FRSC 8104 – Criminalistics II
SPRING 2013
Lecture: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 1:00 – 1:50 PHS 322
Lab: Monday 2:00-4:50 PHS 320/321
Instructor:
Wayne Bensley, Office – PHS 306, benslewd@alfredstate.edu, 587-4558
Office Hours:
Monday and Wednesday 11:00-Noon, Friday 10:00 - Noon or by Appointment
(Note that I have an Open Door Policy for meeting with students)
Course Website:
http://web.alfredstate.edu/benslewd/Homepage.htm
Required Text:
Fundamentals of Forensic Science, 2nd Edition, (Max M. Houck and Jay A. Siegel)
Optional Text:
Fundamentals of Forensic DNA Typing (John M. Butler)
Class Information/:
Announcements
Announcements regarding schedule changes or other developments will be made in class at the earliest
possible time. Announcements or reminders will also be posted on the course website. You are
responsible for any announcements posted to the web site so make sure you check it often.
Course Description: This course is a continuation of FRSC 7104 (Criminalistics I). The students’ repertoire of forensic
techniques is extended into the general areas of chemical and biological evidence as well as the
introduction of special topics in forensic science. Specific topical focus includes recovery and analysis of
arson and explosive evidence; recovery and analysis of toxicological evidence; chemistry and analysis of
controlled substances; legal issues connected to controlled substance analysis; recovery and analysis of
blood and body fluid evidence; basic blood spatter evidence interpretation; principles and techniques of
serology and forensic DNA analysis; and an introduction to forensic anthropology, entomology,
odontology and computer and digital evidence.
Course Objectives:
At the conclusion of this course, the student will be able to:
1. Demonstrate proficiency in chemical and instrumental techniques involved in the recovery,
extraction, and analysis of arson and explosive evidence.
2. Describe the proper techniques for collection and preservation of drug, biological, and toxicological
evidence.
3. Apply proper methods of instrumental analysis to the analysis of alcohol and drugs of abuse in
biological samples.
4. Describe the physiological effects and the chemical and physical properties of major drugs of abuse
including marijuana, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and prescription narcotics.
5. Construct a valid analytical scheme for the detection, identification and quantitative analysis of
selected controlled substances, using both presumptive tests and confirmatory instrumental tests.
6. Describe the basic principles of a serological analysis and analyze various body fluids that may be
encountered in a rape or sexual assault examination.
7. Describe and illustrate blood spatter evidence to include a determination of the direction of travel,
impact angle and origin of spatter.
8. Evaluate the significance and limitations of DNA evidence in a criminal investigation.
9. Describe the theory and processes of various forms of DNA typing, operate various instrumentation
involved in the analysis of DNA evidence, and interpret the statistical significance of these
examinations.
10. Explain the fundamental concepts of forensic anthropology, entomology, and odontology, and
describe their respective roles in identification processes
11. Explain the fundamental concepts of the forensic analysis of computer and digital evidence, and
describe the role of such evidence in criminal and civil cases
Attendance:
As with the real-life example of holding a job, you are expected to attend each lecture and arrive ONTIME at 1PM. Please note that a late arrival is equivalent to an absence for the lecture on that
given day. Only absences of the type described in Academic Regulations 503 of the 1994 Student
Handbook will be accepted.
Civic Engagement
Project:
In accordance with the civic engagement initiative of Alfred State College, all members of this class will
participate in a Home-School Science Day. Students will be responsible for creating a workshop
involving hands-on learning activities in an area of physical science of their choice. Students will then
present these workshops to home schooled children from the greater Alfred community. The date, time,
and specific details of this project will be announced at a later date. Note that you MUST participate
in this project to pass the course.
Laboratory:
You are expected to attend each weekly laboratory session. Should you need to miss a session for
illness or for reasons mentioned in Academic Regulation 503 of the Student Handbook, you MUST
notify the instructor in advance so arrangements can be made for you to make up the missed work. If
you fail to notify the instructor in advance, you will NOT be allowed to make up missed work and will
receive a grade of zero for that lab assignment. If you miss two or more scheduled lab sessions the
entire semester for non-allowed reasons, then you fail the lab section of this course and thus fail
the course. A large portion of your grade for this class (30%) will be based on your ability to construct
well-written lab reports following each week’s laboratory session. Each report will be due at 1PM on
the FRIDAY after it is assigned unless announced otherwise in class. The exact information and format
of each laboratory report will vary from week to week and you will receive further details in the
laboratory sessions. Unless you are specifically told otherwise, all laboratory reports are
INDIVIDUAL assignments. These assignments will be considered to be the equivalent of a courtordered laboratory report and as such absolutely no late assignments will be accepted. Any
assignment not turned in on time will automatically receive a grade of zero (0). Clean your work
spaces before you leave the laboratory. Any workspace that is deemed unkempt by the instructor
after you leave the lab will lead to the loss of 20% of your lab grade for that week.
