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UND Forensic Science students tour North Dakota State Crime Lab, learning firsthand how evidence analysis works

Editors note:Due to a technical error when the UND Today newsletter was sent out on Tuesday, the lead photo for this story did not transmit properly. As a result, the story is being sent out to readers once again in the UND Today newsletter of Thursday, March 23.

Authors note: When the director of UNDs Forensic Science Program asked if I would like to tag along with her students for an all-day field trip to Bismarck, I jumped at the chance.

After all, the last fun field trip I could recall was when my sixth-grade class in Devils Lake, N.D., crammed into a sticky yellow bus and headed to the Big Top in the big city of Grand Forks. Our end goal, of course, was to see the Shrine Circus in the Hyslop Sports Center.

This time around, our destination would be the pristine North Dakota State Crime Lab where the only clowns would be the criminals, and the only talk of elephants would relate to an animal tranquilizer 100 times more powerful than fentanyl.

Warning: You may find parts of this story disturbing. If you dare, come along with us for the ride

* * *

We gathered before sunup myself, about three dozen students and Assistant Professor Lavinia Iancu in the Chester Fritz parking lot. Coffee in hand and wearing comfies and caps, some of us looked fresh out of bed yet ready for adventure.

We had a long haul ahead, but no worries. We had WiFi, so thered be plenty of time for Netflix and naps before wed need to crack open the three coolers stocked with sack lunches and sodas. (Thank you, UND Catering.) If we got hungry sooner, well then, our bus driver Kevin was sharing his butterscotch candies.

OK, listen up, Iancu said, lifting a small red-and-white megaphone to her mouth before lowering it and adding with a wry smile, I have a siren, and Im not afraid to use it.

We laughed up front, but she apparently meant it and showed us by quickly flipping the switch to release a high-pitched wavering scream all the way to the back of the bus. She had everyones attention now.

OK, so the plan for us today is to go visit the DNA, toxicology and forensic chemistry divisions. We will rotate as three groups and have discussions with the experts, she explained. They are going to do demonstrations for us. So, we will see how much interaction we can have. They are very busy and working on cases all the time, so we are lucky not everybody gets this kind of opening. This is your chance to ask questions.

The tour truly would be a one-of-a-kind learning experience. Not only would it mark the first time in 17 years a UND class had visited the lab, the students ranging from freshmen to seniors also would have all-afternoon access to about a dozen forensic experts.

This is a first, but I hope well be able to do it at least once a year, Iancu said. Wed also like to establish some summer internships. Unfortunately, thats not possible right now because theyre understaffed, but we are working on it.

I absolutely love what I do, but forensic science can be very stressful, hard work. For me, its also incredibly rewarding, but I want my students to understand that as forensic scientists, theyll have some very serious responsibilities. Theres nothing closer to reality than what were going to see today.

After all of the passenger names are called and checked off and a buddy system established for rest stops it doesnt take long for everyone to settle in. I figure its as good a time as any to meet my neighbors.

To my left was senior Yuliet Monatukwa, a double-major in Forensic Science and Chemistry. Already accepted into two graduate chemistry programs, Monatukwa said she hoped the tour would give her clarity on another possible career path one focused more closely on analytical chemistry and toxicology.

It so happened that the very next day, she was flying to Denver for an interview with the University of Colorados Toxicology Department.

Im really looking forward to finding out what it takes to be a criminal investigator at a crime lab, Monatukwa said. Dr. Iancu has given us so many hands-on experiences, and I think that really has cemented my decision to do something down that path. A person really has no idea about the application of theory until you actually try to apply it yourself. So Im curious, and Im going to ask a lot of questions today.

Malia Wellens, a senior and double-major in Forensic Science and Criminal Justice Studies, said she already had settled on graduate school at the University of Connecticut in New Haven.

Though she also started out at UND as a chemistry major, she said she switched to Forensic Science with a focus on forensic biology.

I think it fits more with what I want to do, she said. Once I learned about DNA analysis and the different branches of forensic biology, I was like Thats my bread and butter. I love it.

