CSI and Forensic Science: Evidence In 1892, a young woman named Lizzie Borden was accused of murdering her father and stepmother (“Lizzie Borden on Trial” 2). This accusation was influenced by the lack of evidence at the scene of the crime. There appeared to be no murder weapon, very few witnesses, and the house did not show any signs of an intruder (“Lizzie Borden on Trial” 5). Once the scene was investigated, it was determined that the cause of death for both victims was multiple blows to the head by an axe. Two axes were found in the home, and neither had a speck of blood (“Lizzie Borden on Trial” 14). As it were, there was not enough evidence to convict a killer, nor was there enough evidence to convict Lizzie Borden herself. She was …show more content…
These can be “fingerprints, footprints, and handprints.” Crime scene investigators use different tools to collect such forensic verification. For example, they may take images or they could use plaster to make impressions of the evidence. Another large form of evidence collection is by lifting fingerprints (“Forensic Science” [Gale] 8). Fingerprints are a high-ranking type of forensic classification. This is mostly the result of the fact that no two people share the same print, and that each print remains the same throughout the entire life of an individual (“Forensic Science” 4). Fingerprints have been a relevant form of forensic evidence for crime scene investigators for a very long time. In fact, fingerprinting is the oldest technique ("DNA Testing, Fingerprints, and Polygraphs" 4). This method has dated back to primitive ages. Many scientists and philosophers have studied the loops and ridges on our fingerprints through old microscopes ("DNA Testing, Fingerprints, and Polygraphs" …show more content…
These oils gather in the ridges of fingerprints, and when an individual comes in contact with an object or a surface, traces of the oils are left behind. As a result, an impression of the fingerprint is visible ("Forensic Science" [UXL] 4). These impressions are left ultimately everywhere. Fingerprints can be found on ATM machines, computer keyboards, and door handles (Sohn 6). Once forensic scientists return to labs after a crime scene investigation, they can detect vestiges of all kinds of substances within the oils of the fingerprint. Often times, discovering components of various narcotics, hallucinogens, and stimulants allow the police to identify what type of drug the suspect was under the influence of (Mole 2). This is beneficial to law enforcement because they can track the drugs to a location in order to assemble a timeline (Mole