suspected animal cruelty cases throughout the United States, develops and carries out novel research in the area of veterinary forensics, and teaches Veterinary Forensic Medicine for the University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine and Veterinary Medicolegal Investigations for Florida International University, where she holds courtesy faculty appointments. Dr. Touroo has assisted with hundreds of animal cruelty cases throughout the U.S. and has been qualified as an expert witness on dozens of occasions in a variety of states, as well as in federal court.  Join us as we discuss the importance of veterinary forensics and the work that the ASCPA is doing to assist law enforcement in investigations.

Originally aired on: Wednesday April 5th, 2023

Alexander DeBruijn began as a forensic photographer at the regional police Ijsselland in 2000 . In 2005, he joined a multi-police agency project group to investigate the adoption of Lidar and panoramic image scanners within The Netherlands police departments. in 2015 he joined the visualisation and reconstruction expert team which specializes in bringing laser scanners, handheld scanners, surveying equipment, panoramic cameras and other technologies to assist in investigations and to bring presentations to court. His current focus is XR visualization possibilities for use in the criminal investigation process and he is part of the "PDVision3D" development team, a Unity based general 3d and multiuser xr data viewer developed by the ETVR wich has been used in several court cases.

Originally aired on: March 23, 2023

Dr. Itiel Dror is well known for his academic work as it relates to theoretical issues underlying human performance and cognition. His research examines the information processing involved in perception, judgment and decision-making. Much of his work has focused on different disciplines in forensic science and has helped to reshape the way forensic practitioners think about the way they perform their work. As a returning guest to Forensics Talks, we will examine some of Dr. Dror's more recent work into Forensic Pathology where contextual bias appears to play a significant role in the outcome of postmortem examinations and cause of death determinations.

The first ever study of bias in forensic pathology, along with 22 Letters-to-the-Editor: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1556-4029.14697 

 The 2nd paper/study published about forensic pathology bias, showing that contextual information *overrides* the medical data: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589871X22000705

 Originally aired on: March 16, 2023

David Larraguibel joined the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service in 2011 where he developed a modernized methodology for photographic documentation of post-mortem examinations, specializing in the use of cross-polarization and infrared photography, as well as establishing an information infrastructure to manage large imaging datasets. He also spent a year as a Forensic Identification Support Technician with the Ontario Provincial Police where he provided training to Scenes of Crimes Officers on the use of field expedient photographic imaging equipment. David is currently researching the spectral and chemical characteristics of human tissues and the decompositional process, tattoo inks and firearm discharge residues. 

Originally aired on: March 9, 2023

Dr. Richard Shepherd qualified as a doctor in 1978 and as a consultant pathologist in 1987. He worked as a Consultant Forensic Pathologist and a “Home Office” forensic pathologist for over 35 years and he was routinely involved in the investigation of all types of sudden and suspicious deaths in London, the UK and around the world. He is the author of two books, Unnatural Causes and The Seven Ages of Death which give insightful and honest accounts of what it means to be a forensic pathologist. Join us as we discuss how forensic pathology contributes to forensic investigations.

Originally aired on: February 23, 2023

Louis Peck is a Registered Professional Mechanical Engineer and the owner of Axiom Forensic and Lightpoint Scientific. He is a retired motorcycle racer who specializes in motorcycle collision reconstruction and teaches reconstruction and analysis of motorcycle crashes as well as photogrammetry classes to other experts. He has published numerous papers on things such as sliding friction, stopping behavior of motorcycle drivers, influence of riding experience, pole impact analysis, and much more. Join us as we discuss current technology, practical issues and what makes motorcycle collision reconstruction unique from other types of vehicles.

Originally aired on : February 9, 2023