Introduction

2018 Impression, Pattern and Trace Evidence Symposium

2018 Impression, Pattern and Trace Evidence Symposium

Event

2018 Impression, Pattern and Trace Evidence Symposium

Date & Time

January 22nd – 25th, 2018

Location

Renaissance Hotel, Arlington, VA

 


Overview

NIJ and FTCOE are committed to improving the practice of forensic science and strengthening its impact through support of research and development, rigorous technology evaluation and adoption, effective knowledge transfer and education, and comprehensive dissemination of best practices and guidelines to agencies dedicated to combating crime. The future of forensic sciences and its contribution to the public and criminal justice community is a motivating topic to gather expertise in a forum to discuss, learn, and share ideas. The IPTES was specifically designed to bring together practitioners and researchers to enhance information-sharing and promote collaboration among the impression, pattern, and trace evidence analysts, law enforcement, and legal communities.

Funding for the 2018 Impression Pattern and Trace Evidence Symposium is provided through a cooperative agreement from the National Institute of Justice [2016-MU-BX-K110], Office of Justice Programs, US Department of Justice.


Workshop In-Brief Reports

The FTCOE hosted 13 interactive workshops spanning several topics, including firearm and tool mark examinations, probabilities and likelihood ratios in pattern evidence, and applied polarized light microscopy. Short in-brief reports were compiled on three of the workshops to summarize the purpose of the class, the lecture material, and the exercises completed. Click each title below to view the in-briefs.

 


Plenary Archivals

2018 IPTES Plenary - Opening Remarks & Statistical Approaches

Opening Remarks
Gerald LaPorte, MSFS, Director, Office of Investigative and Forensic Sciences, NIJ

DOJ’s Support of Forensic Science 
Ted Hunt, JD, Senior Advisor to the Attorney General on Forensic Science, DOJ

Reality Check — What Is Expected from Expert Witnesses
Steven Lund, Ph.D., National Institute of Standards and Technology

Challenges Faced by Experts When Communicating Forensic Evidence to Triers of Fact: A Statistician’s View
Hari Iyer, Ph.D., National Institute of Standards and Technology

The Use of Similarity Measures (Scores) to Quantify the Weight of Forensic Evidence
Cedric Neumann, Ph.D., South Dakota State University

Statistical Analysis in Forensic Science Evidential Value of Multivariate Data 
Daniel Ramos, Ph.D., Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Spain

The Anatomy of Forensic Identification Decisions: Rethinking Current Reporting Practice in a Decision-Theoretic Perspective 
Alex Biedermann, Ph.D., University of Lausanne

Statistical Approaches Panel Discussion
Steven Lund, Hari Iyer, Cedric Neumann, Daniel Ramos and Alex Biedermann

2018 IPTES Plenary - Statistics & Testimony From Practitioner

Statistical Interpretation and Reporting of Fingerprint Evidence at the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Laboratory
Henry Swofford, MS, U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Laboratory

LR Testimony Cross-Examined 
Hari Iyer, Ph.D., and Steven Lund, Ph.D., National Institute of Standards and Technology, and Chris Fabricant, JD, Innocence Project

Factors Which Influence Juror’s Interpretation of the Value of Forensic Science Testimony
Alicia Wilcox, Ph.D., Husson University

Statistics & Testimony Panel Discussion
Henry Swofford, Hari Iyer, Steven Lund, Chris Fabricant, Alicia Wilcox

2018 IPTES Plenary - Closing Keynote Speaker Adam Benforado

"Unfair: The New Science of Criminal Injustice"
Adam Benforado, JD, Author

Impression Pattern Archivals

2018 IPTES - Impression & Pattern Breakout Day 1 PM

Status Update on the Development of a 3D Scanning and Analysis System for Cartridge Cases
Ryan Lilien, Ph.D., Cadre Research

Fracture Mechanics-Based Quantitative Matching of Forensic Evidence Fragments: A) Methodology and Implementations and B) Statistical Framework 
Ashraf Bastawros, PhD, and Ranjan Maitra, PhD, Iowa State University

2018 IPTES - Impression & Pattern Breakout Day 2 AM - Part 1

The Evaluation of the Joint Value of Paint and Toolmark Evidence Using Bayesian Networks 
Patrick Buzzini, Ph.D., Sam Houston StateUniversity

Implementing 3D Virtual Comparison Microscopy into Forensic Firearm/Toolmark Comparison 
Erich D. Smith, MS, FBI Laboratory, Firearms/Toolmarks Unit

“Congruent Matching” — Theory and Application in Forensic Image Identification
John Song, Ph.D., National Institute of Standards and Technology

Estimating Error Rates of Firearm Identifications Using the CMC Method 
Theodore Vorburger, Ph.D., National Institute of Standards and Technology

Objective Comparison of Striated Toolmarks Produced from Ten Consecutively Manufactured Cold Chisels Measured by Contact and Optical Surface Profilometry and Comparison Microscopy 
Robert Thompson, MSFS, National Institute of Standards and Technology

2018 IPTES - Impression & Pattern Breakout Day 2 AM - Part 2

Quantitative Methods for Forensic Footwear Analysis 
Martin Herman, Ph.D., National Institute of Standards and Technology

