 Short Stories: September 06, 2017 Issue [#8451] |
  Short Stories
This week: Points of Minutiae Edited by: Shannon  
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Welcome to the Short Stories Newsletter. I am Shannon and I'm your editor this week.
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We have been misled.
With the popularity of shows like CSI and Law & Order on the rise, most people believe crime scene evidence is infallible, but did you know there's no standardization when it comes to evidence analysis? Unlike what's portrayed on television, machines don't compare fingerprints, people do. While one fingerprint examiner considers seven points of minutiae ("where two lines on a print converge or where a line comes to an end within a print" 1) sufficient, another insists on fifteen.
You might be saying, Well, that's just fingerprints. There's no way an innocent person's DNA can be found at the scene of a crime unless he or she is a family member or friend who's been there before. If the suspect is unknown to the victim and the suspect's DNA is found at the crime scene, he must be guilty.
We feel comfortable relying on forensic evidence when someone else's life is at stake, but what if you were wrongfully accused? What if the police arrested your child for a murder she says she didn't commit? Would you be as confident in the "science" behind forensic analysis if your neck or that of your daughter was on the line?
In 2003, four people were gunned down in South Carolina's Superbike Motorsports. Melissa Ponder, the wife of one of the murder victims, was seven weeks pregnant at the time. After the birth of her son seven months later, police accused her of the murders. They even went so far as to pluck one of her baby's dirty diapers from the garbage to test its DNA contents. The results said her dead husband wasn't the child's father. Melissa was livid, angry, and insisted they repeat the DNA test. They did, and the results came back the same. Melissa's deceased husband, Scott, was not the father.
"Melissa Ponder: He said, 'Melissa, we now have two DNA tests that show Scott Ponder is not the father of your baby. We need you to come clean. And we need you to tell us who the father is.' …And I said … 'You're trying to pin something on me that has nothing to do with me. This is his baby. …And I will have his body exhumed right now.'
"That never happened. Police soon admitted that they got it wrong. The vial of blood they were testing against the baby's DNA was mislabeled by another agency. Melissa was cleared, but it was too late -- the damage was done." 2
So how consistent are analysts' results? In one study, Dr. Itiel Dror--one of the world's leading authorities on fingerprint analysis--obtained fingerprints from "real cases where examiners had found a match, changed the descriptions of the crime, and then asked the same examiners to analyze them again." 3 The examiners were unaware that their conclusions were what was being studied, and four of five examiners changed their original opinion, saying the prints were not a match.
Proponents say the majority of prisoners were rightfully convicted--that innocent people sentenced to prison or death are the exception rather than the rule, but there's never been a study to prove such a claim. There is no corroborating evidence other than that of the "experts," and anyone can get a forensic expert certificate in the mail after completing a few online tests and paying a nominal fee. Having never stepped foot in a crime scene or classroom and with no forensic background whatsoever, the piece of paper certifies the individual's expert status. 3
Side-by-side comparisons such as ballistics (lands and grooves on the inside of a gun barrel are compared to markings left on expended shell casings/bullets), fingerprint, fiber, and hair analysis are all done by human beings, and studies show the results are subjective and variable. Humans are flawed, fallible creatures, and as a result, our opinions may be flawed as well. While the majority of mistakes are unintentional and done subconsciously, some "experts" have their own agenda--purposely tainting evidence in order to get an indictment for which they will be called upon to provide expert testimony, which raises their status in the eyes of co-workers and the community. 4
The only real forensic science is DNA, but even that isn't foolproof. Sample size (too small) and degradation (old samples, significant and/or repeated temperature changes, contamination, etc.) alter samples and may result in a wrongful conviction, not to mention potential human error upon handling during the chain of custody.
As writers, it behooves us to keep it real. If your crime scene analyst declares he is "one hundred percent certain that fingerprint was left at the scene by the defendant," he is being disingenuous at best (because fingerprint analysis is not something anyone can be 100% certain about) and guilty of perjury at worst--worst because most jurors wholeheartedly believe what "experts" tell them, which may result in an innocent person being sentenced to life in prison or even death.