Written Exams:
There will be three (3) written exams on the dates listed on the schedule. Note that three written exams
may take longer than 50 minutes to complete and you are allowed a maximum of ninety (90) minutes to
complete each. As such, you should plan your personal schedule accordingly. Any exam missed
without a valid reason will be counted as a zero at the instructor’s discretion. You must contact the
instructor ahead of time if you will miss a scheduled exam to arrange for a make-up.
Final Exam:
There will also be a cumulative final exam for this course to be held during the week of May 13-16. The
exact date and time of this exam will be scheduled as per the campus-wide Final Exam matrix schedule.
Grading:
Your final grade will be determined as follows:
Laboratory Grade
30%
Exam One Grade (2/22)
Civic Engagement Project
5%
Exam Two Grade (3/29)
Cumulative Final Exam Grade
20%
Exam Three Grade (5/3)
Final letter grades will be assigned as follows:
A: 90.0-100%
B+: 87.0-89.9%
B: 80.0-86.9%
C: 70.0-76.9%
D+: 67.0-69.9%
D: 60.0-66.9%
15%
15%
15%
C+: 77.0-79.9%
F: 0-59.9%
Principles of Human Being (General Class Advice/Rules):
 The use of cell phones in class has become increasingly annoying and disruptive in the eyes of the course
instructor. The use of cell phones during the lecture hour is unacceptable, rude, and unprofessional. Any cell
phone seen during the lecture hour will be confiscated by the course instructor and held until the end of class.
Any cell phone seen on or within the reach of a student (such as in a sweatshirt pocket) during an examination
will lead to an automatic grade of zero on the examination.
 Please read, understand, and commit yourself to abiding by the Alfred State Principles of Community.
 Civility and respect for each other will govern the behavior of anyone enrolled in my classes. Obscene, harassing, or
intimidating language is not acceptable in classrooms, labs, hallways, and byways of this campus. Please demonstrate
respect for yourself, your classmates, the college staff and your professors by speaking and behaving as befits adults
in an academic environment. If you exhibit repeated immature or disrespectful behavior, I reserve the right to eject
you from class permanently.
 Academic dishonesty in any form will NOT be tolerated. This includes but is not limited to plagiarism on any
material submitted. Should you decide to cheat or plagiarize, you will receive a grade of zero on that
assignment without appeal. Should you choose to ignore this policy, you will be referred to the Academic
Integrity Committee for possible additional sanctions.
 Do not disrupt class – respect the speakers!! Off-topic chatter with your neighbors is considered disruptive and rude
and will not be tolerated. After an initial warning, all parties will be instructed to leave the classroom.
 Any student with a documented disability who needs to arrange accommodations must contact me and the Student
Learning Center at the beginning of the semester so that appropriate steps can be taken.
 Please ask questions and seek out help when you need it. I have an open door policy - if I’m in my office, I am
available to meet with students.
 Should you need extra help on any assignment, please meet with me during one of my office hours or scheduled an
appointment with me outside of class time. The lecture hour is NOT an appropriate time to ask questions
regarding individual concerns on an assignment. Should I deem it necessary to make general announcements or
answer class-wide questions regarding assignments, I will set aside time during the lecture hour to address these
concerns.
 Please feel free to approach me without fear of reprisal should you have an issue or concern with a fellow student or
with any other comment pertinent to the class and course.
FRSC 8104 – Criminalistics I I
SPRING 2013
Tentative Lecture Outline and Schedule
Class #
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
Date
1/21
1/23
1/25
1/28
1/30
2/1
2/4
2/6
2/8
2/11
2/13
2/15
2/18
2/20
2/22
2/25
2/27
3/1
3/4
3/6
3/8
3/11
3/13
3/15
3/25
3/27
3/29
4/1
4/3
4/5
4/8
4/10
4/12
4/15
4/17
4/19
4/22
4/24
4/26
4/29
5/1
5/3
5/6
5/8
5/10
Class Topic
Introduction to Course, Pre-Quiz, Intro to Separation Methods
Liquid and Solid Phase Extractions, Chromatography
Chromatography (continued), Electrophoresis
