what is a reconstruction theory in forensics

Reconstruction is based partly on scientific experimentation and partly on past experiences. However, its steps and stages, as found in forensic science, closely follow basic scientific principles, theory formation, and logical methodology. It involves consideration and incorporation of all investigative information with physical evidence

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How do you reconstruct a crime scene?

Crime scene reconstruction may be developed through the use of bullet or other missile trajectories, blood spatter analysis, or such locations and condition of physical evidence such as the location of the victim, signs of broken glass, or struggles and so forth.

What are the 5 stages of crime scene reconstruction?

The techniques used for pattern evidence reconstruction are the same as those examinations of other types of physical evidence: Recognition › Identification › Individualization › Interpretation › Reconstruction. Figure 10.3 is a flow chart showing these basic stages of reconstruction of pattern evidence.

What is reconstructive evidence?

Reconstructive evidence - reconstructive evidence allows investigators to gain an understanding of the actions that took place at the scene; a broken window, a blood spatter pattern, bullet paths and shoe prints.

What are 3 duties that a crime scene reconstructionist have?

Ability to: Perform crime scene investigations. Collect, process, analyze, and document crime scene evidence. Reconstruct events, including bloodstain and shooting incident scenes.

What are reconstruction patterns in crime scene?

Crime reconstruction can be defined as the logical analy- sis of the physical evidence and other facts into the formulation of a theory regarding the actions that took place in the commission of a crime. Henry Lee* pointed out that it is not just the physical evidence that is incorporated into forming a theory.

Why is reconstructing the crime important?

Reconstructing certain facts or aspects of the events without being able to reconstruct them all (due to various reasons) can provide valuable information to the investigation and future prosecution of a case.

What is reconstructive evidence examples?

Specific physical evidence reconstruction relates to the reconstruction of the likes of blood spatter or firearm use. Common examples of this type of reconstruction include items like firearms, blood, glass, and any other objects that can be stripped for DNA analysis.

What are the limitations of crime scene reconstruction?

Two Major Limitations to Crime Scene Reconstruction Lab tests can be very expensive and time-consuming. Another major limitation is a false linkage. This occurs when detectives assume a link between two or more objects of evidence that lead the investigation down the wrong path.

What are the two types of evidence in forensic science?

Once you have mastered the process of the scientific method you become very aware of the need for data or as it is called in the forensic world "evidence". There are two general types of evidence used in both science and law - Physical and Testimonial evidence.

What are the seven steps in reconstruction?

Steps in ReconstructionRecognition of evidence.Documentation of evidence.Collection of evidence.Evaluation of evidence.Hypothesis.Testing.Reconstruction.

Where does a crime Reconstructionist work?

The crime scene reconstruction experts you're looking for are at The Evidence Room.

Which stage in crime scene reconstruction involves collection of information?

1 -Data collection: All information obtained from the crime scene, from the victim, or witnesses.

What are the steps to reconstruct a case?

Steps in ReconstructionRecognition of evidence.Documentation of evidence.Collection of evidence.Evaluation of evidence.Hypothesis.Testing.Reconstruction. 33,34

What is the correct order of crime scene events?

7 Steps of a Crime Scene InvestigationIdentify Scene Dimensions. Locate the focal point of the scene. ... Establish Security. Tape around the perimeter. ... Create a Plan & Communicate. Determine the type of crime that occurred. ... Conduct Primary Survey. ... Document and Process Scene. ... Conduct Secondary Survey. ... Record and Preserve Evidence.

What is crime scene reenactment?

Methods of Crime Reconstruction A reenactment is a process in which the participants mimic the actions involved in a specific event or series of events.

What is physical reconstruction?

Physical reconstruction may be defined as continual treatment, carried to the fullest degree of maximum physical and functional restoration consistent with the nature of the disability of the patient, by the employment of all known measures of modern medical and surgical management, including curative, mental and ...

What is reconstruction based on?

Reconstruction is based on the ability to look at the observations at the scene, the scientific ability to seem at the physical evidence, and therefore the utilization of logical approaches to theory formulations.

How does crime scene reconstruction help?

Crime scene reconstruction is usually helpful to determine the overall imagination of a crime by limiting the chances that the probabilities resulted within the crime scene or the physical evidence as encountered.

What is the 3 hypothesis formulation?

3 -Hypothesis formulation: further addition of data is predicted on the examination of the physical evidence. It also involves the examination of the crime scene and assessment of the physical evidence.

What is the 4th stage of a hypothesis?

