Category Archives: Forensics

THE LIFE OF CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATORS — AS SEEN THROUGH THE EYES OF A SCREENWRITER

Jillian Bullock guest posts on DyingWords with this insightful look behind the scenes at how CSI personnel operate. Jillian is an amazing personal success story. She rose from a street-life of drugs, organized crime, and prostitution to become a successful Philadelphia screenwriter, filmmaker, author, martial arts instructor, and life coach. Here’s Jillian’s piece.

The screenplay I’m currently writing—Listen to What the Dead are Saying—focuses on a female Philadelphia Crime Scene Investigator. Since most shows like CSI, Criminal Mind, and Law & Order aren’t accurate, I wanted to get the real details of how crime scenes are processed and how Crime Scene Investigators (CSI) work.

After I contacted the Forensic Crime Unit and told them I was a Philadelphia screenwriter and filmmaker, I was invited to the Crime Scene Unit of the Forensic Science Bureau and partnered with Jacqueline Davis, a 20 year police veteran—10 years with the forensic crime unit. Delayne Powe, my film producing partner, joined me in our search for knowledge. We got to know Jacqueline really well since we spent most of our time with her. She was a spunky, go-getter—very passionate about her job and confident in her ability to do her job well.

Four things I learned right off were:

1. The main job of a CSI is to document, identify, and collect evidence from a crime scene.

2. The job can result in long hours, nasty and dirty locations, dead bodies, and often dangerous work.

3. In Philadelphia, CSIs are also police officers.

4. The worst part of the job is when a fellow officer is killed in the line of duty.

Evidence Is Always Left Behind

As seen on many TV shows, I asked Jacqueline about Luminol. This solution is sprayed on areas which look clean to the naked eye, but can still have residue of blood. Jacqueline informed me that in Philadelphia and other cities chemiluminescence (the generic name is Luminol) is no longer used. Instead, they now use a new Luminol-based reagent called Bluestar Forensic. The benefits of this new product includes:

Does not need complete darkness to be used.
Solution can be used for several days after mixing.
Even with a second application on applied area the luminescence doesn’t diminish.
Easy to mix at any crime scene. Chemistry knowledge isn’t needed.
No high tech camera is needed to obtain good quality pictures. Works on fresh blood or old or altered bloodstains.
Even if someone has used bleach or other products to clean the area, the bluish luminescence will appear positive for blood.

Fact vs. Fiction

Due to the popularity of CSI shows something called the ‘CSI Effect’ has hampered the legal system. Many jurors who watch shows like CSI, Criminal Minds, and Rizzoli and Isles, believe everything they see on TV is true. In reality, it’s not. Forensic science is far more complex than it looks on TV and several people have not been convicted of crimes because jurors demand all the tests (DNA, handwriting analysis, gunshot residue testing, etc.) even when there is more than enough evidence and eyewitnesses to convict someone.

Here are some key facts to consider:

1. In Philadelphia, crime scene investigators’ clothes are dark blue pants, dark blue T-shirts and black boots, along with their police-issued gun, bullets, and handcuffs. They never wear stylish clothes or designer shoes that you see on TV shows. This is true of all crime scene investigators in other states, as well.

2. Chief Medical Examiners usually don’t come out to a crime scene unless it’s a murder that is extremely bloody or it’s a well-known person, e.g. a celebrity, a politician, an athlete. Forensic Investigators who work for the ME’s office are on the scene.

3. Medical examiner investigators wear full body protective clothing from head to toe when they come out to a crime scene. This can sometimes include wearing a face mask and goggles to prevent contamination.

4. No one on the scene wears the blue booties covering their shoes, like is often seen on TV shows, unless there is a great deal of blood or other body fluids at the scene. The booties are often slippery.

5. CSIs don’t do work in the field and then process evidence in the lab. That’s the job of a forensic lab technician.

Consider a CSI Career

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary for a CSI is between $46,164 – $56,523, but depends on the geographical location, education, experience, and training. All positions in forensics require at least a BA degree—preferably in science, forensics, or criminal justice. Most people go on to obtain a master’s degree in order to earn bigger salaries. Some cities require crime scene investigators to be police officers, others do not. Also, many CSI positions are required to earn state licensure and/or professional certification through American Board of Criminalistics.

CSIs must have great communication skills since they work with a number of other people at a crime scene, the ability to write reports clearly, and to testify in court. They must also have the ability to remain calm under dangerous and stressful conditions, to have a great attention to detail, and to solve puzzles utilizing scientific tests and methods.

