ladies and gentlemen of the fdiai, year. all the vice
TRANSCRIPT
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Ladies and Gentlemen of the FDIAI, I want to welcome all the members to the last quarter of 2020. This year is almost complete! Traditionally, as President this would be my last message to the membership. This year things are different. We were unable to hold an election due to the Corona Virus. Therefore, it has been decided by the FDIAI Board of Directors that all elected positions will be carried over until next year and we will have full elections at next year’s conference. All regional directors will be carried over for another year. All the Vice-Presidents, The President, and the Chairman of the board will maintain in their current position until the next election. The 2021 FDIAI Educational Conference will be held October 24th – 29th at the Bonaventure Resort and Spa in Fort Lauderdale Florida. I know that everyone will be eager to contribute having two years of new case studies and information. I look forward to this upcoming year as an overflowing cornucopia of member participation. We have been all working diligently. Gathering knowledge, growing our field of expertise and we are eagerly ready to share this wealth of knowledge we have gathered this year. The FDIAI has multiple outlets for all our members to contribute their talents to this organization. If you are a writer, I implore you to dispense your wisdom to others through this newsletter as we are always looking for fresh concepts to disperse valuable information. If your talents are more theatrical, please contact your regional director to speak at a regional meeting or Morgan Hayes our speaking coordinator so that you can present your experiences and expertise at the next conference. Since my first day as a member I have always been most impressed by this organizations natural warmth and inviting nature. The humility of all its members willingness to listen and promote positive feedback. Please remember that the entire board is here to serve you the member and continue to make this the best organization for forensic professionals. This past year has been a year of reflection and growth for me personally and for this organization. I look forward to all incredible progress that awaits us all. Adelante!
JP Rodriguez FDIAI President
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FDIAI Presidents Message .......................................................................................................................... 2
FDIAI 2019-20 Officers .............................................................................................................................. 4
FDIAI Secretary/Treasurer Update .................................................................................................................................................... 5
FDIAI Region 1 Update/Spotlight ............................................................................................................... 6
FDIAI Region 3 Update .............................................................................................................................. 7
FDIAI Region 4 Spotlight .......................................................................................................................... 8
FDIAI Region 4 Spotlight .......................................................................................................................... 9
FDIAI Region 6 Update ............................................................................................................................ 10
Case Review: Going Down the Rabbit Hole with Forensic Infrared Photography ................................... 11
2008 Case Study: Multiple Scenes, Multiple Cities, and a First-Degree Murder Conviction .................. 12
OSAC Recognizes the International for Identification (OSAC Newsletter) ............................................. 16
American Academy of Forensic Sciences Standard Board Published Standards (ASB News) ................ 17
FDIAI New Members ................................................................................................................................ 19
Frank A. Reinhart Scholarship Fund 2020 Report .................................................................................... 20
Frank A. Reinhart Scholarship Fund ......................................................................................................... 21
FDIAI 2019-20 Committee Appointments ................................................................................................ 22
The Florida Division Newsletter is the official publication of the Florida Division of the International Association for Identification. The views expressed in the articles contained in the FDIAI Newsletter do not necessarily represent the views of the FDIAI or its Editor. The Division neither guarantees, warrants, nor endorses the views or techniques presented, but offers the information to the membership. Some articles may contain processes utilizing chemicals, or combinations of chemicals which may be hazardous or potentially hazardous to the user’s health. It is strongly recommended that the appropriate precautions be exercised when using such chemicals. The FDIAI assumes no responsibility for the use of procedures, chemicals, or combinations of chemicals as set forth in any article.
If you would like to submit an article for the
next Newsletter, please e-mail the Editor at
December 15, 2020
Seeking Articles...
CHAIRPERSON
Ronald Mueller
Florida Department of
Law Enforcement
4700 Terminal Dr
Fort Myers, FL
(941) 268-1847
PRESIDENT
JP Rodriguez
Broward Sheriff’s Office
201 SE 6 Street, Rm. #1799
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33301
(954) 831-8896
1st VICE PRESIDENT
Jessica Meade-Matias
Seminole County Sheriff’s Office
100 Bush Blvd.
Sanford, FL 32773
(407) 665-5095
2nd
VICE PRESIDENT
Teresa Bryant
Jupiter Police Department
1210 Military Trail
Jupiter, FL 33458
3rd VICE PRESIDENT
Cameron Stauffer
Broward Sheriff’s Office
201 SE 6 Street, Rm. #1799
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33301
SECRETARY/TREASURER
William Schade
4444 Worthington Circle
Palm Harbor, FL 34685
(727) 259-3332
EDITOR
Ronald Mueller
Florida Department of
Law Enforcement
4700 Terminal Dr
Fort Myers, FL
(941) 268-1847
HISTORIAN
Brian Cerchiai
Miami-Dade Police Department
9105 NW 25th Street
Miami, FL 33172
(305) 471-3269
EXHIBITOR COORDINATOR
William Schade
(727) 259-3332
FRANK A. REINHART
SCHOLARSHIP FUND
TRUSTEES
Debbie Sellery
(407) 878-8875
Glen Calhoun
(954) 589-0628
John Lazzaretto
(305) 761-2106
William Schade
(727) 259-3332
CONFERENCE PLANNER
Larry Stringham
(239) 849-8644
SPEAKER COORDINATOR
Morgan Hayes
(904) 360-7160
WEBMASTER
James Kammerer
(954) 540-8890
IAI REGION REP.