Just a month earlier, Wellens began working for Iancu as a junior research assistant studying the effects of Clonazepam and Flunitrazepam common drugs, known as benzodiazepines or psychoactive drugs, prescribed for seizures and panic disorders on blowfly development. (The results of that research eventually could alter how scientists estimate time of death, but thats another story.)

In the blue bucket seat next to Wellens was Jaden Eviota, a junior and another double-major in Forensic Science and Criminal Justice Studies.

He said: As much as I find the lab interesting, I still think Im more into getting out in the field to do crime scene investigation. Growing up, I found that pretty much everything I watched on TV or the movies was forensics-related, so thats what got me interested at first. Im not sure exactly where Ill land, but all of this is helping me shape that decision.

And in front of me sat Nicolette Ras, a Pre-Med senior and double-major in Forensic Science and Criminal Justice Studies. She recently began working part time for Iancu as a teachers assistant doing everything from setting up lab trays and equipment for classes to handling logistics for the days field trip.

Ras said her ultimate goal is to become a medical examiner, and thanks to Iancus tip about a job post, shes now learning the ropes as an autopsy technician at UNDs Department of Pathology. The office handles cases of suspicious or unattended deaths in North Dakota.

Wearing a quirky, sitcom-inspired Schrute Farms sweatshirt with a giant beet imprint, Ras added, Its all so fascinating. I just love forensic science.

On the TV shows, its the next day and you have a DNA result. Thats not quite how it works, but its still going to be pretty cool to see where all the evidence were packing up is going and to actually meet some of the people who are processing it. Im so excited for today.

This tagalong agrees. Theres no place an avid Ann Rule reader and true-crime junkie would rather be.

It takes a little more than four hours to reach our final destination, which turns out to be a gray building in a complex of other nondescript, one-story concrete buildings. First impression? From the outside, meh, nothing fancy. Inside, its state of the art.

UND graduate and forensic scientist Charlene Rittenbach is the first to greet us at the security entrance. We shuffle past a glass showcase of early-era breathalyzers and a collection of wildly artistic bongs no doubt, paraphernalia treasures seized from fantastic drug busts past into a large room that looks almost like any other business office. Its wall to wall cubicles and computers.

Rittenbach, who also serves as technical leader for the labs Forensic Chemistry Unit, tells us that this is where the scientists write their reports and review cases. Unlike some other crime labs, she explains, this one is all digital. Next, were introduced to Brian Herz and Marc Larson, two more forensic scientists and UND alums. We hear a few rules no bags, no liquids, no photos and then were off to the laboratories.

For the next several hours, were in a different world a fascinating world where hard science turns evidence into fact. Its a world where criminal prosecutors get the goods to prove guilt or innocence in illegal drug and DUI cases, arson, rape and any number of other assaults and untimely deaths.

I must admit for someone without a chemistry background, it felt as though everyone else was speaking a different language. Gas chromatography. Mass spectrometry. Liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Huh? Over and over again, as fast as my head was spinning, the students heads were nodding as they peppered the experts with questions.

Up close, we watched the so-called presumptive tests and confirmatory tests to identify all sorts of suspected illegal drugs. FYI: The top three in North Dakota are cannabis, methamphetamine and fentanyl.

The uptick in opioids and fentanyl compounds and new synthetic drugs in the state is just huge, Rittenbach said. Its like Whac-A-Mole just trying to keep up, and it wasnt that way with opioids just five years ago.

The most common way we see a lot of the opioids and fentanyl compounds now is in counterfeit oxycodone tablets, Herz said.

Then pointing to a teeny-tiny drug sample under a protective hood, he added: Its just crazy what people are putting into these things. You just think about how much is right there compared to a lethal dose. Its enough to kill everybody in this building at least four times over.

Thats all these drug dealers really care about is making money. They dont care who overdoses or dies because once that news gets out on the street, it actually makes the product even more valuable as messed up as that is. A lot of the users have been abusing opioids for years, so the heroin doesnt do it anymore. Theyre looking for something stronger.

Remember the elephants? Well, the latest trend for illegal drug dealers is to cut their opioids with veterinarian medicines such as the deadly large-mammal synthetic opioid called Carfentanil, and more recently with the tranquilizer Xylazine. FDA-approved as a veterinary medicine, Xylazine, known on the street as tranq or the zombie drug, extends the effects of fentanyl and mimics the high of heroin. Narcan cannot reverse a Xylazine overdose, yet users continue to crave the high even while suffering from the drugs other nasty side effect: persistent infections that rot their flesh to the bone.