Dead Bodies

On our first ride along, Delayne and I went out to a murder scene with Jacqueline and Eddie Fidler. Yellow crime tape was spread out around a wide area where the victim, a man, was shot and killed. Bright lights illuminated practically the whole, long driveway. A CSI photographer was taking photos of the crime scene area.

There were neighbors behind the crime tape looking to see what happened. News crews were also behind the tape. Delayne and I had to sign a log book that a uniformed officer was holding. I learned that a uniformed officer held the scene, which meant he had to make sure he had the names of everyone who came and went from that crime scene. Yellow evidence markers were placed on the ground—some had letters and others had numbers. These markers are used to reveal, simplify, organize, and identify evidence found at crime scenes.

One CSI tech was using something called a walking stick, which measured evidence off of property lines. The investigators looked for evidence, like the gun that was used and shell casings. Detectives were interviewing eye witnesses. The body had already been removed, but a large pool of blood where the victim was shot was still present on the ground.

The second time Delayne and I went on a ride along with Jacqueline and Eddie, we ended up in a section around Kensington Avenue called The Badlands, due to the abundance of open drug deals, drug-related violence, prostitution, and street gangs.

When we arrived, two detectives were already on the scene. Jacqueline and Eddie knew the deceased male was under a bridge where addicts usually went to get high. It was a dark and hard place to reach. They had to walk down a deep slope to get to the body. Delayne hung back with another CSI officer while I attempted to make my way down. Unfortunately, I was not prepared and didn’t have on the proper footwear. Halfway down, I could smell not only the stench of a decaying body, but the vomit, feces, and other nasty items I was standing in. After I almost slipped a few times I decided to turn back around.

Rob O’Neil, a Forensic Investigator with the Medical Examiner’s office put on a white, full-body protective suit and made his way down the embankment to the dead body. When the body was pulled up on a flat board, the other ME investigators wrapped the body in plastic and strapped it down on a gurney before they put the victim in their van. Eddie showed Delayne and me photos of the deceased—a white male’s body bloated and covered in maggots.

Riding in the police van back to the station, I couldn’t get the dead man, and how he looked, out of my mind. It was a horrible visual. Once Delayne and I got back to the police station and said our good-byes to Jacqueline and Eddie, we got to our car where I took off my sneakers, threw them in the trash, and put on those blue booties until I got home.

As a screenwriter, I must say I gained great knowledge from my two days with the CSI team. I came away with a newfound respect for what police officers deal with on a daily basis and especially what crime scene investigators do.

* * *

Jillian Bullock is the CEO/President of Jillian Bullock Enterprises, LLC, an empowerment and entertainment company based in Pennsylvania.

As an author, Jillian’s memoir HERE I STAND was published in 2012. She is hard at work on her first novel, a crime thriller titled Sunny Days, Bloody Nights. Jillian is also a screenwriter and an award-winning filmmaker, along with an empowerment speaker, professional life coach, and fitness and health expert. Currently, Jillian is in pre-production on a feature movie titled A Sense of Purpose: Fighting For Our Lives. Filming is scheduled to begin in September 2016. She is also in development on the screenplay she wrote titled Listen To What The Dead Are Saying. To learn more about Jillian and her upcoming projects, go to www.jillianbullockwriter.com. To follow her on Twitter Click Here

THE GRIM SWEEPER – MAKING A KILLING IN CRIME SCENE CLEAN-UP

Crime scene cleaning is extremely profitable for those who can handle difficult and unpleasant working conditions. In fact, this niche market of the multi-billion dollar janitorial and restoration industry is the fastest growing segment. Crime scene clean-up technicians are some of the highest-paid hourly workers, but they’re not the ones making the real money in death’s bloody aftermath. Let’s find out who is and exactly how this lucrative business works.

What got me curious about crime scene clean-up is when the Huffington Post asked me to write a feature article titled The Surprisingly Simple Clues Left Behind at Crime Scenes. The piece complimented the debut of a new Esquire Network TV series called Spotless which centers on a guy who runs a crime scene cleaning business that contracts for the Mafia to “sanitize” their hits.

I’ve seen some horrifically messy death scenes as a homicide cop and coroner and I’ve worked under unspeakably nasty conditions. But once I finished the forensic process, it was someone else’s job to clean-up. I used to think Boy, I’m glad it’s not me.