John Lazzaretto
(305) 761-2106
SERGEANT AT ARMS
Danny Formosa
Coral Gables Police Department
2801 Salzedo Street
Coral Gables, FL 33134
(305) 460-5479
CHAPLAIN
Debbie Sellery
(407) 878-8875
REGIONAL DIRECTORS
REGION 1
Daniel E. Schrader
ESCAMBIA COUNTY SHERIFF’S
OFFICE
1700 W. LEONARD ST.
PENSACOLA, FL 32501
(850) 436-9303
REGION 2
Deana O’Campo
Gainesville Police Department
P.O. Box 1250
Gainesville, FL 32602
(352) 393-7677
REGION 3
Nancy Sulinski-Steffens
IPTM
12000 Alumni Drive
Jacksonville, Fl 32224
REGION 4
Donna Carmichael
St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office
4700 W. Midway Road
Fort Pierce, FL 34981
REGION 5
Sharon Plotkin
11380 Nw 27 Avenue
Miami, FL 33167
305-237-8260
REGION 6
Kasey Buckner Bragner
Cape Coral Police Department
P.O. Box 150027
Cape Coral, FL 33907
(239) 574-0665
Herman Moulden 1991
Kathleen L. Taft 1992
Glen Calhoun 1993
Julie Shoff 1994
M. Frank Shonberger 1995
Thomas Fadul 1996
Debbie Fischer 1997
Jay Mullins 1998
James Kammerer 1999
Vincent Chew 2000
William Schade 2001
Harold Ruslander 2002
Bud Haemmerle 2003
Philip Sanfilippo 2004
Daneale Gomer 2005
Michael E. Berkland 2006
Janice Johnson 2007
Gary Brannen 2008
Koren Colbert 2009
Erica Lawton 2010
King Brown 2011
Haria Haught 2012
Joel Smith 2013
Igor Pacheco 2014
Morgan Hays 2015
Lawrence Stringham 2016
Brian Cerchiai 2017
Christine Snyder 2018
Ron Mueller 2019
John W. Tyler 1959-1961
Tom W. Boen 1962
John F. Timmes 1963
Alex Russak 1964
William Knight 1965
Patrick Hickey 1966
William H. Scott, Jr. 1967
Thomas J. Spurlock 1968
Charles W. Gilbert 1969
Douglas Monsoor 1970
Jim Wingate 1971
Fredrick A. Emrich 1972
Robert Grant 1973
Charles Jacobs 1974
William Leonard 1975
Thurman R. Ray 1976
Richard Snowberger 1977
Ronald Boswell 1978
Jim Murray 1979
Edgar T. Pickett Jr. 1980
Richard Hall 1981
Martin McLeod 1982
Francis Hitchew 1983
Frank A. Reinhart 1984
William McQuay 1985
Charles W. Miller 1986
Walter J. Steeb 1987
James B. Gettemy 1988
John Lazzaretto 1989
Samuel McMullin 1990
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Past Presidents in bold are members w/voting rights
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Greeting from the office of Secretary/Treasurer. As our fiscal year ends, we can all reflect on the changes we have experienced this year and try to anticipate what the future holds. The FDIAI Board of Directors will be discussing issues and preparing for change through the coming months. The physical meeting planned for August had to be cancelled and the board will not meet in person until April 2021. In the interim we will hold either a virtual meeting or an e-mail vote in October to conduct essential business. All reports will be posted in the members area of the website for your review as soon as they are approved. Although we have been unable to meet in person, the board stays in contact and the business of the association is conducted efficiently. If a member has a question or something to bring to the board’s attention, they can reach out to their regional director or the board chairman.
There have been a number of virtual training classes and conferences scheduled to assist practitioners in attaining the training hours they need to maintain proficiency and certifications. Watch the association website and our Facebook page for updates on those opportunities. There are also plans for virtual training to be conducted by our regional directors during the coming months. Virtual trainings are announced via email to region members and posted on the FDIAI website.
Membership renewal notices will be sent out in late October and remains a bargain at $35 dollars a year. The first invoice is sent out via e-mail and payment can be made by credit card or check. Payments are due on January 1st of each year and cover the 12-month period of January-December.
While we are talking dues payments, I would like to acknowledge the ten members of the association who reached “Life” membership status this year. These members completed 25 years of membership and support of the association. Congratulations to Jason Byrd, Robert Crowetz, Dena Weiss, Gabriele Suboch, Adrienne Bell, Sharon Rachlin, Carol Raines, Roberta Case, Debbie Elwell and Rebecca Wolf.
Finally, the Florida Division joins all members of the International Association for Identification in mourning the loss of Robert “Bob” Garrett. Bob was an active member of the IAI and held several offices of the association over his many years of service. Bob was currently working as Director of the Forensic Certification Management Board. Although no one is irreplaceable, his passing leaves a huge gap to fill. To his family and friends, on behalf of all the members of the FDIAI, we send our condolences, thoughts, and prayers. May he rest in peace.
William Schade
Secretary/Treasurer
Secretary/Treasurer Update
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Region 1 Spotlight — by Region 1 Director Daniel Schrader
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Unit is manned by hard-working, dedicated people who take their job seriously. The unit averages ap-proximately 2400 calls for service annually (including follow-ups and court appearances). In an effort to assist the unit Commanders, the Sheriff’s Office made the decision to create a Crime Scene Unit Supervisor position. I am pleased to announce that Certified Crime Scene Analyst Lacey Oden was pro-moted to this position.