A Comprehensive Research on Shoeprints RACs 
Yaron Shor, MS, Israel Police Department of Investigative Forensic Sciences

The Effects of a Prior Examiner’s Status and Findings on Lay Examiners’ Shoeprint Match Decisions 
Nadja Schreiber Compo, Ph.D., Florida International University

Generalizing Across Forensic Comparative Science Disciplines 
John Vanderkolk, BA, Indiana State Police Laboratory

Sufficiency and Complexity Factors in Handwriting Examination
Cami Fuglsby, MS, South Dakota State University, and Linton Mohammed, PhD

Deep Learning in Handwriting Comparison 
Sargur Srihari, PhD, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York (SUNY)

2018 IPTES - Impression & Pattern Breakout - Day 2 PM

Using Eye Tracking to Understand Decisions by Forensic Latent Print Examiners
R. Austin Hicklin, Ph.D., Noblis, and JoAnn Buscaglia, Ph.D., FBI

Thematic Trends of Latent Print Examination Criticisms and Reports
Thomas Wortman, BS, U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Laboratory

Statistical Error Estimation for an Objective Measure of Similarity to a Latent Image
Donald Gantz, Ph.D., George Mason University

Occurrence and Utility of Latent Print Correspondences That Are Insufficient for Identification
David Stoney, Ph.D., Stoney Forensic, Inc.

A Bayes Factor for Fingerprints, Using a Modified Approximate Bayesian Computation Approach
Jessie Hendricks, MS, South Dakota State University

Assessing and Reducing Variability in Friction Ridge Suitability Determinations 
Heidi Eldridge, MS, RTI International

Trace Evidence Archivals

2018 IPTES - Trace Evidence Breakout Day 1 PM

Developments in Particle Combination Analysis and Particle Combination Analysis in Footwear Investigations 
David Stoney, Ph.D., Stoney Forensic, Inc.

Location Detection and Characterization in Mixtures of Dust Particles 
Madeline Ausdemore, PhD, South Dakota State University

Elemental Analysis of Adhesive Tapes as Forensic Evidence by LA-ICP-MS and LIBS 
Claudia Martinez-Lopez, MS, Florida International University

2018 IPTES - Trace Evidence Breakout Day 2 AM - Part 1

Untangling the Relationship between Hair Microstructure and Ancestry
Sandra Koch, MS, Pennsylvania State University

An Assessment of Head Hair Comparison via Protein Profiling
Joseph Donfack, Ph.D., Federal Bureau of Investigation

Instrumental Validation of a Scanning Electron Microscope with Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy
Amy Reynolds, MA, Boston Police Department Crime Laboratory

Attenuated Total Reflection Infrared Microscopy and Charpy Impact Tester for Analysis of Automotive Paint Smears
Barry Lavine, Ph.D., Oklahoma State University

Development of Infrared Library Search Prefilters for Automotive Clear Coats from Simulated ATR Spectra
Barry Lavine, PhD, Oklahoma State University

2018 IPTES - Trace Evidence Breakout Day 2 AM - Part 2

Further Persistence Studies of PDMS Condom Lubricants
Mickayla Dustin, BS, Institute of Environmental Science and Research

Subpopulation of Fibres and Their Importance to Forensic Science
Cátia Pontedeira, MS, London South Bank University

Comparison of Intra-Roll Subclass Characteristics in Polymer Films 
Daniel Mabel, MS, Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office

The Effect of Fingerprint Chemicals on the Chemical Analysis and Comparison of Duct and Cloth Tapes
Joanna Bunford, Ph.D., New South Wales Forensic and Analytical Science Service

Integration of Pulp and Paper Fiber Microscopy into a Course on Forensic Paper Examination and Authentication
of Historical Documents for Forensic Chemistry and Art Conservation
Douglas Ridolfi, MS, Buffalo State College

Transfer and Persistence of Glass Fragments: Experimental Studies Involving Vehicle and Container Glass
Tatiana Trejos, PhD, West Virginia University

2018 IPTES - Trace Evidence Breakout Day 2 PM

Swab Touch Spray Mass Spectrometry for Rapid Analysis of Organic Gunshot Residue from Human Hand and Various Surfaces Using Commercial and Fieldable Mass Spectrometry Systems
Patrick Fedick, BS, Purdue University

Evaluation of Field-Portable GC-MS with SPME Sample Collection for Investigator Use at Fire Scenes 
John DeHaan, Ph.D., Fire-Ex Forensics, and Zachary Lawton, MS, PerkinElmer, Inc.

Forensic Sampling and Analysis from a Single Substrate: Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Followed by Paper
Spray Mass Spectrometry 
Patrick Fedick, BS, Purdue University

Identification of Organic and Inorganic Gunshot Residues by Electrochemical and Spectrochemical Methods 
Tatiana Trejos, Ph.D., West Virginia University

Instrumental Analysis of Gunshot Residue (GSR) – Reconstruction of Crime Scenes
Zachariah Oommen, Ph.D., Albany State University

Evaluation of Error Rates in the Determination of Duct Tape Fracture Matches 
Tatiana Trejos, PhD, West Virginia University