Sometimes people dont even know this stuff is in there, Herz said. They can be at a party and think its just a regular oxycodone tablet, but its likely not. Your age group is their prime target. They want to get you hooked young. So, if you ever hear of anybody who has these (nonprescribed oxy) or wants to get some, I implore you to stop them or it could be the last time you see them alive. Whats out there now is very scary stuff.

Sobering advice for sure, but what the DNA experts had to say next was equally sobering.

Theres just something particularly discomforting about being asked to swipe a sterile cotton swab on the inside of your cheeks before sealing it inside an envelope with your name printed out front.

It wont go anywhere, I promise, Rittenbach assured us before we entered the DNA unit. We just need your sample for quality control in case some of your DNA would shed here and we would find a foreign profile in some of our evidence.

Ohhh OK, I guess that makes sense. Even so, most of us agreed it was an unsettling, eerie feeling to be sharing something so near and dear as our own personal DNA with a state crime laboratory. (I mean, really, in what other situation would this be a good thing?)

Next, we moved into the adjacent room, where we put on amber glasses and watched in the dark as forensic DNA experts demonstrated how different light sources can make otherwise invisible stains pop into view on a tattered black tank top. Thats blood. Thats bleach. Thats saliva. Thats semen. Eww.

In this case, the clothing and stains were used only for training exercises, but when investigating a real crime, the experts said they would darken the room lights to mark the stains and then cut small samples from the fabric always preserving enough DNA for the defense team to run their tests.

As though these demonstrations werent macabre enough, things were about to get more shocking as DNA analyst, forensic scientist and state CODIS Administrator Amy Gebhardt shared the case of (her) lifetime.

It was in the fall of 2006, Gebhardt began, when a Valley City, N.D., college student was found brutally killed in her off-campus apartment. Two friends had discovered her body with a belt around her neck and a broken knife in her throat.

As is common practice, the medical examiner had taken scrapings from beneath the victims fingernails.

Now Ive worked with fingernail scrapings my entire career, and most of the time, theres very little blood DNA from the perpetrator, Gebhardt explained. Its usually mostly from the victim, but thats what made this case so rare.

The preliminary tests were showing a male had contributed significantly to the blood sample. The lab then immediately entered the profile into the FBIs Combined DNA Index System, or CODIS, to see if it matched the DNA of any previous convicted offenders or arrest suspects. And they got a hit.

The DNA belonged to an unknown perpetrator who had raped a woman two years earlier in Fargo. That victim survived, but she could tell police little about her attacker other than his race.

The rest of the story is pretty crazy, Gebhardt went on to say as the wide-eyed students listened intently. She then explained how that following Monday, an overly curious man who lived in the same building as the victim had approached investigators who still were gathering evidence and taking pictures outside the apartment complex.

A man comes up to one of the BCI agents and says, So do you have any idea who this could be? Do you have any leads on who could have done such a horrible thing? Gebhardt relayed. And theyre like, Probably you. But they didnt say that.

Instead, they said, No, but were interested in collecting samples from people in the area who are willing to be elimination samples. And the guy actually said, Oh yeah, sure, no problem.

Thats what we count on: Stupidity! Its what I live for! These guys are so arrogant, and they think theyre so much better and so much smarter than everybody else, but its just beautiful.

The investigators collect his sample, along with elimination DNA from the victims dad, her boyfriend and a couple of other friends, then drive from Valley City to Bismarck to hand-deliver the samples to the lab by midafternoon.

Just three hours earlier, Gebhardts supervisor and then-CODIS director had left for a meeting in Arizona.

We knew they were driving these samples up, so I quit what I was doing and got them on the instrument right away. Its almost midnight. Im burned out. Im fried, but Im going to check the instrument one more time before I go home.

I look AND ITS HIM! IT MATCHES HIM! Oh my God! Im freaking out. Im alone in this small room. Im pacing. My hair on the back of my neck is standing up. Im shaking, and Im about to cry.

