Latest news with #ForensicScienceInternational
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
When blood hits clothes, physics takes over
Creating mock crime scene evidence can help forensic scientists better read the stories left behind by gruesome bloodstains. To decode some of these bloody stories, all a team from North Carolina State University needed was a combination of high-speed cameras, cotton fabrics, and a bit of pig's blood. Their findings of how common clothing reacts to blood are detailed in the September 2025 issue of the journal Forensic Science International, Forensic science is a relatively new concept, historically speaking. There are multiple major moments in its development, but the field of study can largely be traced back 115 years ago to a man named Edmond Locard. In 1910, the French criminologist first proposed his theory that 'every contact leaves a trace,' a concept now known as Locard's exchange principle. Those traces come in many forms– including bloodstains. But as Locard's principle implies, traces are also influenced by the conditions of the contact a century later, there are many high-tech methods for analyzing a violent crime scene's bloodstains. Forensic scientists gather evidence all the way down to the molecular level, but even a close visual read of the situation often offers invaluable information. For example, bloodstains may indicate the type of weapon, attack angle, and force of impact. However, these patterns are frequently influenced by the surface material's interaction with the blood itself, particularly when that material is clothing made from cotton. According to researchers at North Carolina State University, the results can prove frustrating. 'Textiles have complicated structures and are often absorbent. These characteristics can result in highly distorted bloodstain shapes,' the team wrote in their study, adding that 'complex stain characteristics can make bloodstain pattern analysis more challenging and less straightforward.' 'When blood strikes fabric, it leaves a stain. But it can be difficult to accurately assess things like how quickly blood was traveling when it struck the fabric,' Tiegang Fang, one of the study's corresponding authors and an NC State mechanical and aerospace professor, said in a statement. 'Was it going fast? Slow? Did someone just brush up against the blood? It's hard to tell, because once the blood comes into contact with the fabric, it wicks across the surface of the fibers in the fabric, spreading out.' This process frequently also creates thin tendrils known as 'fingers' that extend from a bloodstain's center, further complicating analysis. To study these and other attributes, Fang and colleagues used pig's blood treated to behave consistently across testing. They then lined up five cotton fabrics—plain-woven cotton, the front and back of cotton twill, as well as the front and back of a jersey knit. Next, the team used multiple high-speed cameras to capture the fabrics at four frames per second, splattering the textile samples at 12 different velocities. They reviewed the footage of their messes, and soon noticed the particular behavior of each stain's fingers. 'We found that the more fingers a bloodstain has, the faster the blood was moving when it struck the fabric,' said Fang. 'However, over time, these fingers may spread out and run together.' Another major velocity indicator came from what are known as satellite droplets. These are created when fast-travelling blood strikes the fabric, creating secondary stains around the central mark. 'The faster the blood was moving, the more satellite droplets there would be,' Fang added. Certain cotton weaves told more of a story than others, however. Plain-woven cotton's physical properties were much easier to read, while twill proved more difficult. 'It's clear that the specific structures of each surface play a critical role in how these bloodstains form and what we can learn from them,' concluded Fang. Researchers hope to conduct similar experiments on a wider range of fabrics, yarns, and weaves. Better understanding the interactions between these and other variables could help build a knowledge base that can then be applied to forensic crime scenes.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
After 200 Years, Scientists Identified the Skeleton of a Legendary Outlaw. The Truth Was There All Along.
Researchers proved that a misidentified skeleton from the 19th century actually belongs to infamous outlaw Johannes Bückler, also known as Schinderhannes. Genealogical research found a living descendant of Schinderhannes, and researchers used his mitogenome to confirm the identity of the skeletal remains. The skeleton of Schwarzer Jonas, the man who Schinderhannes' skeleton was originally thought to belong to, is now lost to time. Notorious for blackmail, extortion, and even murder, Johannes Bückler—more commonly known as Schinderhannes—was one of the most infamous criminals in all of Germany during the late 18th century, and was responsible for more than 200 crimes during his reign of terror. However, his life of crime came to a halt in 1802 when he was arrested in Mainz (which, at the time, belonged to France). Just over a year later, in 1803, Schinderhannes and 19 other criminals—including a man who he schemed with, another criminal nicknamed Schwarzer Jonas (Black Jonas)—were sentenced to death. The following day, the delinquents were executed by guillotine in front of 30,000 onlookers. However, Schinderhannes' popularity didn't end when he died. Many of the bodies were eventually sent off for scientific research, and the skeletons of Schinderhannes and Schwarzer Jonas were given to the Heidelberg University anatomy department a couple of years after their execution. But, at some point during the early 19th century, the two skeletons were accidentally mixed up and misidentified—a snafu that has persisted for over 200 years. Now, a new study analyzing the sets of bones is correcting the record, and the skeleton long assumed to be the remains of Schwarzer Jonas may actually belong to Schinderhannes. Published in Forensic Science International, the team behind the study was