Lacey has been employed at the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office for almost 15 years. In 2006, at the age of 18, she started her career at the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. Her first position was as a Detention Assistant at the Central Booking Center. A year later, she was ready to expand her career into the field of forensics. She was promoted to Evidence Technician, where only after a few months she had made a lateral move into the Crime Scene Unit as a Crime Scene Technician. She was the first certified ECSO member to obtain the International Association of Identification (IAI) Crime Scene Analyst Certification. She graduated with honors from Oklahoma State Uni-versity with a Master in Forensic Science. As of September 2020, she had investigated over 5,600 crime scenes. She has received Letters of Appreciation for expert testimony from Assistant State Attorney Bridgett Jensen (2015), Alvin Myers (2016), and Sheriff David Mor-gan (2015), and a Unit Citation and Certificate of Special Congres-
sional Recognition for forensic work on the Billings homicide investigation (2010). She has been invited to various universities and colleges as a guest speaker on various disciplines in fo-rensic science. Lacey received the Survivor Support Star Award from The Escambia/Santa Rosa Sexual Assault Response Team for instructing SANE nurses on forensic photography and chain of custody (2019). She was awarded Law Enforcement Employee of the quarter (2018), and Law Enforcement Employee of the Year (2019). In addition, she is a certified FDLE Instructor and a part -time Vocational Instructor for Escambia County School District, where she instructs cadets at the Law Enforcement Academy on scene security and preservation, crime scene pro-cessing, fingerprint examination, and court-room testimony. In September 2020, she was pro-moted to Crime Scene Supervisor for Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, one of few civilian su-pervisory roles at the Escambia Sheriff’s Office. She says that she has grown up within the walls of this agency, and it has shaped the person she is today. “This is my home, these are my people, and I love coming to work every day. I have a difficult job, I have seen the best and worst of hu-manity, but I am able to be a voice for those who can no longer speak. It is the most rewarding aspect of this job. In the words of Albert Einstein, “The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.” I look forward to what the future holds and hope I make my son proud.”
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Region 3 Update — Nancy Sulinski-Steffens Summary of Current Activities: Region 3 is continuing efforts to develop current members for areas of expertise and information sharing among the FDIAI members. These out-reach efforts have been incorporated with the newly created FDIAI Re-gion 3 (private) Facebook Group. This professional online group contin-ues to grow and expand networking capabilities to encourage more par-ticipation within the local Forensic community. Congratulations to Yaiza Santiago from the Lakeland Police Department on winning the FDIAI Region 3 Facebook Group Scavenger Hunt Con-test! Thank you to all that participated in this fun contest. Congratulations to Hernando Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) Forensics Unit who obtained the Crime-lite ML PRO, a rapid-evidence screening tool. The HCSO is the first agency in the United States to receive this state-of-the-art equipment! Congratulations to Tampa Police Department on a fingerprint identifica-tion that led to an arrest of a 20 years old cold rape and burglary case! Many agencies are restricting or limiting travel for training. With this in mind, Region 3 will be hosting the first ever, live virtual FDIAI regional training! This virtual format training opportunity will provide quality training for the FDIAI members who may be affected by travel restrictions. See below for details. Upcoming Training: October 16, 2020, 1000-1400hrs Virtual Live Zoom Meeting Forensic Chemical Overview: This course will provide you with in-depth instruction on the correct procedures to take when processing foren-sic evidence at a crime scene or in a lab. This course will focus on locating, documenting and chemically pro-cessing forensic evidence on various substrates. This virtual course will provide lecture and demonstrative tech-niques for proper processing of porous and non-porous surfaces, best practices for presumptive tests and tech-niques for chemical search methods including Bluestar Forensic. A basic overview of timed exposure will also be covered to document Bluestar results. Employment Opportunities within Region 3: Sincerely, Nancy Sulinski-Steffens Region 3 Director
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Region 4 Spotlight - by Region 4 Director Donna Carmichael
The Two Kings of Region 4 (Part 2)
In part one we talked about our King that is in the north end of our region, Kyle King who is the Criminal Investigations Lieutenant for the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office. In part 2
we will introduce you to our King that is from the south end of the region.
King Brown is the Crime Scene Commander Supervisor with the City of West Palm Beach Police Department. He joined the Police Department in June of 2000. Prior to that he was a
hired as Crime Scene Technician with the City of Hollywood Police Department in 1986. He earned his Master’s & Teaching Degree in Criminal Justice from
Florida International University Miami, Florida. King holds certifications with the IAI as a Senior Crime Scene Analyst, Latent Print Examiner, and Forensic Photographer. King is
the official photographer for the FDIAI and was the President of the FDIAI in 2011. He is the President of the Gold Coast Forensic Association which has 227 members and holds bi-monthly forensic training meetings (which
have been put on hold due to Covid). King teaches for the FDIAI, IAI, Forensic Pieces, Taylor Group, Benchmark Group, Eastern Florida State College, and Palm Beach
Atlantic University. King is on the Advisor Board for the West Palm Beach Keiser University Campus.
King along with his wife, Dawn Watkins teach numerous
Crime Scene and Photography Classes all over the United States. He even teaches about photography on cruise ships.
King was featured in the May/June issue of the Boca
Magazine. He is also the Hard Rock Pin Master for Hard Rock Café Hollywood, Florida and in his free time he likes to travel especially to collect Hard Rock Pins.
So let’s compare the two. Both Kings have been with their agency for many years. They both
are supervisors of Crime Scene Units and have a passion for photography. Both are certified in photography as CFPH by the IAI. Both teach for various organizations and they are more than happy to share that knowledge with everyone. They are both members of the FDIAI. You can
call either King at any time and they are more than happy to help you. And the single most important thing that keeps them both going is that they have wonderful wives and children. We are very fortunate to have a King at each end of Region 4.
