case files

The Shirley McKie Story
In February 1997, a British policewoman, Shirley McKie, was accused of perjury after testifying at a murder trial, stating that she hadn't been in the murder victim's house, where her fingerprints were later supposedly found. Shirley's house was searched and she was taken back to the police station where she herself was strip-searched and detained because of a controversial fingerprint that was found at the victim's house.

The Scottish Criminal Records Office, responsible for the detection of Shirley's thumbprint at the crime scene, had 4 experts who certified the authenticity of the fingerprints that they certified, definitely belonged to Shirley. However, Shirley persisted her innocence with the matter and was acquitted during her trial, saved from a potential 8 years imprisonment after two American fingerprinting experts endorsed that the fingerprint did not belong to Shirley. After much media activity, legal action and controversy, Michael Russell, a member of Scottish parliament, successfully requested different fingerprinting experts from around the world to verify the ownership of this fingerprint and have had to date, 171 certifications from 18 different countries that the fingerprint did not belong to Shirley.

The main concern with the entire issue was not only its affect on Shirley's career, but also because it concerns the accuracy of the Scottish Criminal Record Office's earlier assertions. A civil trial, expected to be 5 weeks long, is yet to be held on the 7th February 2006, almost ten years after the beginnings of the perjury case. The death of Marion Ross, the murder for which Shirley originally testified against, remains however, yet a mystery.

I'm Studying The Case Of . . . . . Daniel Gonzalez,

Also Known As 'Freddy Kruger'

Wanting the fame and place in criminal history, Britian's Daniel Gonzalez became one of Britains most dangerous serial killers. In 3 days Gonzalez murdered 4 people, to then be told he was to spent the rest of his days behind bars.

Living with his mother, at the age of 26 he tried to escape his boredom by playing on playstation games and watching horror movies such as 'Freddy Kruger' and 'Jason, The Friday The 13th Killer'. At the age of 24 he began fantasising about killing people like his heroes on the horror movies. Later he then told the police he had 'wondered what it would be like to be Freddy Kruger for the day.'

Gonzalez was not mentally ill but even as a small child his bevavior worried his parents, so at the age of 10 they took him to see a psychologist. He had started talking to himself and laughing for no reason, and had been thown out of school for putting drawing pins on a chair. He was repeatedly admitted into hospital for psychiatric treatment and in 1999 was diagnosed as being schizophrenic. In 2003-2004 docters decided Gonzalez was not metally ill or a high risk. The were proved wrong as later in the year on the morning of Wednesday 15th September when the attacks began.

At around 9am that Wednesday he took a steak knife from the kitchen drawer. packed a rucksack with clothes and took a train from Woking to Portsmouth, Hampshire. Two hours later he got off at Hillsea station after spotting the isolated Portscreek area, a favourate spot for walkers and joggers. He then approached Mr King, 61, and his wife Janice who were walking their dog. Gonzalez hid the knife against his thigh then lunged at Mr King shouting "I'm gonna kill you!", Mr King later said "I thought he was going to kill me, I was really scared, the knife truck my chin several times and at 1 point I saw it under my chin close to my throat!" The two men then tumbled into the undergrowth and stugled for about 30 seconds before Mr King managed to push Gonzalez off him. He then ran off muttering 'Sorry, I'm a schizophrenic, I can't help it.'.

Fustrated by the failure of his first attack Gonzalez then took a train to Worthing, West Sussex, determind to find someone more vunerable. Arming himself with a second knife and a white hockey mask he lay in some bushes waiting for his target. Attacked by him from behind pensioner Marie Harding, 73, was on her way home. Gonzalez stabbed her in the back then slit her throat before rummaging through her purse for £20 as she bled to death. On the train nheading back home he occupied himself by writing up a diary of his first killing.

The next day he set off to Central London in his bid to commit up to 10 murders. After stealing another two knives he got a night bus to Tottenham, North London at 4am on Friday 17th September. Walking the deserted streets her spotted pub landlord Kevin Malloy, 46, walking home alone. Gonalez later laghed as he revealed to police that he was "just some bloke walking down the street and I pulled out the knife and stabbd him." Mr Malloy was discovered an hour later with stab wounds to the face, chest, neck and abdomen.

Gonzalez then switched his focus to people in their own homes- possibly because he had run out of knifes after dumping the last 2 in a park. At 7am he broke into the terraced home of Koumis Constantinou, 59, and his wife Christella in Frobisher Road, Hornsey. The couple were woken by the sound of glass breaking and ran out to find Gonzalez emerging from the kitchen with a 8 inch knife. Mr Constantinou grabbed a cradle to defenthimself but the didn't stop the psychopath from plunging a knife into his arm and chest. Dropping the cradle Gonzalez tried to stab him again, Mr Constantinou managed to grab his hand before he stabbed him, causing Gonzalez to bite him so he bit his neck. Mr Constantinou's wife then ran out of the house to scream for help. Gonzalez then fled and took a taxi to Highgate, North London. With blood splattered clothes he still managed to buy a knife for his final and most savage attack.

Derek Robinson, a 75 year-old retired paediatrician, and his wife Jean, a 60 year-old music teacher, were having breakfast when Gonzalez rang their front door buzzer at 24 Makepeace Avenue, Highgate Hill. Gonzalez stabbed them both repeatedly in the head, face, neck and chest in the hallway of their own home. He later revealed that he acctually stood there and took a breather before stabbing them. The male was stabbed a few times in the throat and the woman was stabbed in the throat and the chest around were the heart was. Minutes later a decorator arrived to find blood splattered across the walls. Gonzalez who was interupted as he prepared to take a shower, told him, "Sorry about this mate." then fled from a window.

