Behind the Crime Scene

Version Control for Forensic Reports: Track Drafts, Changes, and Audit Trails

Version Control for Forensic Reports: Track Drafts, Changes, and Audit Trails

Version control for forensic reports ensures every edit is tracked, who made it, and when. It’s not optional-it’s essential for legal defensibility, compliance, and avoiding costly errors in investigations.

Industrial Accident Cleanup: How to Handle Large-Scale Biohazards

Industrial Accident Cleanup: How to Handle Large-Scale Biohazards

Industrial biohazard cleanup after major accidents requires professional teams, regulated disinfectants, and strict safety protocols. Learn how contaminated sites are assessed, contained, cleaned, and verified to meet OSHA and EPA standards.

Evidence Packaging Materials: How to Choose the Right Containers for Forensic Integrity

Evidence Packaging Materials: How to Choose the Right Containers for Forensic Integrity

Choosing the right evidence containers isn't optional-it's essential for preserving forensic integrity. Learn how kraft paper, plastic bags, and cardboard boxes must be selected, sealed, and labeled to maintain chain of custody and ensure courtroom admissibility.

Evidence Security: Physical Controls and Access for Lab Accreditation

Evidence Security: Physical Controls and Access for Lab Accreditation

Physical controls are the backbone of evidence security in forensic labs. Learn how locks, biometrics, surveillance, and access logs ensure lab accreditation and court-admissible evidence integrity.

Cold Case Reanalysis: How New DNA Tools Are Solving Decades-Old Crimes

Cold Case Reanalysis: How New DNA Tools Are Solving Decades-Old Crimes

New DNA tools are solving cold cases once thought unsolvable. From bloodstains to genealogy databases, forensic science has entered a new era where decades-old crimes are closed in days-not decades.

Shotgun Evidence: How Wads, Pellets, and Gauge Reveal the Firearm Used

Shotgun Evidence: How Wads, Pellets, and Gauge Reveal the Firearm Used

Forensic experts use shotgun wads and pellets to determine gauge, shot size, and ammunition type. Learn how wad measurements, pellet weight, and new imaging tech like DECT help solve crimes involving shotguns.

CSI Certifications from the International Association for Identification: How to Get Certified and Why It Matters

CSI Certifications from the International Association for Identification: How to Get Certified and Why It Matters

IAI CSI certifications are the gold standard for crime scene professionals. Learn the three certification levels, eligibility rules, training requirements, and why this credential matters more than a degree in many forensic jobs.

Contact, Intermediate, and Distant Gunshot Wounds: Forensic Indicators Explained

Contact, Intermediate, and Distant Gunshot Wounds: Forensic Indicators Explained

Forensic experts use distinct wound patterns to determine if a gunshot was fired at contact, intermediate, or distant range. Each distance leaves unique signs - from muzzle imprints to stippling - that help solve crimes.

Training Exercises for Photographic Documentation: Real-World Scenarios

Training Exercises for Photographic Documentation: Real-World Scenarios

Photographic documentation training teaches how to capture meaningful, accurate images for forensic, educational, and tactical contexts. Learn practical exercises like the 100 Paces method, five-minute action shots, and the three-point art documentation system.

Registry Analysis: Windows System Information for Digital Forensics

Registry Analysis: Windows System Information for Digital Forensics

Windows Registry analysis is a cornerstone of digital forensics, revealing user activity, installed software, network connections, and malicious persistence. Learn how to extract and interpret key registry hives like SAM, SYSTEM, and NTUSER.DAT for forensic investigations.

Latent Print Cards: Proper Labeling and Storage for Forensic Evidence

Latent Print Cards: Proper Labeling and Storage for Forensic Evidence

Proper labeling and storage of latent print cards ensures fingerprint evidence remains usable in court. Follow state standards for orientation, packaging, and elimination prints to avoid contamination and rejection by forensic labs.

Foundation for Business Records in Digital Forensics: What Makes Evidence Admissible in Court

Foundation for Business Records in Digital Forensics: What Makes Evidence Admissible in Court

Business records in digital forensics must meet strict legal standards to be admissible in court. Learn the three key requirements under Rule 803(6), why chain of custody is non-negotiable, and how to build a foundation that holds up under legal scrutiny.