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Region 4 Spotlight
Amanda Enos-Wise
By: Region 4 Director Donna Carmichael
We would like to congratulate one of our former
FDIAI Region 4 members Amanda Enos-Wise. She was recently promoted to the position of Crime Scene Supervisor at the Gwinnett County Police
Department.
Amanda is from West Palm Beach where she interned with Palm Beach Gardens from September
2009 to September 2011. After her internship, she worked with the Fort Pierce Police Department from October 2011 to March 2014 as a Crime
Scene Investigator. In 2014, Amanda moved to Georgia where she went to work for the Gwinnet County Police Department.
Amada has a Bachelor's of Science degree in Criminal Justice with a minor in Psychology from the University of Central Florida. She is holds
certifications as a Crime Scene Analyst through IAI, Crime Scene Technician and General Instructor through Georgia P.O.S.T, and a certified
Marijuana Examiner through Georgia Bureau of Investigations.
Amanda was able to attend our annual conference last year and hopes to attend it again in 2021.
Congratulations Amanda on all of your dedication and hard work.
If you know of any Region 4 FDIAI current or former members that has moved up the ranks, please let me know so that we can highlight them.
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Region 6 Update — Kasey Buckner-Brager
I hope you are all doing well, staying healthy and staying safe! Un-fortunately, 2020 has been a dud for putting on regional trainings. Several of us, including myself, are more than excited to get back to training and teaching whenever we receive the green light to do so.
With the anticipation of being able to have trainings next year, I am hoping to make up for our lack of this year. I have a lot in the works and I’m hoping that I will be able to pull them all off! To get you excited and ready, here is a preview of what I have planned for 2021:
Photography 4 Day Series
This class will be 4 days spread out through the year. It will cover basic, nighttime, ALS/Lab and Bluestar, and IR. You can choose to attend all of the series or pick one that interests you.
Footwear Impression Evidence: From the CSI to the Examiner
This class will cover proper documentation, photography and collection of footwear evidence and how those as-pects effect the footwear examination. There will be hands on activities for several portions of this class.
Chemical Processing in the Lab
This class will cover chemicals and techniques used in the lab for latent processing.
Developing Latent Prints on Your “Problem Child” Items
This class will be a presentation on several items that have been difficult for many to develop latent prints on. I consider these items my “problem child” or “problem children” and they have taken me many years and several trial runs to figure out.
There are a few more classes in the planning stages; alternate light source basics, blood spatter and latent analysis.
I look forward to seeing you next year!
Sincerely,
Kasey Buckner-Brager
FDIAI Region 6 Director
FDIAI Crime Scene S & P Chair
.
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Case Review: Going Down the Rabbit Hole with Forensic Infrared Photography By: Investigator Matthew Sides, CSCSA Criminal investigations may be solved relatively quickly, or they can take days, weeks, months and sometimes even years to complete. Those that are more involved are often death investiga-tions or complex fraud cases, but there are times when even a simple conveyance burglary in-vestigation could become a lengthy process. Often times, these cases require cooperation from other law enforcement agencies from various jurisdictions, further complicating the investiga-tion. This particular investigation began as a common conveyance burglary that evolved into a felony credit card fraud and grand theft case. In the end, the case would be solved with out-standing police work and the use of forensic infrared photography. When a credit card is stolen, suspects usually waste no time using the card and racking up charges before the victim is even aware their card is missing. In December of 2013, a convey-ance burglary was discovered. It was reported that the suspect gained entry into a 2013 Cadillac CTS located in the parking area of a gym in Gainesville, Florida. The victim came to realize that his wallet containing credit cards and other important items were missing from the center con-sole of the vehicle. Of course, one of the stolen credit cards was used multiple times before the victim had a chance to cancel the cards. The stolen card was used at a gas station and again at two different Walmart stores totaling over $1000 dollars in charges. The vehicle was processed for latent prints but were later found to be of no value for comparison or entry into Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems. Detectives assigned to the case were able to track down one of the purchases made at Walmart with the assistance of the Loss Prevention Officer. This purchase was captured on surveillance video from multiple cameras and angles. The suspect, an unknown white male, was observed making the fraudulent purchases in the electronics department of the store. He wore a New Or-leans Saints hat and appeared to have a tattoo located on the back side of his lower right leg. Unfortunately, the tattoo was not clearly visible in the video. The suspect exited the store, got into a waiting dark colored truck, believed to be a Ford Ranger or similar style, then left the ar-ea.
Detectives responded to the gym where the original location of the incident occurred and showed still photographs of the suspect taken from the surveillance video to gym employees to see if the suspect could be recognized. None of the employees recognized the suspect as a mem-ber of the gym. An internal bulletin was published at the Gainesville Police Department (GPD), but the only person resembling the suspect was eliminated. A public bulletin was then published which generated two more possible identifications, but they too were eliminated as possible sus-pects.