4 -Testing: once a hypothesis is formulated, further testing must be done to verify or disprove the general interpretation or specific aspects of the hypothesis. This stage includes comparisons of samples collected at the scene with known standards, chemical, microscopical and other analyses and testing.

How is facial reconstruction used in forensics?

Forensic facial reconstruction can be used to identify unknown human remains when other techniques fail. Through this article, we attempt to review the different methods of facial reconstruction reported in literature. There are several techniques of doing facial reconstruction, which vary from two dimensional drawings to three dimensional clay models. With the advancement in 3D technology, a rapid, efficient and cost effective computerized 3D forensic facial reconstruction method has been developed which has brought down the degree of error previously encountered. There are several methods of manual facial reconstruction but the combination Manchester method has been reported to be the best and most accurate method for the positive recognition of an individual. Recognition allows the involved government agencies to make a list of suspected victims’. This list can then be narrowed down and a positive identification may be given by the more conventional method of forensic medicine. Facial reconstruction allows visual identification by the individual’s family and associates to become easy and more definite.

What is facial reconstruction?

In forensic science, this method is used in the identification of an individual where the conventionalusual methods of identification are unsuccessful. In Archaeology, it is used to identify the faces of the people from the past, bone remains, embalmed bodies, etc [6].

What is two dimensional reconstruction?

Two-dimensional reconstruction:This is used to recreate a face from the skull with the use of soft tissue depth estimates. This method was first developed by Karen Taylor in Austin, Texas during the 1980’s. This method requires an artist and a forensic anthropologist to work together on the facial reconstruction and is based on antemortem photographs and the skull which is to be reconstructed [11]. This method is also used in identification of the deceased from skeletal remains.

Who was the first person to reconstruct the face?

The first facial reconstruction was done by a German anatomist Wilheim His in 1895. He reconstructed the face of German composer Johann Sebastein Bach [2,10]. Welcker, a German physiologist and anatomist documented average tissue depth thickness from studying cadavers, he inserted a small surgical blade into various anthropometric landmarks on the face and then measured the depth of penetration. This is called as “Welcker Facial Reconstruction Technique”. Facial reconstruction of Schiller, Kant and Dant was done by Welcker by using the same technique. During the late 1880’s and early 1890’s, Wilheim further modified this technique by inserting a thin sharp needle which had a small piece of rubber on its tip instead of using wider blade. This reduced the amount of tissue distortion and lead to more accurate results. Later in 1946, Wilton Maria Krogmann defined five basic principles to modify the methods of reconstruction of soft tissues of the face i.e. the relation of eyeball to orbit, the shape of nose tip, the ear location, the mouth width and the ear length [10].

When was the Anthropometerical American Method developed?

Anthropometerical American Method/ Tissue Depth Method:This was developed by Krogman in 1946. Through this method, soft tissue depth data is considered. This method was commonly used for reconstruction by law enforcement agencies [10]. Fine measurements were obtained by the use of needles, X-rays or ultrasound. As facial muscles are recorded in a proper anatomical manner, this method requires highly trained personnel [7], so this technique is not preferred now a days.

Why do reconstructive theories of memory have errors of commission?

In fact, according to reconstructive theories of memory, errors of commission occur because reconstructive processes are used to fill in gaps in our memory reports.

How do witnesses reconstruct their memory?

The stored details of the event provide partial evidence on which witnesses can base their memory reconstruction. However, this record of details from the event is likely to be incomplete. To help reconstruct the memory, witnesses would also likely rely on their prior knowledge about bank robberies in general. Memory psychologists have proposed that this type of prior knowledge is stored in long-term memory in the form of schemas and scripts. A schema is a general term we have for knowledge structures that represent typical instances of categories. Scripts are knowledge structures that represent the typical sequence in which a stereotypical event unfolds. For instance, a witness to a bank robbery likely has a schema representing the layout of a typical bank. They know that banks usually have offices or cubicles where loan officers, new account managers, and the like work. They know that banks typically have guards. They know that banks typically have tellers who work behind a counter. They know that banks typically have safes. This organized body of knowledge is thought to be stored in a “bank schema” that resides in memory. A witness to a bank robbery also likely has a bank robbery script, which includes information about the typical sequence of actions in a bank robbery. For example, a bank robbery script may include information like the robbers take out weapons, they disarm the guards, they demand money, the tellers provide them with money, the robbers make their escape, and so forth.

How does reconstructive memory work?