I never gave much thought to who was contracted, what equipment they used, what regulations they had to obey, what time it took, and certainly not how much it cost. I got my eyes opened when I looked into the business of crime scene cleaning.

First of all, it’s known in the industry as Crime and Trauma Scene Decontamination and Restoration—CTSDR. Secondly, they clean a lot more than just homicide and other death scenes.

These professionals are handsomely paid to also remove and restore the effects of dead animals and their droppings, insects who hatched from decaying bodies, damage from police tools such as fingerprint powder, luminol, tear gas, pepper spray, and the cutting of materials during preservation of evidence. They deal with mold from marihuana grow-shows, deadly chemicals from meth labs, drug litter like contaminated needles, and body fluids across the spectrum.

Their workplaces are everywhere imaginable—mansions to rooming houses, schools, offices, daycares, fields, playgrounds, boats, busses, trains, factories, shops and malls, cruise ships, vehicles, jail cells, police vehicles, hotels, and even on airplanes.

You’d think that a grisly murder scene would be the most difficult and expensive situation, but those experienced in clean-ups say the life-long hoarder’s home is the worst—especially the animal hoarders—the crazy cat-ladies who die alone and then… you know… They call this “Gross Filth”.

There’s a fair overhead in the scene-clean business. A significant amount of equipment and training is required—specialized vehicles for transporting hazardous biological waste, mandatory certification by government departments, licensing requirements, expensive tools like ozone machines, steam injectors, and chemical foggers to destroy odors and pathogens, biohazard suits and containers, respirators, chemical-spill boots, gloves, goggles, as well as commercial disinfectors, solvents, and neutralizers.

Employee turnover is high. Despite the high pay, burnout is inevitable. It takes a special person to fill the role. Strong stomach. Ability to detach emotionally. And serious attention to detail. Ever present is the danger of infection from a disease like HIV and hepatitis. Adherence to regulations like OSHA, WHMIS, DOT, EPA, NIOSH, Workers Comp, and professional industry governing bodies—the American Bio-Recovery Association, the National Crime Scene Clean-Up Association, and the National Academy of Crime Scene Cleaners—is required.

There’s a tremendous amount of information on the Crime Scene Clean-Up industry available online and two interesting books have been published, giving an insider’s look at the business:

So, yeah, yeah… these guys have a shitty job — you’re thinking — Get to the point. What do they charge? How much do they make?

Well, this seems to be a fairly guarded secret in the crime scene clean-up circles. I did some more internet searching, then made some phone calls. The standard answer was:

“The cost of remediating biohazards can vary dramatically from situation to situation, so we are not able to provide phone estimates or quote rates without coming out and doing a proper assessment which we charge an hourly fee for. By the way, are you insured?”

Drilling down on the net, I found these sites which reported the average technician’s wage (not the business owner’s) as:

Payscale — 100K+ per year.
Wisebread — 80K+ per year.
Business Insider — $25.00 per hour training wage, extending to $40-50 experienced.
CNN Money — 80-100K+ per year depending on location.

Then I found an article from the Toronto Star reporting on Christian Cadieux who owns and operates Crime & Trauma Scene Cleaning. Cadieux is 32 and charges $300.00 per hour just to estimate. Then he bills out from there. He likes to get six to eight good insurance jobs every month that make him sixty thousand dollars. Per month. That’s $720,000.00 per year. Christian also puts on five-day training courses on the side for $2,499.00 per student. When this article was written, he had four in the class.

Christian Cadieux plans to retire at 40.

GENOMICS — THE FUTURE OF FORENSIC DNA PROFILING

Genomics is the scientific study of the molecular instructions encoded in your cells. It maps your entire genetic structure. Till now, forensic science has focused on only identifying your cell’s nuclei signature — your inner DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and, to a degree, your outer miDNA (mitochondrial DNA) — not your genes. The old method of forensically profiling your biological fingerprint by DNA analysis is being replaced by a computerized 3D genome recreation of your entire being.

Genomics is a concept first developed in the 1970’s. It led to the Human Genome Project (HGP) being completed in 2003. The HGP was a massive international research venture that sequenced and mapped all of the human cell genes — together known as the genome. The HGP gave us the ability to read nature’s complete genetic blueprint for building a human being. Like you.

So what’s a genome?

