Forensic scientist’s blog

Tribunal p?nal f?d?ral. Les deux accus?s principaux sont vis?s, alors que les quatre autres encourent de 8 ? 24 moisLe Tribunal p?nal f?d?ral a requis quatre ans de prison contre les deux accus?s principaux dans l�affaire du scandale immobi...

An oxcarbazepine-related fatality with an overview of 26 oxcarbazepine postmortem cases.

Forensic Sci Int. 2007 Nov 22;

Authors: Linnet K, Steentoft A, Simonsen KW, Sabers A, Hansen SH

We present an oxcarbazepine-related fatality together with an overview of 26 postmortem cases involving oxcarbazepine observed during the period 2001-2006. The fatality case concerned a 27-year-old woman with epilepsy, who was found dead in her bed. Oxcarbazepine and its active metabolite, 10-hydroxycarbazepine, were the only compounds detected. The concentrations of oxcarbazepine were as follows: femoral blood, 2.9mg/kg; muscle, 1.8mg/kg; liver, 0.9mg/kg; gastric content (300ml), 860mg/kg; and vitreous humour, not detected. The concentrations of 10-hydroxycarbazepine were as follows: femoral blood, 66mg/kg; muscle, 40mg/kg; liver, 62mg/kg; gastric content, 27mg/kg; and vitreous humour, 25mg/kg. The analyses were performed by HPLC-DAD after liquid-liquid extraction. Oxcarbazepine intoxication was regarded as a possible cause of death. For the other 26 cases, the 10-hydroxycarbazepine concentrations ranged from 2.2 to 48mg/kg with a median of 25mg/kg.

PMID: 18036757 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

(Source: Forensic Science International)

by team UAB, slhIs new science always better, or are we approaching virtual insanity?In cases of suspicious death, the procedure does not damage or destroy key forensic evidence, as can happen during a conventional autopsy.

by blogger jglThis case really irks me. First off, I'll be the first to admit that mistakes can be made in labs and it is entirely possible for false positives to occur. I will feel extremely bad for this guy if it turns out the lab made a mistake. ...

Abstract  The role of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has rapidly progressed from being a research tool to an ancillary pre-autopsy
imaging technique and now an adjunct of the postmortem (PM) examination. In this review, we describe our experience with the
use of PM MRI over the last 6 years in more than 300 fetal PM examinations, initially as research and finally the most recent
use in 30 pediatric coronial autopsies. The pediatric pathologist and the neonatal and fetal radiologist retrospectively measured
the impact on diagnosis at each stage of the development of the technique together. All imaging techniques have the advantage
of being non-invasive, more acceptable to the public, especially certain religious groups and provide a permanent record of
the features observed.

Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Radiology ReviewDOI 10.1007/s12024-007-9017-5Authors
Marta C. Cohen, Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust Histopathology Department Western Bank Sheffield S10 2Th UKElspeth Whitby, University of Sheffield Academic Radiology Sheffield S10 2JF UK

Journal Forensic Science, Medicine, and PathologyOnline ISSN 1556-2891Print ISSN 1547-769X (Source: Forensic Science, Medicine, and Pathology)

By Andreas Schuster
Copyright © 2007 int for(ensic){blog;}. All rights reserved.

Lance Mueller has released an EnScript that searches a memory dump for MFT entries.

As Lance Mueller writes, the script searches the memory dump for occurances of FILE0 and FILE* signatures. Hence it unveils entries in the NTFS master file table (MFT) that are kept in the operating system's cache.

I tried the script on a memory dump of 128 MiB that I obtained from a test system. The host was operating Windows XP SP2 under low load, next to idle. Under these conditions the script managed to carve more than 1600 MFT entries from the memory image.

Fore every entry found the script creates a bookmark. In addition it reports the find to the EnCase console:

Filename: fu.exe				Parent MFT Record#: 3761

SIA_Created: 2007-01-24 19:42:23 SIA_Modified: 2006-01-04 00:36:40
   SIA_Entry_Modified: 2007-05-17 16:26:11  SIA_Accessed: 2007-05-25 18:35:26
FNA_Created: 2007-01-24 20:36:41 FNA_Modified: 2007-01-24 20:36:41
   FNA_Entry_Modified: 2007-01-24 20:36:41 FNA_Accessed: 2007-01-24 20:36:41

By Andreas Schuster
Copyright © 2007 int for(ensic){blog;}. All rights reserved.

Guidance Software's EnCase provides the forensic examiner with a powerful scripting language, called EnScript. Beside the vendor-operated fora there's not much information about EnScript circulating in the net. A blog by Lance Mueller fills some need here.

Beside lots of interesting scripts the blog there is also an EnScript tutorial waiting for the reader. Unfortunately Mueller decided to publish his scripts in EnPack format, so the source isn't readable even in EnCase. This way the author tries to prevent unauthorized modifications of his scripts, which is quite understandable. But usually Mueller explains the functionality and discusses some code samples. So there is still a lot to learn!

Current status of accreditation for drug testing in hair.