Forensic analysis is the best thing going for investigators when it comes to getting bad guys off the streets, but it isn't foolproof and it isn't infallible. People make mistakes, and our opinions may be influenced by what we think we know as well as our desire to help.
Have you written a crime story you'd like to share? Do you have investigative experience or have you been wrongly accused? Respond with your thoughts, comments, and creations and I will include them in next month's newsletter.
P.S. Everyone who shares their thoughts about this week's topic will receive an exclusive trinket. I will retire this month's limited-edition trinket at 11:59 p.m. WDC time on October 3, 2017, when my next short stories newsletter goes live.
Thank you for reading.
Notes:
1: http://qctimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/how-a-davenport-murder-case-turne...
2. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/todd-kolhkepp-case-confessions-of-the-s-c-serial-ki...
3. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/real-csi/
4. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mass-lab-mishandling-may-mean-1140-inmates-convicte...
Recommended Reading:
 The False Promises of DNA Testing
DNA Evidence Is Not Foolproof
The Surprisingly Imperfect Science of DNA Testing
Can DNA Testing Be Trusted? The Shockingly Imprecise Science of a Proven Courtroom Tool
Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward |
I hope you enjoy this week's featured selections. I occasionally feature static items by members who are no longer with us; some have passed away, while others simply aren't active members. Their absence doesn't render their work any less relevant, and if it fits the week's topic I will include it.
Thank you, and have a great week!
| |  | Invalid Item
This item number is not valid.
#987541 by Not Available. |
|  | Malice Intended (ASR)
Who is the slapdash, foolish criminal behind a crime scene in a hotel?
#445131 by Joy  |
| | Burned (13+)
She was hot on the trail of the arsonsist, but was she getting too close....?
#678732 by Scott Joseph  |
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Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
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The following is in response to "Total Solar Eclipse" :
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Princess Megan Snow Rose  writes: Eclipses are interesting and I enjoyed this newsletter. Have fun seeing it. Wish I could. I am sharing the prose I wrote. Thanks! "Solar Eclipse" [E]
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innerlight  writes: I enjoyed this newsletter it was filled with the human side of our souls. I've seen solar eclipses it's an amazing phenomenon. Unfortunately, I wasn't in the part of the states this time to see it. I rely on the internet for these great occasions in the scientific community.
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Prosperous Snow celebrating  writes: Here is my poem about the total solar eclipse. "Total Solar Eclipse" [E]
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BIG BAD WOLF is Howling  writes: There's always something to write. "Forever Dark" [ASR]
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Noyoki  writes: "Invalid Entry"
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Dartagnan writes: "Invalid Item"
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gingerlyme writes: Hi,
I wrote you a little eclipse inspired item. Not entirely sure I attached it right. If not, let me know and I'll try it again. "Invalid Item"
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Jeff  writes: The most fascinating thing I read about the recent eclipse was actually in relation to the Bonnie Tyler song you posted in your newsletter. According to Spotify, plays of the song increased 3,521% in the United States (and 1,017% worldwide). The heaviest rotation of plays actually follow the path of totality across the U.S., which means a bunch of people were blasting it during the eclipse. 
Here's a link to a page that tracks the streaming volume and follows the path of the eclipse.
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joy11bug writes:
Today, like any other day I struggle to write. My mind wanders to other things- laundry-dishes-lunch-coffee but more so today is the Great Solar Eclipse of 2017(in the US). All of us have the chance to see and experience this. What will happen? Could I miss it? Will I know when it is happening? Should I sit outside and wait or stay inside. I didn't get the special eclipse glasses, am I in trouble? So many questions.
I'll watch it on TV. I'm thinking the internet will crash or be slow. My cat and dog are sleeping so no worries about them looking at the sky.
11:50am eastern time, a normal day. The sun is out, about 85 degreesF
2:00pm eerily quiet outside. No birds chirping, surprisingly no traffic. Just quiet, eerily so. Looks cloudy or overcast, eclipse effects, maybe...
Anticipation builds, seen it on TV in various locations, not much happening here. Sun and clouds, no spectacular sights. 2:45pm, 81 degree, overcast out front, sun out back.
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Amazon's Price: $ 15.99
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