Fires and Explosions – Physical Properties of Fuels
Fires and Explosions – Chemistry of Fire, Intro to Petroleum Products
Fires and Explosions – Fire Scene Investigations
Fires and Explosions – Laboratory Analysis of Fire Scene Evidence
Fires and Explosions – Intro and Explosive Classifications
Fires and Explosions – Laboratory Analysis of Explosive Evidence
Brief History of Drugs
Drug Evidence – Intro, Statistics, Physiology
Drug Evidence – Chemical Commodities, Drug Categories
Drug Evidence – Controlled Substance Scheduling
Drug Evidence – “The 5 P’s”
EXAMINATION #1
Drug Evidence – Laboratory Analysis (Part I)
Drug Evidence – Laboratory Analysis (Part II)
Drug Evidence – Legal Issues and Clandestine Laboratories
Toxicology – Intro, Pharmacokinetics
Toxicology – Pharmacodynamics
Home School Science Day – Tentative Date
Toxicology – Post-Mortem and Behavioral Toxicology
Toxicology – Ethanol Testing (Part I)
Toxicology – Ethanol Testing (Part II)
SPRING BREAK 3/18 - 3/22
Toxicology – Workplace Drug Testing
Toxicology – Methods of Analysis
EXAMINATION #2
Serology – Intro to Blood Evidence
Serology – Presumptive and Confirmatory Tests for Blood
Serology – Antigens/Antibodies, Origin Determinations
Serology – Blood Group Systems and Body Fluids (Part I)
Serology – Body Fluids (Part II)
NO CLASS – Science and Technology Fair
Blood Spatter – Intro and Properties of Blood
Blood Spatter – Impact Angles and Source Determination
Blood Spatter – Low, Medium, High Velocity Blood Spatter
Blood Spatter – Other Patterns
DNA Testing – Intro and Overview
DNA Testing – Historical Methods
DNA Testing – Extraction, Quantitation, and Amplification
DNA Testing – STRs, Separation, Detection, Advanced Methods
EXAMINATION #3
DNA Testing – Closing Remarks
Forensic Pathology
Forensic Anthropology and Entomology
Assigned Text Reading
Ch. 6 (pp. 123-124)
Ch. 6 (pp. 125-141)
Ch. 6 (pp. 141-153)
Ch. 18 (pp. 431-439)
Ch. 18 (pp. 431-439)
Ch. 18 (pp. 439-448)
Ch. 18 (pp. 448-457)
Ch. 18 (pp. 457-463)
Ch. 18 (pp. 463-469)
Ch. 13 (pp. 305-313)
Ch. 13 (pp. 311-315)
Ch. 13 (pp. 315-328)
Ch. 13 (pp. 309-310)
None
Ch. 13 (pp. 328-333)
Ch. 13 (pp. 333-334)
Ch. 13 (pp. 334-340)
Ch. 14 (pp. 341-346)
Ch. 14 (pp. 346-348)
Ch. 14 (pp. 348-352)
Ch. 14 (pp. 355-366)
Ch. 14 (pp. 355-366)
Ch. 14 (pp. 353-355)
Ch. 14 (pp. 349-352)
Ch. 10 (pp. 229-233)
Ch. 10 (pp. 234-239)
Ch. 10 (p. 239)
Ch. 10 (pp. 239-244)
Ch. 10 (pp. 239-244)
Ch. 10 (pp. 244-247)
Ch. 10 (pp. 247-253)
Ch. 10 (pp. 247-253)
None
Ch. 11 (pp. 255-261)
Ch. 11 (pp. 263-267)
Ch. 11 (pp. 267-270)
Ch. 11 (pp. 270-281)
Ch. 11 (pp. 270-281)
Ch. 7 (pp. 157-180)
Ch. 8 (pp. 181-203) and
Ch. 9 (pp. 211-227)
NOTE: Supplemental reading assignments in addition to your textbook readings for most topics will also be
assigned in class.
While every effort is made by the professor/instructor to cover all the material in the syllabus, the order, content and/or
evaluation may change in the event of special circumstances (e.g. time constraints due to inclement weather, sickness, College
closure, technology/equipment problems or changes, etc.). In any case, students will be given appropriate notification in
writing, with approval from the department chair (or designate).
Tentative Laboratory Outline and Schedule
Week #
Date
Laboratory Title
1
1/21
Exercise #17 – Making Nylon 6,10
2
1/28
FRSC 7104 and Chemical Instrumentation Review
3
2/4
Exercise #18 – GC/MS Analysis of Accelerants – Part I
4
2/11
Exercise #18 – GC/MS Analysis of Accelerants – Part II
5
2/18
Exercise #20 – Internal Standard Caffeine Quantitation by GC-FID
6
2/25
Exercise #22 – Presumptive Testing in Controlled Substance Analysis
7
3/4
Exercise #23 – Confirmatory Testing in Controlled Substance Analysis – Part I
8
3/11
Exercise #23 – Confirmatory Testing in Controlled Substance Analysis – Part II
3/18
NO LAB – SPRING BREAK
9
3/25
Exercise #19 – Quantitative Analysis of Ethanol by GC-FID
10
4/1
Exercise #21 – UV-Vis Spectroscopy and the Quantitative Analysis of Salicylates
11
4/8
Exercise #25 – Introduction to Forensic Biology (Serology)
12
4/15
Population Genetics Workshop
13
4/22
Exercise #24 – Blood Spatter: Angles of Impact and Origin Determinations
14
4/29
Exercise #26 – PCR Based VNTR Human DNA Typing – Part I
15
5/6
Exercise #26 – PCR Based VNTR Human DNA Typing – Part II