Shows
Secrets From the Crime LabA Glimpse into Advanced Investigations: Exploring the Role of Private Investigators with William LosefskyIn this episode of 'Secrets from the Crime Lab,' host Angela Swarts returns after a brief hiatus to delve into an enlightening conversation with William Losefsky of Investigative Concepts. With a background in law enforcement and extensive experience in private investigation, Losefsky shares his expertise in forensic death investigation, drug diversion in hospitals, and statement analysis. He emphasizes the importance of unbiased investigation and provides insights into how defense investigations can uncover critical truths overlooked in initial prosecutions. Angela and William discuss their shared experiences and the critical role of continuous learning in the field of forensic science.
2025-02-191h 16Secrets From the Crime LabPART II - Case Solved? Unraveling a DNA thread in the Zodiac killer enigma. Featuring Forensic Scientist George SchiroPart II of George Schiro’s story about his involvement in unraveling the identity of the notorious Zodiac Killer. What did he find in his examination of the alleged DNA profile of the Zodiac and Gary Stewart? Is Gary Stewart the biological son of the infamous Zodiac?This is part II! Be sure to listen to Part I first to get the whole story!To learn more about or to contact the guest, George Schiro, M.S., visit his website.Links to materials mentioned in th...
2023-10-0535 minSecrets From the Crime LabCase Solved? Unraveling a DNA thread in the Zodiac killer enigma. Featuring Forensic Scientist George Schiro.The Zodiac case remains one of the most notorious unsolved murder mysteries in American history, and it continues to capture public interest and speculation. The self-proclaimed Zodiac killer was a serial killer who operated in Northern California, primarily in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In 2014 a man named Gary L. Stewart published a book, co-written by journalist Susan Mustafa, The Most Dangerous Animal of All, about how he came to the conclusion that his biological father was the Zodiac killer.In this episode, Forensic Scientist George Schiro speaks about his involvement - examining the alleged DNA...
2023-06-2738 minSecrets From the Crime LabS2E3: Space Forensics! Bloodstain Pattern Analysis in Microgravity with Detective Zack KowalskeOn this episode I spoke with Det. Zack Kowalske, an expert in bloodstain pattern analysis, crime scene reconstruction, and a pioneer in Space Forensics! We discussed BPA (bloodstain pattern analysis), some concerns in the field (error rates), and Zack's research on bloodstain pattern analysis in microgravity.Support the Show!Become a subscriber: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1936265/supporters/newMake a one-time contribution (uses Paypal): Buy Me a CoffeeGet Zack's new book: "Gaming the Reaper: How to Win at Life and Optimize the Sh#t Out of Your own...
2023-03-0950 minSecrets From the Crime LabS2EP2: Joining the Dark Side.The Role of the Forensic Science Defence Expert. Dr. David Schudel"The role of a forensic science defence expert is often referred to by those working for the police/state/government forensic labs as being on the "dark side."In Joining the Dark Side, author David Schudel outlines the evolution of a fascinating career that starts out in the dark side and looks at what problems can appear in forensic cases. The book delves into the problems inherent to forensic science, in particular cognitive bias and scientific philosophy. It also looks at the emotional impact and specific challenges behind forensic science and provides the reader with some sage...
2023-01-051h 06Secrets From the Crime LabS2Ep1 - Cognitive bias in forensic pathology decisions with Dr. Itiel DrorIn this episode I spoke with Dr. Itiel Dror, a cognitive neuroscientist known in the forensic realm for his contributions to revealing the unconscious implicit biases in forensic decisions and providing tools to minimize them. He recently published several papers examining - for the first time - cognitive bias in forensic pathology. The Maryland Attorney General has announced an independent audit of in-custody death determinations made by the OCME during the tenure of Dr. David Fowler. Dr. Fowler provided expert testimony for the defense in the trial of Derek Chauvin for death George Floyd. The audit team...
2022-11-081h 30Secrets From the Crime LabEp. 9 (Season 1 Bonus) Massively Parallel Sequencing - Tools for forensic laboratories learning to handle terabytes of genetic data, how it improves investigations, and a free workshop.Massively Parallel Sequencing has revolutionized laboratories' ability to harness more and more information from our genetics. This has led to massive improvements in medical diagnostics, public health (think SARs-CoV-2 variant identification), ancestry determinations, and now forensic science has begun adapting this technology to criminal investigations.In this episode I speak with Professor Megan Foley, Teresa Snyder-Leiby, and Sarah Copeland about the challenges laboratories are facing as they adopt this type of DNA testing and tools that are available not only to labs, but also to law enforcement, prosecutors, and defense - including the Innocence Project....
2022-07-2750 minSecrets From the Crime LabEp. 8 Identical Twins, drugs, smoking, and crime. Applied Epigenetics with Dr. Athina Vidaki, Erasmus MC, NetherlandsEpigenetics: The clothes of your DNA. While the DNA sequence contains the instructions, your epigenome controls which part of the instructions are read and used. But how do we use this in forensic science? Learn more about biomarkers linked to smoking, age predication, differentiating between identical twins, narrowing the suspect pool, generating investigative leads, and more.Athina Vidaki, PhD, with Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam Netherlands, is a professor of Applied Epigenomics. Her lab is focused on researching biomarkers and developing technologies to apply epigenetics in forensics. Learn more about Dr. Vidaki and the research...