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In April of 2014, the two electronic items purchased were tracked via recorded serial numbers. Only one device was able to provide detectives with enough information to contact the owner. Contact was made, and the owner stated that the item was purchased at a pawn shop in Tampa, Florida. The owner of the pawn shop was not exactly cooperative and tried giving detectives the run around. In June of 2014, detectives drove down to the pawn shop accompa-nied by Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) detectives. GPD and HCSO detectives were able to ascertain that both elec-tronic devices were sold to the pawn shop by the same person. This person also happened to be a personal friend of the owner of the pawn shop which clearly explained the lack of cooperation. As luck would have it, the suspect returned to the pawn shop to sell yet more items while detectives were still present at the store. Contact was made with the seller who stated that the items were purchased through Craigslist from an individual named “Chris” who drove a Ford truck. The seller provided detectives with a phone number for “Chris”. A search of the number revealed the identity of “Chris” who had ties to the Gainesville area. Further in-vestigation revealed the cousin of “Chris” was the ex-wife of a possible suspect. A Facebook search provided a profile for the sus-pect and in the Facebook photos a white male was observed wear-ing a New Orleans Saints hat, similar to the one worn during the purchase of one of the electronic devices at Walmart. The ex-wife was contacted by GPD to identify the unknown white male on the surveillance video. Prior to viewing the surveillance video, the ex-wife stated that her ex-husband has a distinctive tat-too on the back of his lower right leg described as a “spike with an eyeball in the middle”. Within seconds of viewing the surveillance video, the suspect was positively identified (Figure 1). Attempts were made to contact the suspect, but it was learned that he was out of state for work and wasn’t scheduled to return to Gainesville until mid-August 2014. It would not be until October 2016 that the suspect finally returned to the Gainesville area. Contact was made with the suspect who was found to have a new cover up tattoo which completely cov-ered the old tattoo (Figure 2). The prosecutor assigned to this case requested that infrared photographs be taken in an effort to reveal the original tattoo underneath the new tattoo. Figure 2
Cover-up Tattoo
Figure 1 Still image from the surveil-lance video that depicts the
tattoo on the lower right leg.
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I had not yet received any formal training on the use of the IR camera and so I was given a crash course by another seasoned investigator who had in depth knowledge and experience. My training would occur just 10 minutes before the suspect was ex-pected to arrive at GPD. Using a converted Nikon D300s and a set of Peca infrared filters, I photographed the new tattoo with my fingers crossed. To my surprise and relief, I was able to capture the original tattoo underneath the new one within the first three photographs of the first IR filter (Peca #914) (Figure 3). After showing the photographs to both the prose-cutor and defense attorney, the suspect later pled to all charges to include burglary of an unoccupied conveyance, grand theft III and felony fraudulent use of a credit card. This case has proven that it takes not only dedication and persistence when investigat-ing crime, but it also takes patience. With the cooperation and hard work of everyone involved and the use of forensic infrared photography, this case was solved.
Investigator Sides is an IAI Certified Senior Crime Scene Investi-gator with the Gainesville Police Department. He is experienced in many different sub-fields of forensic science including Medi-colegal Death Investigation, Bloodstain Reconstruction, Shooting Incident Reconstruction, Latent Print Analysis and Comparison and Crime Scene Photography. In addition to his responsibilities as an investigator, he also serves as a Field Training Officer for Police Officers, Police Service Technicians and Forensic Investigators. Additionally, Investigator Sides teaches crime scene processing and introductory photog-raphy as well as courtroom testimony. He is a member of the Flori-da Division of the International Association for Identification.
Figure 3 Original tattoo revealed with a Nikon D300 converted for infrared photog-
raphy and a PECA #914 filter.
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FDIAI Crime Scene S&P Committee Article Submission
2008 Hit and Run Case Study: Multiple Scenes, Multiple Cities, and a First-Degree Murder Conviction
By: Patti Patruno Crime Scene Unit Manager Plantation Police Department On 10/26/08 I was called out to a possible hit and run scene. Officers advised that a witness saw a body on the side of the roadway and vehicle leaving the area. By the time I responded to the scene officers and detectives had gathered more information. They advised me of the following: two adult males had been in an altercation in a roadway approximately 2 miles from the scene were the body was discovered. One male left the scene and returned a short while later in his ve-hicle. He then proceeded to run the victim over several times before finally leaving the scene with the victim attached to the undercarriage of the vehicle. It is unclear if the suspect knew the victim was stuck beneath the car when he fled, but he pulled over the vehicle and removed the victim from his car and drove away. There were three separate and distinct scenes for this incident. The scene where the altercation took place, the scene where the body was found and the scene where the suspect car was recov-ered. I arrived at the first scene around 5:20am and it was still dark out. It also looked like it was going to rain. The victim had severe injuries and road rash to his body. His scalp had been per-fectly shaved away and there was a clear view of his brain. His entire shoulder blade was ex-posed. His clothes were barely recognizable from the friction. I began my documentation at the initial scene. The accident scene had minimal evidence. His wallet and glasses were found on the roadway. I photographed that area and then started walk-ing, photographing the blood on the roadway as I went. Fiber and blood evidence could be found on the roadway for almost the entire length the body was dragged. The victim’s cell phone was also found in the roadway on the route drive. At the scene of the victim, there was also minimal evidence. Fibers and blood were found around the body. There were no car parts or debris found anywhere. The vehicle was located later that same night a few cities away. The suspect had the vehicle washed and detailed. Armorall wipes and cleaning rags were found inside the car. It also ap-peared as if the suspect was going to abandon his vehicle somewhere, he had started removing the radio and speaker system. The vehicle was photographed as found and towed to the PD pending a search warrant. When the warrant was obtained, we had the vehicle towed to the city garage to utilize their vehicle lifts. Because the vehicle had been washed there was no visible or trace evidence on the body of the vehicle.
