Manlove Forensics grows a new branch!

We're delighted to announce the launch of our Forensic Botany and Pollen service. Following demands to provide these evidence types from many of our customers, we have teamed up with the staff from AFESS at Reading University to provide an unrivalled scene and laboratory service in these areas. We can assist in cases where you wish to link people to different environments, such as offender to scene, Post Mortem Interval estimation and many other cases that could involve the natural world. We will be operating a 24 hour, 365 day on-call service, so we can always be there either at the end of the phone or to send a scientist to help you when you need it most. Our scientists are fully trained not only in their specialist area but also forensically aware of other evidence types that may be involved in a case.

These areas of expertise are shortly to be added to by our Forensic Diatoms service. This type of analysis is especially important in drowning cases, and a full scene and laboratory service will be launched in the autumn. We aim to keep turn-around for this casework low to enable your enquiry to progress rapidly.

These evidence types complement our well-known entomology service and enable us to provide you with a more complete, holistic approach to scene examination. We can provide you with as many or few of these evidence types to match your requirements. Other specialist evidence types such as archaeology can also be sourced through Manlove Forensics should you require it.

The service you receive as the customer includes one to one contact with the scientist involved with your case, and a statement that is both straight forward and easy to understand - exactly what the court requires.

Look out for our latest poster giving you up to date information about these evidence types and how they can assist you - or call us for your own copy on 01235 869196.

Blood Patterns assist in Guilty Plea

On the 12th of December 2004, Patrice Fenton was assaulted in the Ladies' toilet of Silks & Spice restaurant, City of London. Two women were suspected but no admissions were made, even that they were in the toilet! So, City of London Police needed to establish what had happened.

On examining the toilet, John Manlove found that there was bloodstaining that showed someone had been struck when they were already bleeding. There were also splashes of dilute bloodstaining around a broken hand-drier and empty towel dispenser. That meant someone with dilute blood on their hands had shaken them before attempting to dry them. The taps had also been used by someone with bloodstained hands.

DNA testing showed that most of the blood in the Ladies toilet came from one of the suspects, Chantelle Crossley. Only one of the stains tested was from Patrice Fenton. Perhaps there was more to the story...

When the footwear of Gemma Walters was examined, it was found to have spots of blood of airborne origin that could have come from Patrice Fenton. It was thus logical to conclude that Ms Walters had been present when Patrice Fenton was injured.

So, there was evidence that Ms Crossley had been in the toilet when she was bleeding and that Ms Walters had been present when Patrice Fenton was injured. Once the evidence was ready to be presented in court, both Chantelle and Gemma admitted their involvement.

Blood pattern analysis is a very useful tool at a crime scene as it can allow a reconstruction of the events - and perhaps help tell the tale as it really was. This can be crucial to a case, especially when individuals are not providing accurate accounts of their actions.

This article was published with the kind permission of City of London Police.

Cold Case Review

We are now delighted to offer an independent case review service, using our highly experienced scientists to re-evaluate cases and bring you new evidence. We are able to come in during an investigation and evaluate your forensic lines of enquiry or assist in the investigation of older 'cold' cases. We also have the laboratory support with the complete range of forensic expertise to complement this service. Where we do not have the expertise in-house we work with an established network of scientists who are the finest in their fields of expertise. We can pinpoint areas of a case that may require further analysis, or even exhibits and evidence types that have not been considered. It can also be possible to identify investigative opportunities that you may not know had existed. The whole focus of an investigation can be changed with one of these reviews and we can lead you more quickly towards the answer you seek. Please do not hesitate to contact us with your enquiries.

Casework Interpretation

The world of the forensic scientist is a demanding one. Ever-increasing pressures from the judiciary to produce reports quickly, and more media coverage scrutinising our every move are leading to an increase in what we call 'safe' reporting. At Manlove Forensics we are great believers that if there is scientific evidence that assists in an enquiry, it is reported to the best of our ability. After all we are acting as expert witnesses and so we should give expert opinion where possible. We do not believe in 'playing safe' to avoid being challenged, nor do we turn away from controversy where our findings do not necessarily suit our customers' thoughts about a case. Playing safe is a dangerous strategy, which is at best overcautious and at worst negligent. The duty of the Forensic Scientist is first and foremost to the Court and as such to assist the Court in coming to a fair conclusion. We are no strangers to giving evidence at Manlove Forensics and believe it is only right that the evidence is challenged from time to time.

