No one has hours to scour the papers to keep up with the latest news, so we’ve curated the top news stories in the field of Forensic Science for this week. Here’s what you need to know to get out the door!
She Uses Jewelry to Help Identify the Nameless (The New York Times – 6/28/2024)
After disasters and unexpected deaths, Maria Maclennan examines necklaces, rings and other items to aid investigators and families looking for answers.
Orange County Sheriff’s Office Teams with Othram to Identify a 1993 Homicide Victim (DNASolves – 7/01/2024)
In January 1993, the skeletal remains of an unidentified individual were discovered in a wooded area between Highway 50 and Highway 408 in Orlando, Florida. When the passerby came across the remains, he immediately went to a nearby store to contact the sheriff’s office. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene. The individual’s remains were transported for examination and it was determined that they were that of a white male who was 5’9” tall and between the ages of 45 and 55 years old. At the time of the man’s discovery, he was wearing a pair of blue jeans, socks, and a blue tank top.
Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP555. Despite extensive efforts by law enforcement investigators to identify the man, no matches were found, and the case went cold due to a lack of viable leads.
In 2022, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office submitted forensic evidence to Othram in the Woodlands, Texas. Othram scientists successfully developed a DNA extract from the forensic evidence and used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive DNA profile for the unknown man. Once the profile was successfully built, Othram’s in-house forensic genetic genealogy team produced new investigative leads that were provided to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
Using this new information, a follow-up investigation was conducted leading investigators to potential relatives of the man. This investigation led to the positive identification of the man, who is now known to be Gregory Patrick Carpenter, born in 1947.
AFP Celebrates Achievements of National DNA Program (Australian Federal Police – 7/01/2024)
The AFP has helped resolve 19 missing persons cases since the National DNA Program for Unidentified and Missing Persons started in 2020.
The National Missing Person Coordination Centre (NMPCC) established the AFP-led National DNA Program to work with state and territory police, along with coronial and forensic agencies, to resolve cold cases of unidentified and missing persons.
During the four years of the program’s operation, forensic testing was done on 99 unidentified remains – some discovered by law enforcement, some long held by coroners and some provided by members of the public.
Of the 99 unidentified human remains cases, more than 50 of the cases were resolved through either identification or determination that they were older than 100 years.
This included linking 21 unidentified human remains cases to 19 long-term missing persons’ cases.* It means 19 families now definitively know their loved one is deceased. Of the 19 long-term missing persons, three were female and 16 were male.
Yakima Police Department Teams with Othram to Identify a 1977 Homicide Victim (DNASolves – 7/02/2024)
In July 1977, the remains of an unidentified individual were discovered in Yakima, Washington. Yakima is situated approximately 140 miles southeast of Seattle. An employee who worked at a hardware store contacted police after noticing a distinct odor coming from a parked vehicle in a parking lot adjacent to the hardware store. Officers with the Yakima Police Department responded to the scene where they found the remains of an individual hidden inside of an abandoned vehicle. Two days later, an autopsy was performed, which determined that the remains were that of a young female, who was approximately 18 to 25 years old, approximately 5’8″ tall, and estimated to be 130 pounds. The autopsy concluded that the unidentified woman had sustained several injuries. The woman’s cause of death was determined to be strangulation and her manner of death was homicide.
Clothing was found near the woman’s body, including a yellow handmade dress, white underwear stenciled with “Scott Lillie-2H”, blue corduroy “Farrah” brand jeans, a green sweater, and a blue shirt. Attempts to identify the woman through dental and FBI fingerprint records were unsuccessful. Dental records were created from the remains and compared to a number of missing women from jurisdictions around the country, but there were no matches. Numerous individuals were interviewed and several tips regarding the woman’s identity were received from all over the country; however, no leads materialized into an identification for the woman or her killer. The woman, who became known as Yakima Jane Doe, was buried in a Washington cemetery.