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Once the vehicle was lifted, however, it was clear that the car wash did not do as thorough a job on the undercarriage of the car. Blood, tissue and fiber evidence was all found underneath the vehicle. It was very clear where the victim had become attached. Swabs and fibers were collect-ed and matched the victim in this case. DNA later linked the victim to the vehicle. He was convicted of first-degree murder and aggra-vated assault with a deadly weapon and sentenced to 12 years and 5 years to be served consecu-tively. Two things I learned from this scene: First, don’t be afraid to ask for help on larger scenes. Be-cause of the time of day and impending weather I should have asked for a second technician to come out and help me. It did rain on us for a little while and I’m sure some of the blood and fi-bers washed away before they could be photographed. It would have been more beneficial to have one technician start at each scene and work towards each other. Second, don’t forget to look under things. I usually hear the reminders to look up at crime scenes but remember to look under things as well. Especially on vehicles.
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OSAC Recognizes the International Association for Identification
Professional Organization Spotlight (From the OSAC Newsletter Summer 2020) The International Association for Identification by OSAC FSSB IAI representative Steve Johnson The International Association for Identification (IAI) is the oldest and one of the largest associations of forensic professionals in the world. With over 7000 mem-bers, the IAI represents international public, private and government practition-ers of forensic science and law enforcement. Members range from those begin-ning or considering a career in forensics to seasoned experts. Many are consid-ered leaders in their field. Many IAI members are certified in one or more of the eight disciplines overseen by the Forensic Certification Management Board (FCMB) and have received their certification from the IAI following a series of rigorous written and practical examinations. Those eight disciplines are Latent
Print Examination, Tenprint Examination, Bloodstain Pattern Analysis, Forensic Photography, Forensic Video, Crime Scene, Footwear and Forensic Art. Over 2,300 forensic specialists are certified through the IAI and FCMB. The purpose of the IAI is to bring together practitioners of forensic identification, investigation, and scientific examination of physical evidence into an organized body and to promote standardization and effective scientific practice. Other goals include: • Encouraging the enlargement and improvement of the forensic sciences. • Encouraging research in the forensic sciences. • Keeping members appraised of the latest techniques and discoveries in the forensic sciences. • Employing the collective wisdom of the profession to advance the forensic sciences. • Providing training, education and the publication of information in forensic science disciplines rep-
resented by the Association. • Providing educational opportunities throughout the year at international and regional conferences. There are approximately 75 IAI members working to develop standards within OSAC. Additionally, dozens of IAI members are activity involved in the standards development process through participa-tion on consensus bodies and other standards development organization committees. In early 2014, the IAI was one of six forensic science associations invited to the NIST Gaithersburg campus to discuss the formation and implementation of OSAC. Pursuant to the IAI’s goals, development and adoption of standards across the spectrum of forensic disciplines is essential to the services provided to our many practitioner members. Many IAI members are serving OSAC in a leadership capacity as they apply to the specific disciplines represented by our Association. IAI continues to provide our members the latest information and accomplishments from OSAC through our annual conference and by sharing OSAC’s Newsletter, In Brief and, when appropriate, blast emails in order to maintain transparency and clarity regarding the OSAC mission.
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Forensic Standards Published and Open for Comments
Taken from the American Academy of Forensic Sciences Standards Board (ASB) Newsletter – September 25, 2020
The AAFS Standards Board (ASB) is pleased to announce the publication of two new American National Standards.
• ANSI/ASB Standard 035, Standard for the Examination of Documents for Alterations, First Edition, 2020 This document establishes the minimum required procedure(s) used by Forensic Document Examiners (FDE) in the examination of documents for alterations.
• ANSI/ASB Standard 077, Standard for the Developmental and Internal Validation of Forensic Sero-logical Methods, First Edition 2020 This standard provides requirements for developmental and internal validations of forensic serological methods to evaluate body fluids, stains, or residues related to forensic investigations.
ASB documents are available for download in the Published Documents portion of the ASB website.
ASB Documents Open for Public Comment
The ASB encourages all interested parties to provide comments on documents in progress. The following doc-uments are available for Public Comment:
• Recirculation* – ASB Best Practice Recommendation 050, Best Practice Recommendation for Pho-tographic Documentation of Footwear and Tire Impression Evidence, First Edition (Comment Deadline, November 2, 2020)
• Recirculation* – ASB Standard 054, Standard for a Quality Control Program in Forensic Toxicology Laboratories, First Edition (Comment Deadline, October 5, 2020)
• ASB Standard 076, Standard for Training and Certification of Canine Detection of Human Remains: Human Remains on Land, First Edition (Commend Deadline, October 26, 2020)
• Recirculation* – ASB Standard 125, Organizational and Foundational Standard for Medicolegal Death Investigation, First Edition (Comment Deadline, November 2, 2020)
• Recirculation* – ASB Standard 130, Standard for Training in Forensic DNA Amplification Methods for Subsequent Capillary Electrophoresis Sequencing, First Edition (Comment Deadline, October 26, 2020)
• Recirculation* – ASB Standard 131, Standard for Training in Forensic DNA Sequencing using Ca-pillary Electrophoresis, First Edition (Comment Deadline, October 26, 2020)
• ASB Standard 136, Forensic Laboratory Standards for Prevention, Monitoring, and Mitigation of DNA Contamination, First Edition (Comment Deadline, September 28, 2020)
• Recirculation* – ASB Standard 137, Standard for Examination and Documentation of Footwear and Tire Impression Evidence, First Edition (Comment Deadline, November 2, 2020)
• ASB Standard 140, Standard for Training in Forensic Human Mitochondrial DNA Analysis, Interpre-tation, Statistical Evaluation, and Reporting, First Edition (ASB Comment Deadline, November 2, 2020)
*Please note that comments on a re-circulation will only be accepted on revised sections of a document, comments made to text not revised from the original public comment period will not be accepted.