Moments later, Gebhardt wakes her boss with a phone call only to be directed to run the tests all over again. They must be certain none of the samples had gotten mixed up. Nope, by 4:30 the next morning, she gets the same results.

This was an especially horrific crime, and now they know who did it.

We said, This is your guy, Mo Maurice Gibbs. They arrested him by 6:30 that evening and had a TV press conference by 10:30 that night, she said.

Come to find out, she added, the suspect coached youth basketball and also worked at the jail, where he later was accused and convicted of assaulting several female inmates. He was shutting off the cameras to their cells.

Her voice cutting out and now in tears, Gebhardt tells the students, Thats why I say this is a case of a lifetime. I guess my reason for sharing this case is to tell you that all these little steps so clinical and sterile, piece by piece, the data, the profiles, the peak heights and all the statistics sometimes it all comes together so beautifully.

Then, almost in a single breath, she blurts out: This job, Im going to tell you, is dark. You should not be looking for semen in a diaper or on an Ariel, Little Mermaid blanket. There are horrible things that happen in this state. Do not let our general good nature and low crime statistics fool you. Bad things that never make the news are happening in this state all the time. This is real life. Ive been here for 25 years, and there are days Im burnt out.

I was probably like you in my 20s, morbidly curious. I was Yes, give me all of it. But it wears on you, and thats not something I expected. Thats why Im telling you to be prepared. Keep your mental health a priority. Find ways to rejuvenate, recharge and keep perspective because in this job, you are immersed 100 percent of the time in the worst of humanity. It is rewarding and it is wonderful, but IT IS DARK.

Finally, pausing to catch her breath, she asks, Do you have any questions?

Somber and silent, the students have nothing to say.

I honestly didnt know what to expect from the field trip, but it certainly was eye-opening.

On the long ride home, Iancu tells me shes always looking for ways to add value to the student experience.

I love what I do and I can teach my courses, but we really have to think further than the academic training. What are my students going to do after they graduate? I feel responsible for their future, she said. Im always thinking How can I improve? What can I add? What types of scholarships are out there? What sort of collaborations can I find?

I want my students to be able to network and make these connections. The most important goal for me with the crime lab and other hands-on experiences is to give these students their best chance to get hired in this profession.

And what insight did the four students Monatukwa, Wellens, Eviota and Ras gain from hearing about real-life crime cases and seeing forensic science in action?

Monatukwa said it was extremely valuable to learn what the labs are looking for in potential hires as far as specific education and training not to mention, she was able to compile some great questions for her next-day interview in Colorado. And as an undergrad teaching assistant, she also was keenly interested in how the experts communicated the science to people with different levels of background and understanding.

Im trying to learn how to be a teacher at the same time Im trying to learn how to be a forensic scientist, so watching how they might explain something to a layperson, or jury, was fascinating, Monatukwa said. I think you actually added value by being here and representing that layperson. Plus, all kinds of cross-networking happened on this trip, and I really enjoyed that.

For Wellens: People learn in a lot of different ways, and I think the hands-on experience can help a lot of people better grasp what theyre studying. Its kind of a different experience when youre actually doing the work vs. just reading about the work. It makes me more excited to get to work in the lab setting.

Eviota agreed: I thought it was really cool to see how this CSI stuff actually works. In my mind, I was still thinking of everything in kind of sci-fi style with these big machines doing a lot of different things. This brought everything down to earth for me.

And Ras summed it up this way: Today was so much fun and so inspiring. Everyone was so passionate about what they do, and it made me more passionate. Were so lucky to have someone like Lavinia whos pulling strings everywhere to get students experiences theyd never get anywhere else. I absolutely loved it. Today just solidified how awesome forensic science is.

READ PAST FORENSIC SCIENCE STORIES: A little fly told herand Was it the knife, the candlestick or the rope?

Charlene Rittenbach points out some visual cues often spotted by investigators when trying to first identify suspected illegal drugs. Photo by Janelle Vonasek/UND Today.

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From clues to facts to convictions - UND Today - University of North Dakota

Watch theCBS Reportsdocumentary "Body Brokers" in the video player above. It streams live on the CBS News app at 8p, 11p and 2a ET on your mobile or streaming device.

