When gathering evidence about a suspect or assisting law enforcement officials in determining what happened to a victim, forensic science is critical. Working as a consultant for agencies such as law firms, law enforcement, and criminologists, scientists in this field combine scientific evidence with legal interpretation. Computer forensics, forensic toxicology, and forensic anthropology are just a few of the many types of forensics, or specialties, in this complex and challenging field.
Computer forensics is the branch of forensics that collects and analyzes data from computers and other digital media. The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) may search a person’s computer records for emails, downloads, and Internet history if they are accused of downloading obscene material from the Internet or sending malicious and harassing emails. Occasionally, the computer is confiscated and listed as evidence in a court hearing.
The study of chemicals such as drugs and alcohol to determine if someone was abusing drugs or if a toxic substance played a role in the person’s death is another type of forensics. To determine if a person has been poisoned, the autopsy examiner will examine the victim’s blood, hair, or organ tissue for toxic chemicals. During the toxicology examination, the medical examiner will look at the contents of the person’s stomach to see what they last ate. The contents of a person’s stomach can provide investigators with a timeline of events leading up to the victim’s death based on how well the food has been digested, as well as an idea of the victim’s last activities.
Authorities are sometimes left with only the skeleton to figure out who the person is and what happened because the body has decomposed to the point where only the skeleton is left. Forensic anthropology is a type of forensics that involves scientists examining bone fragments for clues to the circumstances surrounding a person’s death. If the skeleton has any teeth, technicians will take x-rays of the teeth and compare them to dental records from people who have gone missing. The condition of the person’s clothes, bone density, and the number of bones available for examination are also used in forensic anthropology. Due to animals and environmental factors that can move bones, the fewer bones are left to analyze the longer a body has been in a particular location.
Forensic scientists must have a specific set of educational requirements as well as extensive experience in their field. In order to work for the agency, the expert may also need to pass certain state or jurisdictional licensing or examinations. Additionally, forensic scientists who assist legal professionals on the stand in trials on a regular basis may have additional certification specifically for that purpose.