composed of interdisciplinary experts from around the world. Researchers used a variety of methods to piece together the identities of the skeletal remains, labeling them Ind1_SJ (for Schwarzer Jonas) and Ind2_SH (for Schinderhannes). Most impressively, isotopic analysis revealed Ind1_SJ spent early childhood in a region characterized by geologically old sediments. According to the study, these were common in places like Taunus and Hunsrück (both mountain ranges in Germany), which historical evidence suggests Schinderhannes was both born in and travelled through. The study also matched mitochondrial DNA from the same specimen to a maternal descendant of Schinderhannes. According to the paper, a great-great-grandnephew volunteered a cheek swab, and his mitogenome (DNA found within mitochondria) both matched the profile of Ind1_SJ and was distinctly different from the other subject. Radiological analysis also proved to be significant, aligning closely with historical records of events. Researchers found evidence of the thickening of the ulna (arm) and the tibia (lower leg) in the remains of Ind1_SJ. Historical sources claim that Jonas once broke Schinderhannes arm during a heated argument, and sources also confirm that Schinderhannes injured (possibly even fractured)his leg when jumping out of a tower to escape arrest. The body, as they say, keeps the score. 'All of these results, coupled with a careful analysis of historical documents, pointed to a possible confusion of the two skeletons,' Sara Doll—curator at the Anatomical Collection of Heidelberg University—said in a translated press release. The study also helped disprove some historical inaccuracies. According to the paper, there are no reliable contemporary descriptions or artworks of Schinderhannes, as most renderings were done after his death. Genetic analyses suggest the outlaw had either brown or black hair, brown eyes, and pale skin, painting a better picture of what he would have looked like. Schinderhannes' skeleton has since been removed from the Anatomical Collection of Heidelberg University for conservation purposes, but spectators can still view a replica. Even in death, the notorious criminal spent more then 200 years eschewing his true identity. But it seems that he's finally met his match in modern genetic science. You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
Miami Herald
26-03-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
Remains of legendary German outlaw on display for 220 years. It was the wrong body
A centuries-old museum mix-up has been revealed in Germany after modern technology helped identify human remains — and prove it was the wrong body. Johannes Bückler, known by the name 'Schinderhannes,' was a legendary outlaw from the late 18th century, and his body was thought to be displayed in an exhibit at the Anatomical Collection of Heidelberg University, researchers said in a study published March 22 in the peer-reviewed journal Forensic Science International, Genetics. Now, a genetic investigation of his body shows it's not Bückler at all. At least 211 crimes were attributed to Bückler over the course of his life, ranging in severity from theft and robbery to extortion and murder, according to the study. Bückler met fellow professional criminal Christian Reinhard, known by the name 'Schwarzer Jonas,' or 'Black Jonas,' in 1799 when the two teamed up to hit grocer's wagons and commit a slew of other burglaries, extortions and robberies, researchers said. Two facts of Schinderhannes' history would later become essential to his body's future. First, in an argument between Black Jonas and Schinderhannes, Jonas is reported to have broken Schinderhannes' arm. Second, during a short stint in custody in a German tower, Schinderhannes escaped by jumping from a second story and injuring his leg, according to the study. A few years after they met, Schinderhannes and Black Jonas were apprehended with a group of criminals in Mainz, which fell under the jurisdiction of France at the time, researchers said, and the two bandits were sentenced to death. On Nov. 21, 1803, Schinderhannes and Black Jonas were executed by guillotine, and their bodies were handed off to the first chair for Anatomy at Heidelberg University, researchers said. Their bodies would stay there for the next 220 years, or so museum officials thought. When researchers conducted an isotopic analysis — a kind of testing that can identify a place where someone spent their childhood and later years based on elements found in their environment — they found that they didn't match the historical records, according to a March 24 news release from Heidelberg University. Chemical analysis of the bones and radiological imaging then looked at the age, gender and medical history of the remains, researchers said, again suggesting the bones did not belong to who they claimed. Then, the genetic information of a fifth-generation descendant of Schinderhannes was compared with the bones thought to belong to the outlaw, and it seemed unlikely they came from the same family. The results were a match for the bones labeled 'Black Jonas,' the university said. But who is the other skeleton? Sometime between when their heads were separated from their bodies, Schinderhannes and Black Jonas were mixed up, the museum said, resulting in their remains being misidentified for centuries. Schinderhannes was still there in the museum, just under the wrong name. Black Jonas is now considered missing. 'This study resolves a long-standing scientific and public debate regarding the potential mismatching of the skulls and postcranial skeletons, and whether none of the remains belonged to Schinderhannes,' according to the study. 'After 200 years, the remains of the infamous outlaw Schinderhannes have been definitively identified, while the identity of the second skeleton remains unknown.' The bones have been removed from the museum exhibit for conservation purposes, staff said, but the mystery of the missing Black Jonas skeleton remains ongoing. Heidelberg is in southwestern Germany, near the eastern border of France. Google Translate was used to translate the news release from Heidelberg University.
