Forensic Botany. a Practical Guide (Hardcover)

Description

Forensic Botany: A Practical Guide is an accessible introduction to the way in which botanical evidence is identified, collected and analysed in criminal cases. Increasingly this form of evidence is becoming more important in forensic investigation and yet there are few trained botanists able to assist in such cases. This book is intended to show how useful simple collection methods and standard plant analysis can be in the course of such investigations and is written in a clear and accessible manner to enhance understanding of the subject for the non-specialist.

Clearly structured throughout, this book combines well known collection techniques in a field oriented format that can be used for casework. Collection of evidence differs from formal plant collection in that most professional plant collectors are gathering entire plants or significant portions of a plant for permanent storage and reference. Evidence frequently consists of fragments, sometimes exceedingly tiny. Exemplars (examples of reference plants) are collections of plants made in the manner a botanist would collect them. These collections are necessary to link or exclude evidence to or from a scene. Various methods that allow easy collection, transportation, and preservation of evidence are detailed throughout the book.

This book is written for those who have no formal background working with plants. It can be used as a practical guide for students taking forensic science courses, law enforcement training, legal courses, and as a template for plant collection at any scene where plants occur and where rules or laws are involved. Veterinarians, various environmental agencies, anthropologists, and archeologists are examples of disciplines that are more recently in need of plant evidence. Veterinarians are becoming more active in pursuing cases of animals that have been abused or are victims of illegal killing. Anthropologists and archeologists are often called to help with body recovery in outdoor environments. Environmental agencies are increasingly forced to adopt rules for resource protection, are in need of a guide for procedures for plant evidence collection and application.

The format of the book is designed to present the reader with all the information needed to conduct a botanical analysis of a crime scene; to highlight the forensic significance of the botanical evidence that may be present; how to collect that evidence in the correct manner and preserve and store that evidence appropriately- also shows how to conduct a laboratory analysis of the plants.

Table of Contents

• List of contributors
• Series Foreword
• Prologue: the beginning

• 1. Introduction to forensic botany
  David W. Hall, Ph.D.
• Botanical evidence in legal investigations
• Legal plant definition
• Botanical evidence in legal investigations
• Alibis
• Timing
• Gravesite growth
• Stomach contents
• Summary

• 2. Plants as evidence
  David W. Hall, Ph.D.
• Types of plants
• Nonplant groups traditionally studied by botanists
• Plant habitats and associations
• Plant characteristics/plant morphology
• Basic plant characteristics for the forensic investigator
• Habit
• Plant dispersal

• 3. Evidence collection and analysis
  David W. Hall, Ph.D. and Jason H. Byrd, Ph.D.
• Initial crime scene notation
• Where to search for evidence
• Storage
• Documentation of botanical evidence
• How to have botanical evidence analysed
• Where to find a botanist
• Types of cases
• Evidence analysis
• Laboratory report
• Transportation of botanical evidence
• Evidence retention and disposition
• Step-wise method for the collection of botanical evidence
• Appendix 3.1
• Crime scene data
• Habitat documentation
• Scene location
• Collection information needed for each botanical sample
• Appendix 3.2
• Botany field data sheet
• Appendix 3.3
• Botany laboratory examination data format
• Appendix 3.4
• Evidence log

• 4. Expert evidence
  Bernard A. Raum JD, MFS
• The common law
• The United States experience
• The decision in Frye v. United States
• The codified federal rules of evidence
• The decision in Daubert v. Merrill Dow25
• The scientific method
• The “pure opinion” rule
• The United Kingdom experience
• The criminal procedure rules 2010, s.33
• The law commission consultation paper no. 190

• 5. Use and guidelines for plant DNA analyses in forensics
  Matthew A. Gitzendanner, Ph.D.
• Introduction
• Types of samples and collection for DNA analyses
• Uses of genetic data
• Genotyping methods
• Finding a laboratory for analysis
• Case studies
• Conclusions
• References

• 6. A primer on forensic microscopy
  Christopher R. Hardy, Ph.D.
• Microscopes and microscopic botanical structures relevant to forensic botany
• The importance of reference collections in microscopic analysis
• Preparation and documentation of specimen evidence for microscopic examination
• References

• 7. Plant anatomy
  David W. Hall, Ph.D. and William Stern, Ph.D.
• The lindbergh case
• Further reading

• 8. Palynology, pollen, and spores, partners in crime: what, why, and how
  Anna Sandiford, Ph.D.
• Terminology
• What are pollen and spores?
• Where are they found and how do they travel?
• What does pollen look like?
• The use of pollen for non-forensic work
• The use of pollen in the forensic setting
• When should pollen samples be collected?
• How to collect and store pollen samples
• How many samples to collect?
• Who can collect pollen samples and where can an analyst be found?
• Costs and turnaround times
• Case examples
• Summary
• References

• 9. Algae in forensic investigations
  Christopher R. Hardy, Ph.D. and John R. Wallace, Ph.D., D-ABFE
• Finding an algal botanist and identifying algae
• Algal diversity
• Application of algal evidence in forensic investigations
• Collection and processing of algal evidence in forensic investigations
• Acknowledgements
• References

• 10. Case Studies in forensic botany
  David W. Hall, Ph.D.
• Placing people or objects at scenes
• Determining time of death

• Index