In 2004, with advancements in forensic science, further attempts to identify the woman were made. At the request of the Yakima Police Department, the Yakima County Coroner’s Office exhumed the remains of the unidentified woman, which were provided to the King County Medical Examiner’s Office for further forensic evaluation. The remains were then submitted to the University of North Texas for the development of an STR profile. The STR profile was uploaded into CODIS in 2005. No matches were found, and the identity of Yakima Jane Doe remained a mystery despite the extensive efforts of law enforcement. In April 2016, details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP14989.
In 2022, the Yakima Police Department submitted forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas in hopes that advanced DNA testing could assist in the identification of Yakima Jane Doe. Othram scientists used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive genealogical profile for the murdered woman. Othram’s in-house forensic genetic genealogy team then used this profile to conduct extensive genetic genealogy research, ultimately providing new investigative leads to law enforcement.
Using this new information, a follow-up investigation was conducted. Following many interviews and conversations, investigators identified potential relatives of the woman. A reference DNA sample was collected from a potential relative and compared to the DNA profile of the woman. This comparison confirmed the identity of Yakima Jane Doe as Vereta “Joni” Gates, born October 21, 1952. If alive today, Joni would be 71 years old.
Collier County Sheriff’s Office & FBI Team with Othram to Identify a 1978 Homicide Victim (DNASolves – 7/02/2024)
In June 1978, the remains of an unidentified individual were discovered in a shallow grave half a mile south of Alligator Alley, located in Collier County, Florida. Alligator Alley is a stretch of I-75 that spans 80 miles cutting through the Everglades between Naples and Fort Lauderdale. The Collier County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the scene and determined the remains were that of a white female, approximately 5’4” tall and weighing 180 pounds. The woman was estimated to be between 45 and 65 years old and had extensive dental work on both her upper and lower teeth. Evidence suggested that she may have suffered from chronic ear infections, potentially leading to some hearing loss. No clothing or personal items were found with the woman.
In June 2007, details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP374. Despite extensive efforts by law enforcement investigators to identify the woman, no matches were found, and the case went cold due to a lack of viable leads.
In 2022, the Collier County Sheriff’s Office submitted forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas. Othram scientists successfully developed a DNA extract from the forensic evidence and used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive DNA profile for the unknown woman. After successfully completing the process, the DNA profile was delivered to the FBI’s forensic genetic genealogy team, who performed the necessary work to generate new investigative leads in the case.
Using this new information, a follow-up investigation was conducted leading investigators to potential relatives of the woman. This investigation led to the positive identification of the woman, who is now known to be Joan Shirley Joyce Waters, born in 1936.
Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office Team with Othram to Identify a 1991 Doe (DNASolves – 7/02/2024)
In February 1991, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) responded to a report of human remains found at Houda Point near Trinidad. A human mandible was recovered after a search of the area. An STR profile was developed from the mandible and entered into state and national DNA databases. The DNA profile was also compared with profiles from both missing persons and other human remains cases in CODIS. Unfortunately, there was no match found to a known identity. Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP53984. With all leads exhausted, the case eventually went cold.
In 2023, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office submitted forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas to determine if advanced DNA testing could help identify the unknown individual. Othram scientists successfully developed a DNA extract from the provided evidence and used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive DNA profile for the individual. Othram’s in-house forensic genetic genealogy team then used this profile to conduct extensive genetic genealogy research, ultimately providing new investigative leads to law enforcement.
Using this new information, a follow-up investigation was conducted leading investigators to potential relatives of the individual. Reference DNA samples for a potential relative were collected and compared to the DNA profile for the unknown individual. This investigation led to the positive identification of the individual, who is now known to be Milton Leon Pellegrini, Jr, born November 12, 1966.
New DNA Techniques Helps Nab Convicted Rapist (Forensic – 7/03/2024)
New DNA technology has helped Detectives in the United Kingdom solve the rape of a 14-year old in 2006 in Bedford, pinpointing a convicted rapist currently serving jail time for a separate rape as the suspect.
Last week, Donald Kargbo-Reffell, was sentenced to 19 years in prison for the rape of a teenager thanks to the use of new DNA techniques using DNA collected at the time of the crime.