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NEW MEMBERS
CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR MEMBERSHIPS
Angela Antonic Tampa PD
Yalena Corton Margate PD
Alixandria Devito Gabriele Margate PD
Linsi Greenberg Melbourne PD
Britney Hickman FDLE Fort Myers
Ashley Humphries Sarasota PD
Valerie Hunt Melbourne PD
Ashley Luna Student
Kimberly Major Associate
Melissa Marcinek Okeechobee County SO
Cheyenne Remkes Charlotte County SO
Erica Schoolcraft Student
Jessica VanDornick Charlotte County SO
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FRANK A. REINHART SCHOLARSHIP FUND 2020 REPORT
The trustees of the Reinhart Scholarship fund are pleased to announce that they were able to award a total of four (4) scholarships this year. This is due to the generous contributions of association members and the sup-port of the Florida Division of the International Association for Identification. The trustees made a concerted effort to be generous to deserving applicants during these times of uncertainty. Educational outreach is just one way that the Florida Division reaches out to support our members and their families. Recipients of scholarships for 2020 are:
Claire Daugherty
Nicole DeAngelo
Brandon Lam
Kyler O’Leske
Congratulations to all and we wish you continued success in your studies!
TRUSTEES
John Lazzaretto 5583 North Durango Terrace
Beverly Hills, Fl. 34465 [email protected]
Glen Calhoun, Chief Operations Officer International Association for Identification
2131Hollywood Blvd. Suite 403 Hollywood, Florida 33020
Deborah L. Sellery
5231 Shoreline Circle Sanford, Fl. 32771
William Schade FDIAI Secretary/Treasurer.
4444 Worthington Circle Palm Harbor, Fl. 34685
CHAIRPERSON
Ronald Mueller
Florida Department of
Law Enforcement
4700 Terminal Dr
Fort Myers, FL
(941) 268-1847
PRESIDENT
JP Rodriguez
Broward Sheriff’s Office
201 SE 6 Street, Rm. #1799
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33301
(954) 831-8896
1st VICE PRESIDENT
Jessica Meade-Matias
Seminole County Sheriff’s Office
100 Bush Blvd.
Sanford, FL 32773
(407) 665-5095
2nd
VICE PRESIDENT
Teresa Bryant
Jupiter Police Department
1210 Military Trail
Jupiter, FL 33458
3rd VICE PRESIDENT
Cameron Stauffer
Broward Sheriff’s Office
201 SE 6 Street, Rm. #1799
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33301
SECRETARY/TREASURER
William Schade
4444 Worthington Circle
Palm Harbor, FL 34685
(727) 259-3332
EDITOR
Ronald Mueller
Florida Department of
Law Enforcement
4700 Terminal Dr
Fort Myers, FL
(941) 268-1847
HISTORIAN
Brian Cerchiai
Miami-Dade Police Department
9105 NW 25th Street
Miami, FL 33172
(305) 471-3269
EXHIBITOR COORDINATOR
William Schade
(727) 259-3332
FRANK A. REINHART
SCHOLARSHIP FUND
TRUSTEES
Debbie Sellery
(407) 878-8875
Glen Calhoun
(954) 589-0628
John Lazzaretto
(305) 761-2106
William Schade
(727) 259-3332
CONFERENCE PLANNER
Larry Stringham
(239) 849-8644
SPEAKER COORDINATOR
Morgan Hayes
(904) 360-7160
WEBMASTER
James Kammerer
(954) 540-8890
IAI REGION REP.