He was caught after police followed him onto a train at Tottenham Court Road underground station. He was then sentenced to 6 life sentances. His last victim was himself as he used the shattered edges of a CD case to slash his wrists and then gradually bled to death.

Timeline Of Who Gonzalez Killed

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Evidence

The court was told on Wednesday that following his arrest in September 2004, a note written by Gonzalez was discovered among property he left at the luggage deposit at King's Cross Station in London.
The note read: "I will be a serial killer. I am gonna make sure I get to London and kill some old bill as soon as I can...
"I will kill as many old bill as I can as best I can.

microscope

A microscope is an instrument for viewing objects that are too small to be seen by the naked or unaided eye. The science of investigating small objects using such an instrument is called microscopy. The term 'microscopic' means minute or very small, not visible with the eye unless aided by a microscope.

chromatography

Paper chromatography is an analytical technique for separating and identifying mixtures that are or can be coloured, especially pigments. This can also be used in secondary or primary schools in ink experiments. This method has been largely replaced by thin layer chromatography, however it is still a powerful teaching tool. Two-way paper chromatography, also called two-dimensional chromatography, involves using two solvents and rotating the paper 90° in between. This is useful for separating complex mixtures of similar compounds, for example, amino acids.

DNA fingerprint

DNA. It's what makes you unique. It's the stuff that tells each and every one of your body's 10 trillion cells what it's supposed to be and what it's supposed to do. And although your DNA is different from that of every other person in the world—unless you have an identical twin—it's the same in every cell that makes up your body.

That DNA is unique from person to person but the same from cell to cell in one person can be a handy thing, especially when it comes to DNA fingerprinting. DNA fingerprints can be used for anything from determining a biological mother or father to identifying the suspect of a crime. And, as may someday prove to be the case with Sam Sheppard, it can be used to clear someone's name.

Week 2: blood groups

A blood type (also called a blood group) is a classification of blood based on the presence or absence of inherited antigenic substances on the surface of red blood cells.Blood types are inherited and represent contributions from both parents. A total of 30 human blood group systems are now recognized by the International Society of Blood Transfusion.If an individual is exposed to a blood group antigen that is not recognised as self, the immune system will produce antibodies that can specifically bind to that particular blood group antigen, and an immunological memory against that antigen is formed. The individual will have become sensitized to that blood group antigen. These antibodies can bind to antigens on the surface of transfused red blood cells, often leading to destruction of the cells by recruitment of other components of the immune system.

O+	A+					B+	AB+	O−	A−	B−	AB−
Austria	30%					33%	12%	6%	7%	8%	3%			1%
Belgium	38.1%					34%	8.5%	4.1%	7%	6%	1.5%			0.8%
Canada	39%					36%	7.6%	2.5%	7%	6%	1.4%			0.5%
Denmark	35%					37%	8%	4%	6%	7%	2%			1%
Finland	27%					38%	15%	7%	4%	6%	2%			1%
France	36%					37%	9%	3%	6%	7%	1%			1%
Germany	35%					37%	9%	4%	6%	6%	2%			1%
Hong Kong, China	40%					26%	27%	7%	0.3% <0.3%	0.3% <0.3%	0.3%<0.3%			0.3%<0.3%
Ireland	47%					26%	9%	2%	8%	5%	2%			1%
Korea, South	35.2%					28.1%	26.1%	11.3%	0.1%	0.1%	0.1%			0.05%
Netherlands	39.5%					35%	6.7%	2.5%	7.5%	7%	1.3%			0.5%
New Zealand	38%					32%	9%	3%	9%	6%	2%			1%
Norway	34%					42.5%	6.8%	3.4%	6%	7.5%	1.2%			0.6%
Poland	31%					32%	15%	7%	6%	6%	2%			1%
Sweden	32%					37%	10%	5%	6%	7%	2%			1%
Turkey	29.8%					37.8%	14.2%	7.2%	3.9%	4.7%	1.6%			0.8%
UK	37%					35%	8%	3%	7%	7%	2%			1%
USA	37.4%					35.7%	8.5%	3.4%	6.6%	6.3%	1.5%			0.6%

Fingerprints (part 2)

fingerprints (part 2):
In the 2000s, electronic fingerprint readers have been introduced for security applications such as identification of computer users . However, early devices have been discovered to be vulnerable to quite simple methods of deception, such as fake fingerprints cast in gels. In 2006, fingerprint sensors gained popularity in the notebook PC market. Built-in sensors in ThinkPads, VAIO laptops, and others also double as motion detectors for document scrolling, like the scroll wheel.

Here are my fingerprints:

Week 1-fingerprints

Week 1-fingerprints ( PART 1):

This week i will look at fingerprints.

A fingerprint is an impression of the friction ridges of all part of the finger. Fingerprint identification or palmprint identification is the process of comparing questioned and known friction skin ridge impressions from fingers or palms to determine if the impressions are from the same finger or palm. The flexibility of friction ridge skin means that no two finger or palm prints are ever exactly alike (never identical in every detail), even two impressions recorded immediately after each other. Fingerprint identification occurs when an expert determines that two friction ridge impressions originated from the same finger or palm to the exclusion of all others.

When friction ridges come in contact with a surface that is receptive to a print, material on the ridges, such as perspiration, oil, grease, ink, etc. can be transferred to the item. The factors which affect friction ridge impressions are numerous, thereby requiring examiners to undergo extensive and objective study in order to be trained to competency. Pliability of the skin, deposition pressure, slippage, the matrix, the surface, and the development medium are just some of the various factors which can cause a latent print to appear differently from the known recording of the same friction ridges. Indeed, the conditions of friction ridge deposition are unique and never duplicated.