“I am delighted that Kargbo-Reffell has been sentenced for this predatory and calculated attack,” Detective Superintendent Emma Pitts, head of Public Protection at Bedfordshire Police, said in a statement. “Kargbo-Reffell targeted a vulnerable teenage girl, orchestrated her into a situation where she was even more vulnerable and then raped her.
“He knew exactly what he was doing, targeting a vulnerable girl and believing that he had got away with it,” she added. “Policing has made vital progress since this attack happened, both in terms of technology but also in how we respond to this kind of sexual exploitation and abuse. It is never too late to get justice.”
Initially Kargbo-Reffell was named the primary suspect and was arrested at the time, but not charged due to technology limitations with the forensic evidence. However, investigators did collect and maintain DNA evidence from the scene of the crime and new technologies enabled them to piece together that Kargbo-Reffell was responsible for the rape.
DNA Helps to ID World War II Pilot; Remains Arrived Wednesday to Kansas City International Airport (KSHB – 7/05/2024)
The remains of a World War II pilot arrived in Kansas City earlier this week after he was identified using modern DNA techniques. Army Air Force 2nd Lt. John McLauchlen Jr., 25, of Detroit, Michigan, was on a bombing mission in December 1943 near Burma when his B-24J plane was struck by enemy fire and presumed lost.
It took four years for the remains of those on the aircraft to be located, but the remains were unable to be identified and were interred as unknowns at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Hawaii.
In 2019, roughly 75 years after his plane was shot down, McLauchlen’s family members made a disinterment request the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency in an attempt to identify the remains as belonging to McLauchlen.
The results of further analysis of the remains positively identified them as belonging to McLauchlen in January 2024.
Jackson County Medical Examiner’s Office Teams with Othram to Identify a 2001 John Doe (DNASolves – 7/05/2024)
In September 2001, the partial skeletal remains of an individual were transferred into the custody of the Jackson County Medical Examiner’s Office in Kansas City, Missouri. It was determined that the remains were that of an unknown male. Details around the original discovery date of the remains as well as other circumstances were not available. With limited information, the identity of the man could not be established and he became known as a John Doe.
In June 2011, details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP8850. Despite the efforts by law enforcement investigators to identify the man over the years, no matches were found, and the case went cold due to a lack of viable leads.
In 2023, the Jackson County Medical Examiner’s Office submitted forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas to determine if advanced DNA testing could help identify the man. Othram scientists successfully developed a DNA extract from the forensic evidence, and then used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive genealogical profile for the unknown man. Othram’s in-house forensic genetic genealogy team then used this profile to conduct genetic genealogy research, ultimately providing new investigative leads to law enforcement.
Using this new information, a follow-up investigation was conducted leading investigators to potential relatives of the man. Reference DNA samples were collected from the potential relatives and compared to the DNA profile of the unknown man. This investigation led to the positive identification of the man, who is now known to be Harlan L. Serene, born December 3, 1934. Harlan was known to have lived in the city of St. Joseph, Missouri in the 1980s. St. Joseph is located approximately 30 miles north of Kansas City.
Who Died in the Tulsa Race Massacre? (The New York Times – 7/06/2024)
The massacre, among the most horrific racial attacks in American history, left Tulsa’s Greenwood district, a Black neighborhood, in smoldering ruins. The death toll is estimated between 36 and 300. Many survivors scattered to parts unknown, taking with them clues about who lived and died in the neighborhood.
Some of those who were killed were identified in the aftermath of the massacre, but others were not. According to city officials, only 26 death certificates were issued in 1921 in connection to the massacre, and newspaper reports from June of that year said that 18 adult male victims were buried in Oaklawn Cemetery. A definitive death toll is still unknown, as rumors and reports of bodies being thrown down mine shafts or dumped into the Arkansas River have circulated over the decades.
More than a century later, many of the economic and social scars remain, along with an enduring, painful question: Who perished in the massacre?
Some answers, all these decades later, may finally be uncovered.
AFP Makes a Wave with New Underwater Crime Scene Program (Australian Federal Police – 7/06/2024)
In an Australian first, the AFP is advancing its forensic capabilities with the rollout of a new program aimed to enhance evidence collection from aquatic crime scenes.
