The BTK Case

The murder of JonBenet Ramsey is a crime that received national attention and was seen on nightly news stations and talk shows across the country. All of this attention made the case extremely controversial (Saferstein, 2015). It is now over twenty years since the murder occurred and the case still remains unsolved. The development of DNA evidence has played a critical role in the course of this arduous investigation (Saferstein, 2015). Crucial mistakes were made from the very start of the investigation by police and then by the district attorney, Mary Lacy (Saferstein, 2015).

They even tested a bag that Dennis had taken inside his fathers office on July 6th and came up with nothing. No blood was found on Dennis' Cell phone either. Dennis jacket was then inspected and 5 red spot had been identified. After testing these spots were confirmed to be blood that matched the DNA profile of Richard Oland. He was charged with the second degree murder of his father.

In 1971, Rader married a woman by the name of Paula. In 1974 he came to work for ADT Security Services. (Biography.com) Working for ADT ultimately helped show Rader how to enter the homes of his victims without being noticed. In the same year of 1974, Rader also committed his first set of murders (Crime and Investigation).On January 15th, Rader killed Joseph and Julie Otero and two of their children, Josephine and Joseph Jr. Rader murdered the four victims by strangulation.

When the results from the testing came back, the DNA from the underwear proved Dennis as not being a suspect. A few months later investigators were able to locate a slide from the scene of the Ayer rape. The slide was sent to Orchid Cellmark for testing. When the results came back from the test on the slide, it proved that Maher did not sexuall assult the young woman.

A second forensic anthropologist examined the fragments and came to the conclusion that the corpse had been mutilated. Sherry L. Culhane, a DNA analyst with the Wisconsin Department of Justice, tested blood samples found in various locations inside Teresa Halbach’s car, including the driver’s seat, ignition area, front passenger seat, and rear passenger door entrance. Culhane found that the samples matched Steven Avery’s DNA profile. DNA material taken from the Toyota key found in Avery’s bedroom also matched his profile. DNA testing was performed on blood samples taken from the rear cargo area of the Toyota and from an empty can of Wild Cherry Pepsi found on the front console.

Steven Avery is at the mercy of the Wisconsin court once again. Avery must defend himself against a county that has the belief of him being guilty for simply being an Avery. This is not the first time Manitowoc county assumed Avery's guilt before a trial occurs. Avery was brought before the Court on March 10, 1986, for the sexual assault, attempted murder and false imprisonment of Penny Beerntsen. Avery was sentenced to thirty-two years in prison by Judge Fred Hazelwood.

Dennis Rader was an active serial killer from the years 1974-1991 no one truly knows why he stopped killing but he did admit that he was intending to kill again. Dennis even had been stalking and had a date set when he was going to kill his victim, he planned for October 2004 until his plans were ruined when he was captured shortly after that. The only reason why they captured Dennis was because he kept in contact with the police more than 14 years after committing his last crime until his arrest on February 25, 2005. According to the editors of biography.com this all started with the talk of his first murder victims began to resurface in 2004, “With many news stories marking the thirtieth anniversary of the Otero murders, the BTK Killer resurfaced in 2004. Rader sent local media outlets and authorities a number of letters.

Comparing simple techniques simply to retrieve a piece of evidence is completely different as we learn more about the science and learn from the mistakes made in the past. Looking back at the 1800’s and comparing the technology of the 21st century, the difference is certainly huge. The increase in technology makes information more vast and more ideas can be shared easily. Many sciences are based off many “what ifs” while forensic science is more factual and attempt to solve puzzling occurrences and events and get down to what truly

The Green River Killer “I want to prove there are 80 bodies out there, or 85 or whatever (kokomo news).” Found to be one of the most notorious serial killers in the past couple decades, The Green River Killer had most of the world fooled by his friendly personality. With a total of forty-nine bodies already found, with a claim that an forty bodies are still out there. If it wasn’t for the use of DNA, there is a very high chance that Gary Ridgway would still be out killing today. The evolution of DNA testing, subsequently put away the green river killer.

case found Rader guilty on all 10 counts and sentenced him to 10 consecutive life sentences, the worst punishment available at the time; Kansas did not have the death penalty until 1994, and Rader did not commit any murders after that date (Welch, 2012). Offender signature and case linkage was something that stood out in the majority of Rader’s crimes. While profiling his case, there were many signatures that stood out to authorities. These signatures also helped to link the different murders together and link them to the same offender, which was eventually found to be Dennis Rader. According to Petherick (2014), identification versus individualization is an important factor with signatures.

In King, Justice Kennedy referred to the invention of DNA technology as “one of the most significant scientific advancements of our era.” This statement has been criticized, but the impact of DNA technology has been significant. Currently, forensic analysts can use “junk” DNA to identify a person with near certainty. Law enforcement can collect a person’s DNA through saliva. The sample is then uploaded to CODIS, a national network of DNA databases.

One of the most accurate methods of connecting a suspect with a crime is through the use of DNA analysis. Even if no fingerprints are left behind at a robbery, for instance, a single strand of hair or skin cell from the thief can be used to positively identify a suspect. Conversely, if a suspect’s DNA does not match samples procured from a crime scene, the use of so-called “genetic fingerprinting” can exonerate, or clear, them. Concern over the issue of wrongful convictions, coupled with a sense of greater trust in DNA analysis over other, more conventional methods of prosecution, such as eyewitness testimony, has led some to call for mandatory DNA testing before any person begins serving a sentence for a serious crime, as well as

The former being defined as the evidence collected in order to convict or rule out suspects, and the latter being defined as the way the investigators developed the investigation and how it evolved throughout the ensuing years. In order to evaluate these two different subjects, one needs to examine the similarities and differences between this investigation and theories about how investigation of this type develop, the nuances of this investigation not able to be explained by theory, investigatory elements that

How Digital Forensics Helped Hunt Down ‘The Craigslist Killer’ The case of The Craigslist Killer may not have made news all over the world, but it certainly made shocking headlines in the US, particularly in Quincy, Massachusetts. Philip Markoff was charged with murder, armed robbery, kidnapping and unlawful possession of a firearm. While his crimes drew a lot of attention, what was happening behind the scenes was actually the most interesting part.

Evidence isn 't as abundant as people think. Despite what gets portrayed on television, most crime scenes are not covered in fingerprints, DNA, and blood. Afterwards, abstain from watching the television and avoid the papers for a minimum of one month. The police can use these as tools to try to psych you out.