Every year, an estimated 20,000 people donate their bodies to science for the purpose of medical research and education. But unlike organ donation, these body parts can be bought and sold for profit a market with very few federal regulations.

Special Agent Paul Micah Johnson, an investigator for the FBI's Detroit Division, has spent the last decade looking into what he called a "vast gray and black market of dead human bodies."

click to expand

The Uniform Anatomical Gift Act, a statute adopted by 47 states, is one of the few regulations governing the non-transplant tissue industry. It outlines the standards for body donation, and most significantly, it requires that donors, or their loved ones, must provide informed consent before donation takes place.

These consent agreements between donors and tissue banks typically stipulate that the body will be used for research and education but what that means in practice can vary.

"Medical research and education, particularly education, is a vague term and it is not clearly defined even in the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act," says Johnson. "The misleading of families across the industry is quite common."

While most donors consent to donation for research and education, legally, the agreements can include addendums that allow for donors to be used for "non-medical projects" that can include "crime scene investigation" and "vehicle safety."

Steve Hansen had always wanted to be an organ donor, but when he died in 2012 from cirrhosis of the liver, doctors said his organs were not healthy enough to be transplanted. Steve's wife Jill Hansen says hospice workers at the time suggested whole body donation as an alternative.

"What I envisioned was him being in some medical facility," Hansen says. "I just thought, what a great candidate for them to learn about the results of alcoholism and what it does to a body."

Steve's body was eventually sent to the Biological Resource Center in Phoenix, Arizona, which then sold his remains to the Department of Defense.

"They told me specifically that my husband had been used as a crash test dummy in a simulated Humvee explosion," Hansen says.

Hansen's husband's body was sold by Biological Resource Center founder Stephen Gore to the DOD without her consent. Court records showed that those donors were used in a variety of military and ballistics testing, with some resulting in "the complete mutilation and desecration of the donor's body."

"I was devastated," Hansen says. "I would've never done it if I had known. I just kept telling him I was sorry."

When the FBI raided Gore's warehouse in 2014, they found conditions of the donors' remains so abhorrent that agents "required trauma therapy due to the disturbing, graphic scene they encountered."

Gore pleaded guilty to Illegal Control of an Enterprise for violating donor consent agreements and was sentenced to four years probation and one year in jail. Because there are few laws defining ethical treatment of remains, no charges were filed relating to the warehouse conditions.

Disturbing evidence also emerged during Special Agent Johnson's investigation into body broker Arthur Rathburn, whose Detroit warehouse was later described by investigators as a "house of horrors."

"He cut up bodies with a chainsaw. He cut up bodies with a bandsaw," Johnson says. "He had a bucket filled with brown liquid that had fetuses and human brains floating in it."

As in the case with Gore, prosecutors had no way of charging Rathburn for how donors' bodies were treated. Rathburn was ultimately sentenced in 2018 to nine years in prison for falsifying his donor's medical information in order to fraudulently sell bodies infected with hepatitis and HIV.

"He had trash cans filled with human heads," Johnson says. "Just the disrespectful way of treating the remains. And yet we prosecuted him for fraud."

In 2009, Donor Referral Services owner Philip Guyett Jr., pleaded guilty to wire fraud for falsifying medical information in order to offload tissue designated for transplant with infectious or communicable diseases. He was sentenced to eight years in prison.

"As I told the judge, I had no business being in this business," Guyett says in an interview with CBS News. "A person with no medical experience, no funeral director's license, was able to open up a whole body donation program, take possession of a human body, dismember it, send it throughout the nation without any type of licensing oversight. It's harder to sell hot dogs on a cart than it is to get into this business."

Before opening his own tissue bank, Guyett got his start running a university's Willed Body Program, overseeing the donations of bodies for research education.

In the wake of industry controversies, some tissue bankers have been working to promote trust with potential donors.

Garland Shreves is the founder of Research For Life, a non-transplant tissue bank based in Phoenix that distributes body parts for use towards the advancement of science in lifesaving fields like first-responder training, medical device development and surgical practice.