The underwater search and evidence recovery (USER) program provides training and techniques to AFP police divers for the recovery of crucial forensic evidence from submerged items including murder weapons, vehicles or bodies.
AFP Forensics officer Dr Eva Bruenisholz, who helped create the AFP program, said there was a common misconception that forensic evidence was washed away if an object or person was underwater.
“While water does have an effect on forensic traces, applying USER techniques maximises the chances of recovering forensic evidence such as DNA, fingerprints and firearm and bullet striations,” she said.
“Australia’s extensive coastline and numerous inland lakes and rivers where criminals might try to conceal or dispose of evidence make it important to explore any techniques to enhance the AFP’s ability to collect and preserve evidence from aquatic scenes.”
Dr Bruenisholz said the program taught divers how to minimise the handling – and therefore the potential contamination – of submerged items during collection, as well as how to package exhibits while underwater and take photographs and videos during the search process.
Unidentified Remains Project Gives People Back their Names, Families (MN Department of Public Safety Blog – 7/08/2024)
It is devastating when a loved one is missing. Often, the pain of not knowing what happened can be among the worst parts. That’s why our Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) laboratory continues to explore and advance the use of scientific methods to help solve missing and unidentified persons cases.
While not all missing people are deceased, a major part of the work to solve missing and unidentified persons cases is identifying the people whose remains have been found. Our lab uses forensic services such as odontology (the study of the structure and diseases of the teeth), fingerprint examination, forensic anthropology, DNA analysis and forensic investigative genetic genealogy.
We have partnered with the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs), a centralized repository and resource center for missing, unidentified, and unclaimed person cases across the U.S. NamUs partners with law enforcement agencies to bring attention to unidentified remains cases and help facilitate forensic services to help identify the people whose remains have been found.
The partnership builds upon the BCA’s Unidentified Remains Project, which launched in 2012. Through the project, the BCA collects DNA samples from Minnesota families whose loved ones are missing. In addition to testing family reference samples, we also work to develop DNA profiles from dozens of unidentified deceased individuals across Minnesota.
DNA profiles from both unidentified remains and family reference samples are entered into the FBI’s National Missing Person DNA Database, where they are continuously checked against other entries to look for signs of a match.
QIAGEN to Enhance the Identification of Human Remains of Indigenous People and African Americans (Morningstar – 7/08/2024)
QIAGEN (NYSE: QGEN; Frankfurt Prime Standard: QIA) today announced a partnership with the Snow Molecular Anthropology Lab at the University of Montana in the fields of human identification and forensics.
The partnership aims to provide forensic services for missing and murdered Indigenous people (MMIP) and unidentified human remains (UHRs) using DNA technologies such as next-generation sequencing (NGS) and forensic investigative genetic genealogy (FIGG).
Within this long-term partnership, QIAGEN supports the Snow Molecular Anthropology Lab with a MiSeq FGx sequencing system, training, ForenSeq Kintelligence kits and the ForenSeq Kintelligence HT System.
These tools will be used by the Snow Lab, in partnership with both the non-profit group Ohkomi Forensics, in building the first indigenous-owned DNA database with the ForenSeq Kintelligence HT system and the Principal Research Group collaborators in identifying the remains of 95 African American individuals unearthed during construction in Sugar Land, Texas (Sugarland 95 DNA project).
Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Teams with Othram to Identify a 1984 Homicide Victim (DNASolves – 7/09/2024)
In February 1984, the remains of an unidentified individual were discovered in brush along U.S. Highway 27 and the New River Canal. The discovery was made approximately seventeen miles from the town of South Bay, Florida in a rural area of Palm Beach County. An investigation revealed that the skeletonized remains were that of a male who was likely between the ages of 17 and 28 years at his time of death. The man’s height was estimated to be 5’11”, but his weight and other identifying characteristics could not be determined. The man was wearing a pair of white crew socks with blue stripes. Near his remains, investigators located white boxer style underwear and blue jogging shorts with the number 82502 on the inside band. The man’s manner of death was determined to be homicide. Despite investigators attempts to identify the murdered man, his identity has been a mystery for forty years.