First, reconstruction relies on fragmentary pieces of information from the event itself. If one were to witness a bank robbery, details from that event would be stored in episodic memory. Over time, these details would become increasingly less accessible following the exponential forgetting curve first described by Hermann Ebbinghaus. Sometime later, the witness would be interviewed about the bank robbery. Although many of the details would be inaccessible, the witness would probably be able to retrieve some key pieces of information that made a special impression on him or her.

What is the theory of memory?

Pioneering work on the development of reconstructive theories of memory was conducted by Bartlett and described in his classic volume entitled Remembering. According to Bartlett, remembering involves an active attempt to make sense out of the historical past—what Bartlett referred to as an “effort after meaning.” Bartlett studied the memories of English participants by asking them to repeatedly attempt to recall an unfamiliar folktale called The War of the Ghosts. Bartlett found that as participants attempted to recall the event, their recall was systematically distorted by their world knowledge. In particular, with repeated recall attempts, the unfamiliar folktale was recalled in an increasingly conventional manner. Details that were difficult to integrate with the participants’ world knowledge tended to drop out. Details consistent with world knowledge tended to be added. Unfamiliar words were replaced with more familiar words. Bartlett concluded that memory does not simply passively record or retrieve facts. Instead, memory combines fact and interpretation in a reconstructive way such that the two become indistinguishable.

What Is Crime Scene Reconstruction?

Albert von Szent-Gyorgi, a Hungarian scientist, once said, ''Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought.'' This principle can certainly be applied to the field of crime scene reconstruction with all of its mysteries, twists, and turns.

Who developed the Henry Lee model of reconstruction?

Dr. Henry Chang- Yu Lee, a famous forensic scientist who has participated in the investigation of many high-profile cases including that of O.J. Simpson, developed the Henry Lee model of reconstruction. He outlined the types of reconstruction, such as from pattern or bloodstain, and focused on a science-based method of approaching the investigation of the crime and of formulating and testing a hypothesis. For instance, a particular pattern or type of bloodstain might tell investigators what type of weapon was used. Finding the murder weapon can help close a case.

What is deductive reasoning?

Deductive reasoning is also called top-down logic, and it goes from the general to the specific. One famous example is, ''All men are mortal. Socrates is a man. Therefore, Socrates is mortal.''. The formulated theory is then tested by analyzing the evidence at the scene using thorough documentation and forensic science.

What is the burden of proof in a case?

A common standard that a jury must meet in order to give a guilty verdict is that there is evidence beyond a reasonable doubt. The burden of proof lies with the prosecution, and it is up to them to provide enough evidence that a reasonable person would be convinced that the defendant is guilty.

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What is facial reconstruction?

Facial reconstruction is a method used in the forensic field when a crime involves unidentified remains. Facial reconstruction is usually performed by a sculptor who is an expert in facial anatomy. This sculptor could be a forensic artist but it’s not a requirement.

What is the purpose of 3D reconstruction?

The three dimensional reconstruction technique requires the sculptor to place tissue markers on the skull at specific points so that when the clay is placed the reconstruction looks as close to the victim as it can be so that there is a better chance of the victim being identified.

How does the artist sketch the skull?

The artist sketches the skull by following the contours of the skull and using the tissue makers as guidelines. Measurements for the eyes, nose and mouth are performed the same way in this technique as they are performed in the three dimensional reconstruction techniques.

What can a sculptor do to help identify the victim?

To help make a possible identification of the unknown victim sculptors will add hair, either in the form of a wig or clay representing hair. A sculptor can also add various props such as glasses, articles of clothing, or anything that could generate a possible identification.

Which is more cost effective, two dimensional reconstruction or three dimensional reconstruction?

The two dimensional techniques are more cost effective than three dimensional reconstruction and they save time, and ultimately accomplish the same thing.

How is a skull photographed?

The skull is photographed at a one to one ratio from both the frontal and the profile views. While photographing a ruler is placed along the skull.

What is consistency in forensics?

Consistency is a term which should be used cautiously in the context of digital forensics (DF). Its meaning indicates regular, repeatable performance, where with regards to the undertaking of forensic analysis procedures , such behaviour is synonymous with the traits of reliability and trustworthiness, which in turn provides a foundation for deriving dependable results. In the context of investigatory processes, consistency is generally considered a mark of quality ; a gold standard to be achieved where conversely, any evidential interpretations gleaned from inconsistently functioning forensic processes are inherently unsafe (Lander, 2016). Great value should be placed upon attaining consistency in all aspects of the forensic process in all investigations, yet the field of DF in its current form is arguably far from achieving it. This is partly due in England and Wales to its regionalised infrastructure, and arguably impacted by a lack of robust regulation and oversight.