"I don't think we can ever lose sight of the fact that these are human beings and they have so graciously donated their body to the advancement of medicine," Shreves says. "Whole body donation and my organization, through the wonderful gift of that donor, makes it possible for us to have the innovative medicine that we do today in this country."

Shreves says the best way to clean up the industry is transparency.

"Bad actors are bad for business. If the consumer is being harmed by a business that's not operating at a very high level of professionalism, everyone in the industry suffers," he says. "It is that transparency, the sunlight, the disinfectant, if you will. It's what we need to do as an industry and we haven't done enough of it."

Johnson says the whole body donation industry is necessary for the advancement of science, and that it is vital the industry works to restore the public's trust.

"It would be nice if there was one playbook for everyone. And so that would ideally be federal and it would cover everyone that deals with human body parts for-profit, nonprofit, all of them under one set of rules."

In September 2022, a body broker bill was introduced in the U.S. Senate which would impose federal regulations on the process of body donation, but no vote has been scheduled.

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Inside the largely unregulated market for bodies donated to science: "It's harder to sell hot dogs on a cart" - CBS News

FAIRFIELD The defense team of Fairfield teen Willard Noble Chaiden Miller has asked the government to pay for a slate of expert witnesses that it plans to call during Millers murder trial in April.

However, prosecutors in the case are resisting this attempt, arguing that hiring these witnesses at such a late stage in the process would require delaying the trial even further. Miller, 17, is being charged with the murder of Nohema Graber, 66, who was a Spanish teacher at Fairfield High School at the time of her death in November 2021.

District Court Judge Shawn Showers has agreed to a hearing on the recent motion by the defense, and has set a date of March 29 for the Jefferson County Courthouse. Miller is scheduled to stand trial starting April 21 in Council Bluffs.

Millers defense team, led by attorney Christine Branstad, has requested the state pay for expert witnesses such as: a crime scene analyst for up to $10,000; a digital forensic expert for $9,000; a social psychologist for $7,000; a clinical psychologist for $5,000; and an investigator for $3,500.

Branstad stated in her motion that her client was found indigent by the court, meaning he could not pay for his own expenses. She stated that a digital forensic expert was necessary since the state intends to offer into evidence cellphone information obtained from Miller and his co-defendant, Jeremy Everett Goodale, who is also charged with murder.

Branstad argued that a social psychologist was necessary to address questions about a persons memory and its limitations, and how it could be affected by alcohol or other substances.

In filing his resistance to Branstads motion, Jefferson County Attorney Chauncey Moulding argued that the court should deny the motion for its untimeliness, because the defense has had access to crime scene investigation and digital evidence from cellphones for more than a year. He said that was true for other pieces of evidence, too.

Both the social psychologist and clinical psychologist testimony, assuming it is allowed, would impact evidence that has been known to the defendant since the inception of the case, Moulding wrote. Based on their motion, it appears no work has been completed by the defenses requested witnesses.

Moulding also expressed his doubt that so many expert witnesses could be available on such short notice, since the trial is just a month away.

There is very little time to conduct the necessary review and depositions of the witnesses, Moulding wrote. The State intends to make every effort to complete discovery of the witnesses listed by the defense in order to be ready for trial on April 21, 2023.

Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com

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Defense motions to hire expert witnesses in Fairfield murder case - Southeast Iowa Union

Credits

This is a 3-credit course.

A substantial amount of forensic evidence used in the prosecution of criminal cases is initially established at the crime scene. Recognizing, detecting, recovering, preserving and recording this evidence forms a critical function within forensic science and criminal investigation. This course explores the main aspects of crime scene investigation, including: crime scene processes, recognition of evidence, documentation of crime scenes, evidence detection and enhancement, maintaining evidence integrity and bloodstain pattern analysis. It also covers professional practices associated with evidence handling and case file management.

This course is taught by Western Sydney University as part of a collaborative venture between the University of Florida and Western Sydney University, Australia.

Please review our recommended course order.

Topics

At the end of this course, students should be able to:

Techniques of Crime Scene InvestigationFisher BAJ & Fisher DRCRC Press, Taylor and Francis9th edition, 2022ebook. ISBN 9780429272011

Additional helpful textbooks include:

Distance Education and UF Online Students enjoy the same library privileges as on-campus students.To utilize the University of Florida Library System, click here!

