Postmortem and Trace Evidence Analysis

This unit develops students’ skills in recognizing, collecting, and interpreting postmortem indicators and trace evidence commonly encountered in death investigations and crime scenes. Students will practice evidence handling, laboratory workflows (DNA, toxicology, analytical instruments), and case-based synthesis to prepare for advanced investigative and courtroom applications.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze postmortem findings (rigor, livor, algor, decomposition, skeletal markers) and trauma patterns to estimate time and manner of death given autopsy notes, photographs, or case vignettes.
• Apply accepted scene-recognition, documentation, collection, packaging, and chain-of-custody procedures to biological specimens, fingerprints, tool marks, firearms evidence, accelerant residues, and skeletal remains in simulated crime-scene scenarios.
• Demonstrate laboratory workflows and result interpretation for forensic DNA processing, paternity testing, toxicology screening, and instrumental analyses (e.g., GC-MS, FTIR) using provided data and reports while acknowledging analytical limitations and sources of error.
• Evaluate investigative hypotheses by synthesizing scene observations, autopsy findings, trace-evidence analyses, and laboratory results into a clear investigative summary with recommended next steps and evidentiary priorities.