Case Study: Forensic Toxicology

The outcome of the case was Matthew Holding, the man accused of the double murder of his grandmother and mother, was found guilty by the evidence that the Forensic Soil Science team of South Australia, known as, “Centre for Australian Forensic Soil Science”, provided. The team concluded matches of the soil found on the shovel from the trunk of his car, that Matthew used to buried his mother and grandmother with the soil where the bodies were found.

In the case of Joann Curley the key physical evidence that was used to solve this case was hair evidence. Hair evidence when properly collected and submitted to the laboratory accompanied by an adequate number of standard/reference samples, can provide strong corroborative evidence for placing an individual at a crime scene. In the case of Joann Curley, evidence was searched for and collected from their house, Roberts’s autopsies, and Roberts’s workplace. In addition, they also tested Roberts’s co-workers for thallium after they were questioned, including Joann and their daughter. During the investigation they figured out thallium was present in Roberts’s workplace which led to believe that his co-workers may have had involvement and pulled a prank on him, as Robert was known to have pranks pulled on him. This theory went down the drain after investigators tested the air and surface of Roberts’s workplace, which ended up being eliminated as possible source for exposure to thallium. Investigators then decided to look closer to home and found thallium located in Roberts thermos cup that he never took to work and decide to have a second autopsy of his body. During the autopsy forensic toxicologists Michael Baden and Fredrick Reader’s used hair evidence collected during it to analyze for traces of thallium because a substance like thallium will circulate through the blood stream and attach to the root of the hair like a cell, it then stays on the hair shaft and grows

In the beginning, Metal Illness was treated like it was a special form of stupidity, but it is in fact a serious medical issue and shouldn’t be downgraded by ignorant stigma.

After arriving at Southlake Methodist this officer provided Nurse B. Brewer with two test tubes from the Indiana Department of Toxicology test kit. B. Brewer filled the two test tubes with blood from Newland right arm at 15:00hrs on 01-02-2016. B. Brewer and this officer initialed each test tube and they her sealed in a plastic ziplock bag. This officer secured the bag with red tape and initialed it and placed it back in the box provided by the Indiana Department of Toxicology. Officer Sekula arrived at the hospital and relieved this officer.

Introduction: One summer morning, a 38-year-old woman named Anna Garcia was found dead. Anna was found lying facedown in the entry hallway of her home in a pool of blood. Many different pieces of evidence found at the crime scene have been analyzed to determine the manner of Anna’s death: natural, accident, or homicide. The analyzed evidence found at the crime scene includes fingerprints, blood type, shoeprint, hair, unknown substances, blood spatters, and DNA. Anna Garcia’s autopsy report currently contains information on Anna’s toxicology results, external examination results, and physical examination results. The evidence that has been analyzed mainly focuses on the persons of interest: Alex Garcia, Doug Greene, Erica Piedmont, and Lucy

In chapters ten and eleven of the Disappearing Spoon, by Sam Keane, the focus is placed on the interaction between elements and the human body. The reader is taken on a journey through the medical history of various metals, and their beneficial factors. The trip continues to the interesting topic of chirality, or “handedness” of different proteins. On the flipside, the deadly aspects of different elements, as well as their deceptive ways are discussed. These two chapters really grabbed my attention, as medical history has always been of interest to me. Furthermore, it was very fascinating to me that such small differences in compounds, such as handedness, has such a large effect on the human body. Keane aptly proved our knowledge of elements expands, our medical capabilities multiply, and not to trust elements too easily.

Forensic chemist goes out to the crime scene to collect the evidence for later

Dr. Morris Greenberg was one of the two investigators and was the Health Department’s chief epidemiologist. He was not convinced that the men suffered from food poisoning, because the symptoms appeared too quickly. He postulated that the men had consumed some type of drug. To prove his claim, he wanted blood samples from the men and wanted the samples to be tested for methemoglobin, a compound formed

In this paper, I will discuss the background of forensic pathology, the pros and cons of forensic pathology, and the similar and different in a forensic pathologist and a coroner. There are various disciplines in Forensic Science that can help with a crime, and solving that crime. One of these various disciplines is Forensic Pathology which the study of disease, and its causes, moreover; it involves the discovering the cause of the death where a death is sudden or suspicion to law enforcement. While a Forensic Pathologist can be helpful to law enforcement, and helpful in assisting in crime investigation, there are cons to being forensic pathologist. Furthermore, forensic pathologist can be confused with coroner even though they do the same

Locard’s law suggested that “every contact leave a trace” (White, 2010) and scientifically it has still proven to be true. Stephen John Port a 40 years old man was found guilty for murdering and poisoning four men in their 20s and leaving their body near St Margaret’s Church (Culbertson, 2015). Mr Port met his victims on an online gay website, where he would then invite them to his house for a party. He was accused of murdering, drug overdosing and having sexual contact with his victims before dumping their bodies in the graveyard of the church (Culbertson, 2015).

I transported Mr. Baumchen to the Genesee County jail for a breath test. When at the Genesee County Jail I read Mr. Baumchen his chemical test right at 04:40 a.m. Mr. Baumchen agreed to the breath test.

The title of the book clearly explains what the book is about. John Emsley continues his passion for writing books based on chemistry affecting the world we live in. Emsley wrote this book on the classic chemical elements and/or compounds that were used for murder throughout history. Arsenic, cyanide, thallium, and many other poisonous elements are discussed in this book. Providing stories and the chemistry behind it, Emsley created a fascinating read for those who are interested in how the elements were implemented into murders throughout the centuries. Emsley’s books tend to contain vocabulary that may confuse some beginning chemists, so an AP chemistry class would handle the material the best. This book can connect chemistry with biology

The book gives a general overview of the field of forensic science. The sections of the book include “The Scene of the Crime; Working the Scene--The Evidence; Working the Scene of the Body Human;

Forensic Chemist can help to know the unknown materials at a crime scene. They use evidence from their surroundings for clues to solve crimes. Any evidence is useful, from glass to hairs to basically anything. The scientists are able to analyze basically anything, no matter how small the piece of evidence is. By using the evidence they can find the DNA of the killer or the people that were around them. To find DNA they can use a PCR to reproduce copies of the DNA. You can mostly see them in television using computers trying to find DNA. They apply knowledge by using science as in biology, chemistry, genetics and materials science. Some DNA testing aren’t fully correct, there has at least been half of crimes that have came up wrong when it’s

“It identified small children as the most vulnerable to the heavy metal because it could cause significant health impacts, including impairing their development.” Donna Field, ABC News.