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PHA 6935 Crime Scene Investigation - University of Florida

If youre trying to decide whether to enroll in a criminal justice program, some of the first questions you should ask yourself are, What can you do with a criminal justice degree? and What jobs can you get with a criminal justice degree? Having these answers will help you decide whether a degree in this field is the right fit for you.

While there are a number of different routes you can take with this type of degree, one of the interesting career paths is to become a crime scene investigator. Criminal justice degree jobs like crime scene investigators (CSIs) -- sometimes referred to as crime scene specialists, forensic science technicians, and crime laboratory analysts -- use critical thinking and analytical skills to collect physical evidence, such as hair, bodily fluids, and footprints, from crime scenes. They are responsible for processing and preserving evidence, as well as sharing written documentation and reports about their collections.

CSIs use their expertise to testify at criminal trials and help shed light onto the events that occurred during criminal activity. They work independently and collaboratively with diverse groups of people. A variety of organizations hire crime scene investigators, including government agencies, police departments, coroner's offices, and crime laboratories.

The median annual wage for forensic science technicians was $60,590 as of 2019, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects employment growth in this field of about 14% between 2018 and 2028. Detectives and criminal investigators, on the other hand, earn, on average, about $89,300 per year, and the job growth in this field is expected to increase by about 5% from 2018 to 2028.

If youre interested in this degree or career path, this guide covers how you can become a crime scene investigator and gives you an overview of other similar criminal justice jobs.

Find a program that meets your affordability, flexibility, and education needs through an accredited, online school.

Crime scene investigators use specialized equipment and procedures to visually and physically examine crime scenes, such as traffic accidents, burglaries, and homicides. They may collect evidence and materials to help solve crimes, such as hair, biological fluids, gunshot residue, and footwear impressions.

CSIs use various scientific methods and preservation techniques to store and secure collected evidence. They use chemical and dusting techniques to develop and compare fingerprints and forensic photography to take pictures of victims, suspects, and key documents. Some CSIs possess expertise in blood spatter pattern analysis, while others possess specialized training in bullet trajectory paths.

CSIs must be flexible and capable of working in stressful and unpleasant environments, including environments with deceased individuals in various stages of decomposition. Many CSIs work closely with pathologists to collect evidence from cadavers during autopsies and postmortem examinations.

CSIs are responsible for taking thorough notes, completing forms, and preparing written reports to document important evidence and share key findings with others. As forensic evidence experts, CSIs often work closely with attorneys to provide comprehensive testimonies at criminal trials about the evidence collected at crime scenes. The results of their analysis may help solve crimes, prosecute offenders, and release the wrongly accused.

Ever wonder how to become a crime scene investigator? Many people think that all CSIs are police officers, but many CSIs come from other backgrounds, such as science or criminology.

CSI candidates must meet the minimum requirements of the agency to which they are applying. CSIs typically need a bachelors degree in either a natural or forensic science, such as chemistry or biology, or in a field such as criminal justice, crime scene technology, or criminology.

Some CSI positions do not require a baccalaureate degree, instead requiring specific college courses. For instance, some jobs may be a fit if you have completed lab-based chemistry courses from an accredited college or university. Most agencies require at least a high school diploma or GED and a valid drivers license. Some positions require you to be between the ages of 21 and 37 years old.

Depending on the role, CSIs may need one or more years of work experience in a related role, such as law enforcement officer or fingerprint technician.

Crime scene investigators and forensic science technicians typically receive on-the-job training. Many law enforcement agencies require new CSIs to complete extensive training programs before they take on cases independently. Newly hired crime scene investigators may work under experienced investigators for up to one year. Training typically explores proper procedures for collecting and documenting evidence, photography, fingerprint processing, death scene processing, and blood spatter analysis.

Additionally, investigators and technicians must keep up with continuing education throughout their careers to stay on top of the current trends and advancements in science and technology. As scientists continue to invent new methods and equipment for evidence collection, CSIs may need to pass regular proficiency exams to demonstrate their understanding of the latest tools and techniques.

