The Science of Murder

This episode deconstructs the laboratory’s role in identifying the "Narcotic Sentinel." We move beyond the bedside narrative of mercy to examine the specific toxicology of the opioid class—focusing on the critical window of the therapeutic index. We explore how a Medical Laboratory Scientist utilizes post-mortem redistribution data to account for the "Biological Ghost" of shifting chemical leve...

This episode deconstructs the forensic nightmare beneath the floorboards, moving past the "Killer Clown" tropes to examine the high-stakes logistics of a mass recovery. We explore the "biological soup" created by the Des Plaines water table and how Forensic Anthropology and Odontology became the primary tools for sorting commingled remains. From the "Snow Method" of skeletal identification to t...

This episode deconstructs the laboratory’s role in identifying the "invisible weapon." We move beyond the dramatic tropes of mystery novels to examine the ADME process—Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, and Excretion—and how a Medical Laboratory Scientist utilizes Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) to identify chemical signatures in complex biological matrices. We explore the criti...

In forensics, the truth is often written in the suspension of cells and the tension of a single drop; Bloodstain Pattern Analysis is the mathematical map that ensures while witnesses may falter, the physics of the spray never lies. #ScienceOfMurder #BloodSpatter #ForensicScience #FluidDynamics #CSI #CrimeSceneInvestigation

In forensics, we often talk about the "Gold Standard," but the 1981 Adam Walsh case is a haunting lesson in what happens when the chain of custody and investigative rigor collapse. #ScienceOfMurder #AdamWalsh #ForensicFailure #ColdCase #ChainOfCustody #JusticeDelayed

When an object meets a surface, physics takes over. In forensic pathology, Blunt Force Trauma (BFT) is a study of energy transfer. We aren't just looking at the injury; we are looking for the story of the weapon—its mass, its velocity, and the surface area of impact. #ScienceOfMurder #ForensicPathology #BluntForceTrauma #PhysicsOfCrime #TrueCrimeAnalysis

Whether it’s a patent print (visible to the naked eye), a plastic print (impressed into a soft surface), or the elusive latent print (left by sweat and oils), the science of ACE-V (Analysis, Comparison, Evaluation, and Verification) turns a smudge into a signature. We’re diving into how environmental factors—the same ones that affect blood drying—can degrade a print, and why the surface textur...

We are following the previous episode’s discussion of The Evolution of DNA as a Forensic Tool to discuss DNA Profiling.

We are discussing the Evolution of DNA as a forensic tool. We will discuss it's first uses as a scientific tool in criminal cases, and how it has developed since then.

Beginning our discussion of the use of Science in murder and crime scene investigations, we are discussing trace evidence, what it is and how it is used to catch perpetrators of crimes. We will also look at crimes where trace evidence was fundamental in catching three murderers.

Celebrating The International Day of Women and Girls in Science, the focus of our first episode of The Science of Murder is a profile of Frances Glessner Lee, known as "The Mother of Forensic Science."

A trailer for the new podcast, The Science of Murder, where we discuss the villainous, viscous, and savage murderers and fiends of history and the sciences we have developed to stop them. Come along to learn about The Science of Murder and see which lessons you take to heart. Premiering Sunday, 11 February 2024 @ 0800 PST. dHxolpKETqTmr1OlBtqh