Forensic Sci Int. 2007 Nov 14;

Authors: , Cooper G, Moeller M, Kronstrand R

At the annual meeting of the Society of Hair Testing in Vadstena, Sweden in 2006, a committee was appointed to address the issue of guidelines for hair testing and to assess the current status of accreditation amongst laboratories offering drug testing in hair. A short questionnaire was circulated amongst the membership and interested parties. Fifty-two responses were received from hair testing laboratories providing details on the amount and type of hair tests they offered and the status of accreditation within their facilities. Although the vast majority of laboratories follow current guidelines (83%), only nine laboratories were accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 for hair testing. A significant number of laboratories reporting that they were in the process of developing quality systems with a view to accrediting their methods within 2-3 years. This study provides an insight into the status of accreditation in hair testing laboratories and supports the need for guidelines to encourage best practice.

PMID: 18024039 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

(Source: Forensic Science International)

Drug intelligence based on MDMA tablets data I. Organic impurities profiling.

Forensic Sci Int. 2007 Nov 14;

Authors: Weyermann C, Marquis R, Delaporte C, Esseiva P, Lock E, Aalberg L, Bozenko JS, Dieckmann S, Dujourdy L, Zrcek F

The main objectives of the European project "Collaborative Harmonisation of Methods for Profiling of Amphetamine Type Stimulants" (CHAMP) funded by the sixth framework programme of the European Commission, included the harmonisation of MDMA profiling methods and the creation of a common database in a drug intelligence perspective. In the preliminary stages of this project, the participating laboratories analysed the physical characteristics, the chemical composition and the organic impurities of MDMA tablets, using the previously harmonised methods. The aim of the present work was to apply statistical treatments to the recorded data in order to evaluate their potential in the fight against drug trafficking. Comparable working procedures were applied on the different types of data. The first part of this article deals with organic impurities data, while the second part focuses on the potential of the physical characteristics. Organic impurities data were recorded by a harmonised Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) method previously developed. Statistical analysis provided a selection of pertinent variables among the 46 organic impurities identified in the chromatograms. Correlation coefficients were used to yield separation between populations of samples coming from the same synthesis batch and samples coming from different batches. It was shown that correlation measurements based on Pearson and cosine functions applied to the data pre-treated by normalisation to the sum of peak responses followed by the square root provided an excellent discrimination between the two populations. The statistical methods applied to organic impurities profiles proved to be excellent techniques to differentiate samples from different batches and to highlight operational links between samples.

PMID: 18024038 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

(Source: Forensic Science International)

Determination of ibogaine and noribogaine in biological fluids and hair by LC-MS/MS after Tabernanthe iboga abuse Iboga alkaloids distribution in a drowning death case.

Forensic Sci Int. 2007 Nov 14;

Authors: Chèze M, Lenoan A, Deveaux M, Pépin G

Tabernanthe iboga belongs to the Apocynaceae family. In this study, we report the case of a 37-year-old black male working as a security agent in Paris and found dead naked on the beach in Gabon after consumption of iboga. Autopsy revealed a drowning fatality and a myocardial abnormality (myocardial bridging). Samples of blood, urine, bile, gastric content, liver, lungs, vitreous, spleen and hair were taken. Biological fluids were liquid-liquid extracted with saturated NH(4)Cl pH 9.5 and methylene chloride/isopropanol (95/5, v/v) in presence of clonazepam-d(4), used as internal standard. After decontamination with dichloromethane, hair was cut into small pieces then sonicated for 2h in saturated NH(4)Cl pH 9.5 before extraction by methylene chloride/isopropanol (95/5, v/v). After evaporation the residues were reconstituted in methanol/ACN/formate buffer pH 3, from which 10muL were injected into an ODB Uptisphere C(18) column (150mmx2.1mm, 5mum) and eluted with a gradient of acetonitrile and formate buffer delivered at a flow rate of 200muL/min. A Quantum Ultra triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer was used for analyses. Ionization was achieved using electrospray in the positive ionization mode (ESI). For each compound, detection was related to three daughter ions (ibogaine: m/z 311.4-->122.1, 174.1 and 188.1; noribogaine: m/z 297.4-->122.1, 159.1 and 160.1; clonazepam-d(4): m/z 319.9-->218.1, 245.1 and 274.1). Ibogaine and noribogaine were detected in all autopsy samples. Hair segmentation was not possible as hair was very short and frizzy. Concentrations of 1.2 and 2.5ng/mg, respectively were detected. Neither other licit or illicit drugs nor alcohol were found. The presence of ibogaine and noribogaine in all autopsy samples was consistent with the recent absorption of Tabernanthe iboga, which was assumed to be responsible of the drowning fatality. The history of exposure, regarding hair analysis, is discussed. LC-MS/MS appears to be the best method for analyzing complex and poorly volatile alkaloids in autopsy samples and particularly in hair, due to the presence of a nitrogen ring and the relatively low concentrations to be measured.

PMID: 18024037 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

(Source: Forensic Science International)