A genome is the whole ensemble of your genetic material. It’s the molecular guide of your DNA, your chromosomes, and your genes that tells how to make your cells. It’s the instruction manual for your body. That book is your genome and the study of that book is termed genomics. It’s pretty much a math exercise. And it’s deadly stuff for identifying criminals with.

Let’s take a quick look at your biology.

Deoxyribonucleic acid is the chemical compound that contains the instructions to develop and direct your life as an organism. DNA molecules are made of two twisting, paired strands, often referred to as a double helix.

Each DNA strand is made of four chemical units, called nucleotide bases, which comprise the genetic “alphabet.” The bases are adenine (A), thymine (T), guanine (G), and cytosine (C). Bases on opposite strands pair specifically — an A always pairs with a T — a C always pairs with a G. The order of the As, Ts, Cs, and Gs determines the meaning of the information encoded in that part of a DNA molecule. It’s just like the order of letters determine the meaning of a word, only DNA is written out in a barcode locus.

Every single cell in your body contains a complete copy of the 3.2 billion DNA base pairs, or letters, that code your human genome.

DNA’s four-letter language contains information needed to build your physical body. A gene refers to the unit of DNA that carries the instructions for making a specific protein, or set of proteins, and there’s 23,000 genes in your genome code. Each gene directs an average of three proteins.

If you could peer inside your cells, you’d see your genome contained in 46 tightly packed bundles of DNA — 23 came from your mother and 23 from your father. These DNA bundles, called chromosomes, provide instructions that enable a one-cell embryo to develop into a 100 trillion-cell adult. So, every time the human body produces a sperm or an egg, 3 billion DNA letters must be copied and packaged so they can be passed along to future offspring.

Humans come in many shapes and sizes, but we’re all very similar at the DNA level. In fact, the genomes of any two people are more than 99% the same. Still, the tiny fraction of the genome that varies among humans is critical when it comes to forensically identifying a particular individual. DNA variations are part of what makes each of us unique, but it’s in the genes that the real difference lies. They direct what you look like.

Okay. Enough of the biology lecture. How is genomics gonna catch some crooks?

It’s not just genomics. Science now has a great handle on how your DNA is formed and how your genes fine-tune your uniqueness. The problem has been in how to process a staggering forensic workload that has bottlenecked the crime labs and the courts — and how to put a face and a name to an unidentified DNA profile..

The answer lies in genomic computerization. The good news is that technological progress is being made faster than anyone ever dreamed possible. Now the labs are looking at your entire genome package for identification, not just at that little bit of nucleic or mitochondrial DNA which is dirty, volatile, and time-consuming stuff to process.

Advancements in computerized processing are allowing crime labs to build an entire picture of you as a suspect — not just an impersonal, academic graph of the matching points in either your biological evidence sample that you left behind at the scene, or your known reference sample that investigators obtained from you.

Think about how many cold cases there are where the investigators have a clear DNA profile of you as the perpetrator, but they have absolutely no clue what you look like. They have no idea whether you’re young or old, black or white, have green eyes or brown. They don’t know your hair color or texture. They don’t know if you’re tall or short. And, in some cases, they don’t know if you’re male or female.

Genomic profiling is going to change the game. Computers will speed it up.

Illumina Corporation of San Diego is a world leader in Forensic Genomic technology. They’ve developed a process called Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) that can simultaneously analyze every locus-point in a traditional DNA barcode using less than 1 nanogram of a sample in a fraction of traditional turn-around time that it’s currently taking.

Illumina is also at the forefront of developing the new cornerstone of contemporary forensic science — being able to generate a physical description of the DNA’s donor based on their genome profile.

Think about the ramifications. It’s not only going to assist in solving current cases. It’s going to give a physical look at the perpetrators of cold cases. Identify found remains with no names. Help in sorting disaster victims. And make accurate aging estimations for missing children.

The speed and accuracy of forensic genomic profiling will have far reaching effect on the costs in the criminal justice system. Faster and higher rates of identification will remove more dangerous offenders from society and the reliability of their forensic identifications will result in less trial time. It will reduce investigator workload in chasing blind leads. And it will, undoubtedly, save lives.

I think we’re in a fascinating time, watching technological advancements in forensic sciences. Genomic profiling is a fantastic breakthrough. We’re close to the day when your tiny biological dropping at the scene of your crime will go into a machine, the button pressed, and not just will your virtual mugshot come out — it’ll build a full-color, 3D image of your entire person right from your molecules to your moles.

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