2022-04-2151 minSecrets From the Crime LabEpisode 7: Ethics as Lived Practice. Anticipatory Capacity and Ethical Decision-Making in Forensic Genetics with Dr. Matthias Wienroth and Dr. Carole McCartney, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon TyneNew Technology is great...but let's use it to catch the right person. In this episode I spoke with Professors Dr. Matthias Wienroth and Dr. Carol McCartney, two of the authors of "Ethics as Lived Practice. Anticipatory Capacity and Ethical Decision-Making in Forensic Genetics". It's a fascinating discussion about forensic genetics and the rapidly evolving technologies from the perspective of a social scientist and law professor.Read the full text article: Ethics as Lived Practice. Anticipatory Capacity and Ethical Decision-Making in Forensic Genetics Works/News mentioned in the episode:Nuffield Report. The f...
2022-04-101h 03Secrets From the Crime LabEp. 6 Science SNiP: Forensic DNA Phenotyping, Predicting Human AppearanceDNA as the "Biological Witness". Forensic DNA Phenotyping predicts the externally visible characteristics - i.e. what a person may look like - from their biological material. It has applications in criminal investigations when other leads have failed, missing persons identification, and anthropological research. To learn more about the host visit https://practicalforensics.science/Join our discussion and let us know your thoughts. E: hello@secretsfromthecrimelab.comORJoin our Facebook Page! https://www.facebook.com/SecretsfromtheCrimeLabComments? Feedback? Suggestions? Or if you w...
2022-03-2827 minSecrets From the Crime LabEp. 5 Consent, DNA databases, and misuse of a San Francisco rape victim's DNA.This week's discussion is all about consent and ethical use of genetic information, including DNA databases. I define and discuss what is meant by consent and informed consent and how it's related to the treatment of Henrietta Lacks and how her story triggered the development of ethical practices in medical science. What are the responsibilities of the forensic geneticist? The law enforcement investigator? What should you think about before volunteering a DNA sample...It's a big topic, and this is only the start if the discussion.To learn more about the host visit https://practicalforensics...
2022-03-1743 minSecrets From the Crime LabEp. 4 Document Authentication, handwriting analysis, mailbox bombings, and snipers. Forensic Document Examination with Meredith Dekalb Miller.This episode is the first in a series (non-sequential) providing overviews of different fields of forensic science.Meredith Dekalb Miller is an FBI trained expert in Forensic Document Examination with almost twenty years experience in both criminal and civil matters. Her work revolves around determining the authenticity and sometimes reconstruction of documents.To get in touch with our guest: https://dekalbmiller.com/To learn more about the host, Angela Tanzillo-Swarts, MBE: https://practicalforensics.science/Join our Facebook Page! https://www.facebook.com/SecretsfromtheCrimeLabSupport the showWant to...
2022-03-0943 minSecrets From the Crime LabEp. 3 The English Chemist: Cell site analysis, drugs, weird fingerprints, and egg fraud. With forensic science expert Dr. David Schudel (Full episode)Following on from episode 2...this time our discussion focuses on the experiences of David Schudel, PhD as an expert in the UK. He is an expert in Forensic Chemistry, Fire Analysis, and Cell site analysis (to name a few) and over the years has become that guy who catches all the weird cases. Join us as we explore how the forensic scientist fits into the criminal justice system in England and Wales and hear about a few of those extra weird ones...To Learn more about the host:Angela Tanzillo-Swarts, MBETo get in...
2022-03-0157 minSecrets From the Crime LabEp. 3 Teaser -The English Chemist: forensic science expert Dr. David SchudelTeaser trailer of episode 3 of Secrets from the Crime Lab. A peak into how the criminal justice system and crime laboratories intersect in England and Wales. Dr. Schudel discusses his experiences working as a forensic expert for both the prosecution and the defence conducting a wide variety of forensic analyses including forensic chemistry and cell site analysis. Support the Podcasthttps://practicalforensics.science/podcastSupport the showWant to be on an episode? Have ideas for an episode you would like to hear? Want to sponsor the podcast? General enquiry?e...
2022-02-2504 minSecrets From the Crime LabEP.2 When it all goes wrong. Featuring forensic expert Tiffany Roy, MSFS, JDWhat happens when the crime laboratory gets it wrong? In this episode we discuss the issues with relying solely on laboratory accreditation to determine if a forensic science laboratory is doing the testing correctly, what happens when a lab fails as it did in Washington, D.C., and how other laboratories manage to recover and regain customer confidence. We explore how organizations like the Texas Forensic Science Commission work to ensure quality forensic science work by taking action and the better way for laboratories to respond and improve after a complaint.Comments? Feedback? Suggestions? Or if...
2022-02-091h 15Secrets From the Crime LabEP.1 How do you know the crime lab did it right?Ensuring the validity of the crime laboratory’s test result is paramount. Ensuring that the lab is impartial, competent, and committed to confidentiality is an integral part of that assurance.PLAN - DO - CHECK - ACTLaboratory Accreditation demonstrates conformance with international standards, giving the customer of a crime laboratory confidence in the test results.In this episode we explore the ISO/IEC standards specific to forensic testing and calibration laboratories. These standards apply to labs performing a wide-range of forensic tests: biology/DNA, bloodstain pattern analysis, drug chemistry/ controlled su...
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