Other areas of Assistance

In the last newsletter, we gave an update of the new services we could provide because of our move to Warren House. Now that we are established there, the expertise we offer has been expanded again. As a result we now offer the following range of services:

• Alcohol cases
• Blood pattern analysis
• Body fluid examination
• Burning damage and thermal injuries
• Damage interpretation
• DNA interpretation (simple and complex)
• DNA profiling
• 'Feet in shoes' cases
• Footwear comparison
• Footwear intelligence indexing
• Forensic botany
• Forensic diatoms (due to start autumn 2007)
• Forensic entomology
• Forensic palynology
• Independent reviews (including cold cases)
• Road Traffic Investigation
• Tachograph analysis
• Tool mark comparison
• Toxicology
• Trace material analysis
• Including glass & paint reviews, building debris, drugs
• Textile fibre examination

Our scene services include:

• Blood pattern analysis and body fluid examination
• Chemical enhancement of marks including luminol (due to commence Autumn 2007)
• Crime scene reconstruction
• Ecological identification, collection, analysis and interpretation
• Fire scene interpretation
• Footwear identification and tracking

These extensive services are provided by highly-trained scientists who work under the quality systems of Manlove Forensics and have awareness of other forensic disciplines to ensure our service maximises the potential of your evidence.

Unearthing Ancient Insects

Manlove Forensics was recently involved in a rare opportunity when we were asked by Wessex Archaeology to attend a site. The scene turned out to be a 2000 year-old Roman stone coffin that was discovered at Boscombe Down, Wiltshire in February.

This limestone coffin was under about 60cms of chalky earth and had been transported over many miles to its resting place. The coffin had not been completely sealed, as the lid was placed on the wrong way round! Within it lay the almost unrecognisable remains of an adult and child together with a number of personal items including an imported pot, a jet necklace, and leather boots with cork insoles. Once the archaeologists started examining the artefacts, it was soon apparent there was material present of the insect kind! Manlove Forensics was promptly called in.

After examining numerous soil samples we identified very small 2000 year old Phoridae puparia! Phorids or coffin flies as they are commonly known had burrowed down through the soil to find the bodies and laid their eggs on them. The larvae hatched out and fed on the bodies before pupating. You can see the remains of the puparia in the photo to the left, where the new flies have emerged through holes in their cases. Phorids have been involved in the decomposition of bodies for thousands of years and we still find them on bodies to this day.

Stepping out together

Manlove Forensics are delighted to announce their alliance with Napier Associates, to bring expertise and robustness in footwear mark classification and comparison closer for Forces both in the north and south.

Napier Associates' efficient way of working enables speedier turn-around times in this discipline than you may be used to. With a comprehensive computerised enquiry system, and a willingness to work out of hours, even where original items require examination or when suspects are in custody, we can give each piece of work the most effective attention, working to your deadlines. The new partnership will support this service by reducing the average journey made by officers, allowing greater accessibility to this facility and maintaining its turn round times for standard comparisons and pattern classification enquiries - typically 2-3 working days at present.

Footwear mark analysis has become a focus for ACPO following recent changes in legislation. Napier Associates is also gladly working in co-operation with other forensic suppliers to establish a unified footwear reference database.

Blood stains. Cut out and keep

1. This staining results when a drop of blood falls passively under the force of gravity.

2. A bloodstain such as this results from a spot of blood of airborne origin contacting a surface at an angle.

3. Contact stains occur when a bloodstained object (such as hand) comes into contact with a surface.

4. A smear of blood results when there is movement of surfaces during the formation of a contact stain.

5. Percussion staining results when an object that is already wet with blood contacts surface with force.

6. When blood drips passively onto one area it can form a distribution that can be confused with impact spatter.

7. Impact spatter is formed when an object comes into forceful contact with an area wet with blood.