How does forensic science work?

Forensic science is the best way of detecting crime reports which increases the responsibility of widespread appropriate domains (the law enforcement agency, advocates, law lords, inventors, investigators, administration ministries, and rule-makers). Generally, in sexual and psychological abuse crimes, women are largely affected. In forensic crime studies, the samples are collected from the exterior that includes handle doors, hair samples, footprints, etc, where blood is the major source of the crime report. These blood samples are either collected as dry or wet blood. Sequencing approaches for categorizing individuals that target the human DNA for application to forensic science and use in criminal investigations is in vogue. The purpose of this review is to focus on the scientific techniques for the isolation of DNA from blood samples which act as major evidence in sexual assault and other serious crimes.

What is DFI in forensics?

Performing a digital forensic investigation (DFI) requires a standardized and formalized process. There is currently neither an international standard nor does a global, harmonized DFI process (DFIP) exist. The authors studied existing state-of-the-art DFIP models and concluded that there are significant disparities pertaining to the number of processes, the scope, the hierarchical levels, and concepts applied. This paper proposes a comprehensive model that harmonizes existing models. An effort was made to incorporate all types of processes proposed by the existing models, including those aimed at achieving digital forensic readiness. The authors introduce a novel class of processes called concurrent processes. This is a novel contribution that should, together with the rest of the model, enable more efficient and effective DFI, while ensuring admissibility of digital evidence. Ultimately, the proposed model is intended to be used for different types of DFI and should lead to standardization. © 2015 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

What will forensic science look like in the future?

What will forensic science look like in the future? Forensic science has a promising future as new methods, technologies, and scientific advancements create new possibilities that have not yet been imagined . New discoveries can create incremental evolutionary changes or revolutionary changes that will reshape the face of forensic science all together. We cannot predict the innovations and new technologies that will come to be, but we can certainly expect that they will happen and that they will create new possibilities for forensic science. In this piece, we engage in a thought exercise to consider and present a view of what forensic science may look like in the future.

How has forensic science helped solve crimes in Africa?

This study reviewed briefly, some of the improvements that forensic science has brought to the criminal justice systems in Ghana, Nigeria and South Africa. The review identified several challenges across the three countries that can be resolved by employing advanced analytical practices, enacting laws and policies, adequate regulatory systems, quality management systems and provision of funds. The study also revealed that forensic science could be a vital tool for sustainable development.

What is STR in DNA profiling?

Short tandem repeat (STR) typing continues to be the primary workhorse in forensic DNA profiling. Therefore, the present review discusses the prominent role of STR marker in criminal justice system. All over the world, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) profiling provides evidence that may be used to convict criminals, as an irrefutable proof of wrongful convictions, invaluable links to the actual perpetrators of crimes, and could also deter some offenders from committing more serious offences. Clearly, DNA profiling tools have also aided forensic scientists to re-evaluate old cases that were considered closed as a result of inadequate evidence. In carrying out this review, a comprehensive electronic literature search using PubMed, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar and Google Search were used, and all works meeting the subject matter were considered, including reviews, retrospective studies, observational studies and original articles. Case reports presented here, further demonstrates the crucial role of forensic DNA profiling in mitigating and providing compelling evidence for the resolution of crimes. For case report 1, there was a 100% match between the DNA recovered from the items found in the crime scene, and the suspect’s DNA sample collected via buccal swab following 15 STR loci examination. Case report 2 further highlights the indispensable contribution of DNA database in solving crime. Therefore, it has become very necessary for developing countries like Nigeria to develop a national DNA database and make policies and legislatures that will further expand and enable the practice of forensic genetics, particularly DNA profiling.

What is the purpose of individual identification in forensics?

... In forensic crime investigation, individual identification is the sole aim of the investigators to solve the puzzle [1]. In the current scenarios, criminals used various tactics to confuse or misguide the investigators and to escape from law [2]. ...

History of The Concept of Reconstructive Memory

The Process of Memory Reconstruction

Current Trends and Forensic Implications

• Reconstructive theories of long-term memory provide a powerful way of understanding importantforensic issues such as how witnesses remember crimes and accidents, how adults remember childhood experiences, how children remember events, and even how jurors remember evidence. These theories stand in sharp contrast to reproductive theories of memory…

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