Showcase Artifact 2

May - August 2023:
Forensic Science Internship Honors Contract

Internship: Biology Unit of the Indiana State Police Laboratory

Project: Success Rate of Touch DNA

Purpose: Update lab procedures based on project findings

Other Activities: Observe lab analyses, observe court testimonies, practice blood spatter analysis, assist the Forensic Documents Unit, etc.

What is touch DNA?

Touch DNA, also known as trace DNA, is when a very small amount of a person's DNA is left behind on an object after they've handled it.

How can touch DNA be used in forensic science?

A forensic scientist can swab an item for touch DNA left behind on it and potentially match it back to the person of interest. For example, you break into a house to steal their TV and decide to use the homeowner's pad of paper and pen to write them a note: "You've been robbed". Your DNA could be extracted from that pen and used against you in court.

What can affect touch DNA?

The number of people who handled the object before the person of interest.
The amount of time the person of interest handled the object.
The type of material the object is made of.
Environmental factors (wind, rain, dirt, etc.)
Many other factors...

My Internship Project

Over half the case work at the ISP Lab are property crimes with evidence containing objects that were suspected of being touched by the person of interest. These objects, however, require a lot of time and resources and may not have any results. Therefore, the ISP Lab recruited another intern, Jill Snyder, and I to determine the success rate of touch DNA on different types of evidence in order to create stricter guidelines as to which items should be accepted for DNA analysis.

Project Highlights

2,070 cases from 2016-2022
3,732 evidence samples
14 offense categories
- Top Offense Categories: Burglary, Theft/Conversion, and Drug
20 evidence categories
- Top Evidence Categories: Tools, Vehicle Swabs, and Drug Paraphernalia
Highest Success Rate: Baggies/Plastic Bags (42%)
Lowest Success Rate: Windows (9%)

Court Testimonies

First Testimony: taught me that a forensic scientist can use analogies to help the jury better understand the evidence.
Second Testimony: helped me to compare and contrast the testimonies of an expert and a lay witness.
- Expert Witnesses:
  - Turn to the jury when answering questions.
  - Don't answer questions outside of their expertise.
  - Remain completely unbiased.
- Lay Witnesses:
  - Tend to look at the person asking the questions.
  - Speculate on things outside of the given question.
  - Typically take sides in a courtroom.

Blood Spatter Day

Blood Spatter Analysis- the study of bloodstains at a crime scene where their size, shape, and distribution are used to reconstruct the events of the crime.
Activities:
- Blood ran off different surface dimensions (swords, hammers, knives, and other fake weapons) to see what type of shape would occur.
- Tested cast off blood patterns by swinging bloody weapons around a room.
- Analyzed satellite blood circumference by climbing a latter and letting blood drop from various heights.
- Studied blood elongation by dropping blood at different angles to see how it becomes more elongated the smaller the angle becomes.

AAFS Conference

American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) 2024 Conference
Denver, Colorado
Listened to dozens of other speakers about different forensic related topics.
Built my network.
Top Left Picture: from left to right, Jill and I at the podium being introduced by the moderator.
Bottom Right Picture: from left to right, Jill and I posing in front of the room where we presented our project on the success rate of touch DNA in front of dozens of other forensic scientists.

Reflection (February 2025)

The internship with the ISP Lab was more eye opening than I could have possibly imagined!

Worked on a project that could potentially help the lab update their procedure.
Experienced moments I've only learned about in the classroom.
Watched expert testimony in a courtroom.
Learned about blood spatter analysis.
Watched forensic scientists perform analyses within the lab.
Talked one-on-one with analysts from different disciplines.

Everything about this internship helped me to better understand my chosen career path and the different disciplines.

Exposed to the day-to-day duties of a biology analyst.
Spoke to the head of the Crime Scene Unit about crime scene investigation.
Aided the Forensic Documents Unit with their backlog.
Toured the Trace Unit to see what analyses they perform.
Introduced to the various equipment used in the Firearms Unit.

All of these experiences helped me to realize that I want to become a crime scene investigator instead of work in a laboratory.

This internship also taught me multiple soft skills.

Working with a partner.
- Learned to communicate with someone about problems or questions.
- Learned how to delegate responsibilities fairly between each other.
- Career Application: In the forensic science field, depending on the size of the police force, you might be working in a group or you'll have others looking over the work you've done.
Working with a lot of flexibility.
- Learned to check-in with our mentors to discuss any questions or for further guidance.
- Learned to differentiate between what was important to know and what wasn't so time was used efficiently.
- Career Application: As a forensic scientist, you'll be trained on how to do your job, then you'll be left to your own devices and you'll need to know how to go with the flow with little guidance.
Presenting in front of a crowd.
- Practiced our presentation so that we knew the data well enough to answer any questions.
- Learned to remain calm while public speaking and talking in a clear voice.
- Career Application: As a forensic scientist, one of your duties is to testify in court about the analyses you ran and what the results mean for the case.