John Lazzaretto
(305) 761-2106
SERGEANT AT ARMS
Danny Formosa
Coral Gables Police Department
2801 Salzedo Street
Coral Gables, FL 33134
(305) 460-5479
CHAPLAIN
Debbie Sellery
(407) 878-8875
REGIONAL DIRECTORS
REGION 1
Daniel E. Schrader
ESCAMBIA COUNTY SHERIFF’S
OFFICE
1700 W. LEONARD ST.
PENSACOLA, FL 32501
(850) 436-9303
REGION 2
Deana O’Campo
Gainesville Police Department
P.O. Box 1250
Gainesville, FL 32602
(352) 393-7677
REGION 3
Nancy Sulinski-Steffens
IPTM
12000 Alumni Drive
Jacksonville, Fl 32224
REGION 4
Donna Carmichael
St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office
4700 W. Midway Road
Fort Pierce, FL 34981
REGION 5
Sharon Plotkin
11380 Nw 27 Avenue
Miami, FL 33167
305-237-8260
REGION 6
Kasey Buckner Bragner
Cape Coral Police Department
P.O. Box 150027
Cape Coral, FL 33907
(239) 574-0665
Herman Moulden 1991
Kathleen L. Taft 1992
Glen Calhoun 1993
Julie Shoff 1994
M. Frank Shonberger 1995
Thomas Fadul 1996
Debbie Fischer 1997
Jay Mullins 1998
James Kammerer 1999
Vincent Chew 2000
William Schade 2001
Harold Ruslander 2002
Bud Haemmerle 2003
Philip Sanfilippo 2004
Daneale Gomer 2005
Michael E. Berkland 2006
Janice Johnson 2007
Gary Brannen 2008
Koren Colbert 2009
Erica Lawton 2010
King Brown 2011
Haria Haught 2012
Joel Smith 2013
Igor Pacheco 2014
Morgan Hays 2015
Lawrence Stringham 2016
Brian Cerchiai 2017
Christine Snyder 2018
Ron Mueller 2019
John W. Tyler 1959-1961
Tom W. Boen 1962
John F. Timmes 1963
Alex Russak 1964
William Knight 1965
Patrick Hickey 1966
William H. Scott, Jr. 1967
Thomas J. Spurlock 1968
Charles W. Gilbert 1969
Douglas Monsoor 1970
Jim Wingate 1971
Fredrick A. Emrich 1972
Robert Grant 1973
Charles Jacobs 1974
William Leonard 1975
Thurman R. Ray 1976
Richard Snowberger 1977
Ronald Boswell 1978
Jim Murray 1979
Edgar T. Pickett Jr. 1980
Richard Hall 1981
Martin McLeod 1982
Francis Hitchew 1983
Frank A. Reinhart 1984
William McQuay 1985
Charles W. Miller 1986
Walter J. Steeb 1987
James B. Gettemy 1988
John Lazzaretto 1989
Samuel McMullin 1990
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Past Presidents in bold are members w/voting rights
SCIENCE AND PRACTICES COMMITTEES
CHAIRPERSON Ron Mueller (941) 268-1847
CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION
CHAIRPERSON Kasey Buckner (517) 202-5179
Danny Formosa (305) 460-5479
Joel Smith (772) 871-5140
Patti Patruno (561) 262-1254
LATENT PRINT IDENTIFICATION
CHAIRPERSON Morgan Hays (904) 360-7160
Dawn Watkins (561) 799-4543
Cameron Stauffer (305) 471-2970
Lauren Tirollo (239) 278-7170
BIOMETRIC IDENTIFICATION
CHAIRPERSON Haria Haught (352) 797-3796
R. Scott Barnett (239) 793-9172
Christian Rivas (954) 831-5936
FOOTWEAR AND TIRE TRACK IDENTIFICATION
CHAIRPERSON Dr. Christine Snyder (407) 665-6492
Dianne McConaghey (813) 878-7297
Ronald Mueller (941) 268-1847
FORENSIC PHOTOGRAPHY AND ELECTRONIC IMAGING
CHAIRPERSON Robert Wyman (786) 246-8100
Neil Zielinski (561) 688-4271
King Brown (561) 822-1711
Kyle King (772) 978-6135
BLOODSTAIN PATTERN IDENTIFICATION
CHAIRPERSON Janice Johnson (850) 698-6929
Dr. Gabriele Suboch (239) 410-0699
Kinsey Boylan (352) 754-6830
Kayla Limb (772) 462-3341
GENERAL FORENSICS
CHAIRPERSON Roberta Case (863) 679-4186
Teresa Bryant (239) 849-8644
Dr. Jason H. Byrd (352) 294-4091
FRANK REINHARDT SCHOLARSHIP FUND TRUSTEES
Glen Calhoun (954) 589-0628
Debbie Sellery (407) 878-8875
John Lazzaretto (305) 761-2106
William Schade (727) 259-3332
LONG RANGE PLANNING
CHAIRPERSON JP Rodriguez (954) 831-8896
Jessica Meade-Matias (407) 344-5207
Teresa Bryant (239) 849-8644
Cameron Stauffer (305) 471-2970
RESOLUTIONS AND LEGISLATIVE
CHAIRPERSON Teresa Bryant (239) 849-8644
John Lazzaretto (305) 761-2106
Glen Calhoun (954) 589-0628
William Schade (727) 259-3332
MEMBERSHIP
CHAIRPERSON William Schade (727) 259-3332
All Regional Directors
EDITORIAL REVIEW
CHAIRPERSON Ron Mueller (941) 268-1847
James Kammerer (954) 540-8890
Harold Ruslander (561) 688-4593
Philip Sanfilippo (800) 438-7884 x7800
INVESTMENT
CHAIRPERSON John Lazzaretto (305) 761-2106
Glen Calhoun (954) 589-0628
James Kammerer (954) 540-8890
CONFERENCE
Conference Planner Lawrence Stringham (239) 574-0665
Asst. Conference Planner James Kammerer (954) 540-8890
Speaker Coordinator Morgan Hayes (904) 360-7160
Asst. Speaker Coordinator Jessica Meade-Matias (239) 849-8644
Exhibitor Coordinator William Schade (727) 259-3332
Asst. Exhibitor Coordinator John Lazzaretto (305) 761-2106
Asst. Exhibitor Coordinator Jennifer Lagomasino (561) 876-3134
Registration Patti Patruno (561) 262-1254
Conference Photographer King Brown (561) 822-1711
Conference Photographer Dawn Watkins (561) 799-4543
Glen Calhoun (954) 589-0628
Debbie Sellery (407) 878-8875
NOMINATING
Past Presidents
As a member of the International Association for Identification, and being actively engaged in the Profession of Scientific Identification and Investigation, I dedicate myself to
the efficient and scientific administration thereof in the interest of Justice and the betterment of Law Enforcement.
To cooperate with others of the profession, promote improvement through research, and disseminate such advancement in my effort make more effective the analysis of the
expert. To employ my technical knowledge factually, with zeal and determination, to protect the ethical standards of the profession of Scientific Identification and
Investigation.
I humbly accept my responsibility to Public Trust and seek Divine guidance that I may keep inviolate the Profession of Law Enforcement.
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