Standards and credentials for investigators vary widely from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, so there are no common licensure requirements to become a CSI. However, professional organizations such as theInternational Association for Identificationand theAmerican Academy of Forensic Sciencesoffer various courses and certifications that can help CSIs advance their careers. These courses may cover topics like bloodstain pattern analysis, firearm identification, and latent fingerprinting.

In addition to a strong background in science and criminal justice, you will need several soft skills, such as attention to detail, which helps them search for and find key evidence at various crime scenes. You will also need critical thinking skills and superior judgment in order to recognize which materials may assist in solving crimes.

Additionally, youll need strong written and verbal communication skills to prepare documentation and share key findings with others. Since CSIs are responsible for testifying at trials, they must be able to draw conclusions and render opinions with a strong degree of professionalism.

As a CSI, you must also be flexible and willing to work variable hours in potentially stressful or unpleasant conditions. As CSIs are often considered on call, they may be expected to have 24-hour availability to respond to crime scenes. They must also possess technical skills and the ability to operate various tools, equipment, and technology, such as computers, telephones, two-way radios, and other electronic devices.

As a physically demanding job, work as a crime scene investigator also requires a degree of visual and muscular dexterity. CSIs must be able to move their hands and arms above their shoulders; bend, stoop, and pick up materials; and distinguish the full range of the color spectrum.

Criminal justice careers can offer a solid, if not lucrative, wage. According to data from the BLS, crime scene investigators and forensic science technicians earn a median yearly salary of $60,590, with the top 10% of earners making more than $100,910. The BLS projects demand for forensic science technicians to grow by 14% between 2019 and 2029, resulting in approximately 2,400 new jobs over the next several years.

There are plenty of other options for careers in criminal justice as well. Detectives and criminal investigators who work for local governments earn an average annual wage of $77,120, while those who work for the federal executive branch of the government earn $111,880 per year, on average.

Salary varies by factors like training, work experience, education, and geography. Salary also depends heavily on a professional's agency. For example, CSIs who are employed by state and local government agencies typically earn higher wages than technicians who work at testing laboratories and medical and diagnostic laboratories.

CSIs with police academy backgrounds often earn higher annual salaries than those without experience as a police officer. Individuals with advanced degrees and certifications often benefit from higher wages than those with fewer credentials. Due to cost of living adjustments, professionals who work in metropolitan cities tend to earn more money than those who work in rural areas.

Find a program that meets your affordability, flexibility, and education needs through an accredited, online school.

Crime scene investigators and technicians typically work full-time 40-hour work weeks plus overtime hours. You may work a variety of shifts, including during daytime, evening, and night shifts on both weekdays and weekends. CSIs may be required to work on holidays and special occasions. As a CSI, you are often expected to be available 24/7 in order to respond to crimes that happen outside of normal business hours.

CSIs play a crucial role in helping police officers and detectives determine the events that took place during a crime. You must be credible and trustworthy. You must possess the ability to draw key conclusions, render strong opinions, and communicate effectively. CSIs must also remain calm and collected in stressful, and otherwise unpleasant, work environments.

CSIs work with diverse people at each stage of a crime scene investigation. Youll have to work with police officers, detectives, and other law enforcement personnel at active crime scenes. Youll work collaboratively with other investigators and technicians at laboratories. You will also work closely with lawyers and other experts during criminal trials. Additionally, you will have to cooperate with medical examiners, pathologists, and coroners during autopsies and postmortem examinations.

According to the BLS, crime scene investigators earn, on average, about $60,590 annually. Those in the top 10% of the earnings range make more than $100,910 annually.

No, you do not need to become a police officer in order to become a crime scene investigator. Many crime scene investigators come from diverse backgrounds. A crime scene investigator typically needs to have a degree in a natural or forensic science field, like chemistry or biology, or a degree related to the study of crime, such as criminology or criminal justice.

In order to become a detective, you must first become a police officer. However, crime scene investigators do not have to be police officers prior to becoming crime scene investigators. Detectives gather evidence from the scene of the crime. This evidence is then processed by crime scene investigators, who analyze it in order to reach a scientific conclusion regarding that piece of evidence.

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Crime Scene Investigator: Career Guide - Criminal Justice Degree Schools