Details of the case were entered in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP814. A forensic composite sketch depicting how the man may have looked during his life was developed and released to the public in hopes that it would generate new leads in the case. In an effort to finally identify Palm Beach County John Doe, Officials with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office teamed with Othram to determine if advanced DNA testing could help to generate new leads about his identity.
In January 2024, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office submitted forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas. Othram scientists successfully developed a DNA extract from the forensic evidence, and then used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive genealogical profile for the unknown man. Othram’s in-house forensic genetic genealogy team then used this profile to conduct genetic genealogy research, ultimately providing new investigative leads to law enforcement.
Using this new information, a follow-up investigation was conducted leading investigators to potential relatives of the John Doe. Reference DNA samples were collected from a potential relative and compared to the DNA profile of the unknown man. This investigation led to the positive identification of the man as Joseph W. Newman of Toms River, New Jersey. Newman was last seen alive in the Spring of 1983 and had been living in the Bal Harbour, Kendall, and Miami Dade County areas of Florida.
St. Petersburg Police Department Teams with Othram to Identify a 1992 John Doe (DNASolves – 7/09/2024)
In July 1992, an unidentified white male was found on a sidewalk in St. Petersburg, Florida at 19th Street and Central Avenue. St. Petersburg is located in Pinellas County on Florida’s gulf coast and is part of the Tampa Bay area. The unknown man was transported to Bayfront Medical Center where he was diagnosed with head trauma. Two months later, he was transferred to Gulfport Convalescent Center Nursing Home, where he later died on October 9, 1992. He became known as Pinellas County John Doe.
In July, when the man was initially found, he was wearing a red checkered shirt, a pair of blue pants, and eyeglasses. He also carried a pocket knife. The man was described as having brown eyes, black bushy eyebrows, gray hair, and a mole on the left side of his face as well as on his right temple. Estimated to be between the ages of 40 and 60 years, the man was approximately 6′ tall and weighed around 146 pounds. At his time of death and in the thirty-two years since, the man’s identity was a mystery.
In July 2008, details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP2303. A composite sketch was developed and released to the public in hopes that it would generate new leads about the man’s identity. Despite extensive efforts by law enforcement investigators to identify the man, no matches were found, and the case went cold due to a lack of viable leads.
In 2022, the St Petersburg Police Department submitted forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas to determine if advanced DNA testing could help to identify the man. Othram scientists successfully developed a DNA extract from the forensic evidence and then used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive DNA profile for the unknown man. Othram’s in-house forensic genetic genealogy team used this profile to conduct genealogy research, ultimately providing new investigative leads to law enforcement.
Using this new information, a follow-up investigation was conducted leading investigators to potential relatives of the man. Reference DNA sample for a potential relatives were collected and compared to the DNA profile for the unknown man. This investigation led to the positive identification of the man, who is now known to be Jack Jones, born February 18, 1932. Jones was last seen by his family in June 1992.
Will Forensic Science or a Tip-off from Australia Solve the Murder Mystery of the North Sea Man? (ABC.net – 7/10/2024)
Investigators are hoping a new DNA mapping technique could help solve a 30-year-old cold case with links to Australia. The North Sea Man was found in waters near Germany in 1994, but a recent development suggests he likely spent most of his life in Australia. German police are pursuing forensic investigative genetic genealogy, while renewing a public campaign for tip-offs from anyone who may recognise the mystery man.
Lawmakers Cautious as Genetic Tests Help in Cracking Cold Cases (Forensic – 7/10/2024)
At 2:43 a.m., Detective Ben Pender received a text: “We have a close family match.”
Nearly 10 years had passed since Sherry Black’s murder in the bookstore she owned in South Salt Lake City, Utah. Blood evidence recovered at the crime scene was run repeatedly through the Combined DNA Index System but had no matches .
Until now.
Now, Pender was confident he could identify the killer.
Having taken over the case a few years earlier with no suspects, Pender turned to investigative genetic genealogy, or IGG, in which DNA evidence from crime scenes is entered into voluntary genealogy databases to find relatives of the culprit, allowing investigators to deduce the identity of possible suspects. Ultimately, this forensic technique provided the lead integral to the arrest and conviction of 29-year-old Adam Durborow, who is now serving life without parole.
Buffalo Police Department & FBI Team with Othram to Identify a 1988 Jane Doe (DNASolves – 7/10/2024)
In March 1989, the remains of an unidentified individual were discovered at Kensington Avenue and Pauline Place in Buffalo, New York. Buffalo lies in western New York at the eastern end of Lake Erie. The Buffalo Police Department responded to the scene. It was determined that the remains were that of a female, who was believed to be of Native American or Hispanic descent. The woman was between the ages of 20 and 25 years old, stood 5’1”, and weighed 100 pounds. At the time of the woman’s discovery, she was wearing a “Coqui” branded sweatsuit outfit with blue pants and a long sleeved blue and gray striped top labeled “zipcode”. Underneath the pants was a pair of medium white thermal long underwear.
In July 2014, details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP12703. Despite extensive efforts by law enforcement investigators to identify the woman no matches were found, and the case went cold due to a lack of viable leads.
In 2022, the Buffalo Police Department submitted forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas. Othram scientists successfully developed a DNA extract from the forensic evidence and used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive DNA profile for the woman. After successfully completing the process, the DNA profile was delivered to the FBI’s forensic genetic genealogy team, who performed the necessary work to generate new investigative leads in the case.
Using this new information, a follow-up investigation was conducted leading investigators to potential relatives of the woman This investigation led to the positive identification of the woman as Sonya Yvette Archie. Sonya was last seen in September of 1988 and was later reported missing.
Fake Blood and Stuffed Animals: How Wildlife Forensics Could help to Convict Poachers (CNN – 7/11/2024)
A case of a rhino with a bullet hole through its head, a poisoned giraffe and a maimed lion are all crime scenes you might find you might find at the Wildlife Forensics Academy (WFA), an hour’s drive north of Cape Town, South Africa.
On a mission to tackle poaching, the WFA recreates wildlife crimes in a warehouse and students and rangers dressed in hazmat suits are taught how to handle the evidence.
Across the world, wildlife crimes – including animal trafficking and poaching – are on the rise and are a major threat to the planet’s biodiversity. In Africa, rhinos are a prime target, with around 10,000 lost to poaching in the last decade, the majority in South Africa. Almost 500 rhinos were poached in the country in 2023, with more than 300 from within KwaZulu-Natal province, home to Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park. Yet the province only recorded 49 related arrests and seized just 13 firearms. By providing forensics training, Greg Simpson, co-founder of the WFA, hopes to increase the rate of successful convictions. Often, he says, wildlife crimes happen in remote areas without witnesses and first responders can accidentally disrupt the scene and contaminate evidence. As a result, the culprit isn’t caught or punished.
Ball State University Launches Indiana’s Only Comprehensive Program in Forensic Science (Ball State University – 7/11/2024)
Ball State University’s College of Sciences and Humanities has announced its newest exciting degree program: the Bachelor of Science in Forensic Science.
This new offering—in line with the University’s mission of engaging students in educational, research, and creative endeavors that empower graduates to have fulfilling careers and meaningful lives—will focus on the application of scientific knowledge and methods to investigate crimes, enforce government regulations, and resolve civil disputes.
“The College of Sciences and Humanities is excited to offer this robust program for our students. We are already seeing significant student interest in our Fall enrollments,” said Dr. Benjamin Gibbs, chair of the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology and director of the forensic science program.
Starting this Fall, Ball State students will begin taking courses in Indiana’s only comprehensive forensic science program that offers four concentrations: behavioral forensics, digital forensics, forensic biology, and forensic chemistry. Given the interdisciplinary nature of forensic science, the courses will draw from biology, chemistry, computer science, criminal justice and criminology, and psychological science, built around a foundational core of criminal justice and criminology and specialized forensic science courses.
