News & Insight

How Forensic Evidence can be Retrieved Through Crime Scene Investigation: ‘The Camden Ripper’ (Part 2)

In Part 1 of this blog post we outlined how conducting house-to-house enquiries, analysing CCTV evidence and conducting property searches helped police to locate and convict serial killer Anthony Hardy for the murder and dismemberment of two prostitutes in Camden, North London.

This evidence alone, however, was not enough to convict Hardy for the murders of 29-year-old Elizabeth Valad and 34-year-old Bridget MacClennan. The police still needed to uncover more evidence to link Hardy to the horrific crimes, and this is where forensic science and innovative luminol search techniques helped towards Hardy’s eventual conviction for not two, but three murders.

How Forensic Evidence can be Retrieved Through Crime Scene Investigation: ‘The Camden Ripper’ (Part 1)

Sarah Thirkell, CSI Consultant and Forensic Trainer at Alecto Forensics, featured on Channel 5’s true crime documentary series Killer at the Crime Scene, which explores the modern forensic techniques that helped solve some of the UK’s most high-profile murders. Episode 1 uncovered the forensic strategies used by the police and forensic teams to catch Anthony Hardy, a British serial killer dubbed ‘The Camden Ripper’ for murdering and dismembering some of his victims.

Meet the Team: Julie Roberts

From conducting Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) in war zones, scenes of crime and mass fatality incidents to being an Expert Advisor in forensic anthropology and archaeology for the National Crime Agency (NCA), our Company Scientific Advisor Dr. Julie Roberts is a highly regarded expert and has made quite the name for herself in the field of forensics. Here, she offers some encouraging advice for aspiring archaeologists and anthropologists looking to break into the industry and reflects on her most memorable cases to date – including overseas deployments and the 2005 London bombings.

What does Animal Scavenging Mean for Forensics?

Animal scavenging is a major taphonomic process responsible for damage to bones and alternations to post-mortem interval estimates (Hiram-Cantu, 2014). While this is the most well-known fact about animal scavenging within the scientific community wild animals are also responsible for the dispersal of human remains. As a result, animal scavenging can have huge implications for forensics and crime scene investigation (CSI).

Meet the Team: Michelle Tanner

In the next instalment of our ‘meet the team’ series we sat down for an introduction with Michelle Tanner, who joined the Alecto team this week in the role of CSI Trainer. Having worked for sixteen years in the world of forensics for Wiltshire Police in Swindon, Michelle has a wide variety of experience in actively training both new and experienced police officers in crime scene investigation (CSI).

Reflecting on how she knew that she was ‘cut out’ for forensics, Michelle recalls the most memorable scenes she’s worked on as a CSI expert and describes the thrill of finding the evidence you’re looking for at a crime scene.

Soil Science and the Importance of Soil Conservation

World Soil Day (WSD), held annually every December 5^th, is a global initiative set up by the United Nations to raise awareness of the importance of healthy soils and to advocate for the sustainable management of soil resources. This year’s focus was on salt-affected soil and the impact of sustainable soil practices to prevent salinization.

Our expert ecologist Dr. Rosie Everett recently chaired a roundtable at the United Nation’s 2021 Climate Change Conference, with the focus of the discussion on the main ecological issues concerning climate change today. In relation to forensic ecology this considers how climate change could affect the analysis that ecologists do to provide support for major crime investigations, with one of the main points from Dr. Everett’s seminar being the impact of changes in soils associated with flooding.

How Ecologists Solve Major Crime Using Forensic Botany

Plant science and its applications have been studied for thousands of years, first being explored by naturalist Ulisse Aldrovandi (1522-1605) who was considered the father of natural history with his research including the study of plants. In 1665 polymath Robert Hook discovered cells in cork, and later on in living plant tissue. However, what many people are surprised to hear is how plant science, known in the forensic setting as forensic botany, can be used to help solve modern-day crimes.

The Uses and Applications of Archaeology in Forensic Investigations

Archaeology has many different functions in the field of forensics. The application of archaeological techniques within forensics enables forensic archaeologists to make connections between objects, human remains and the burial/deposition environment. In addition, forensic archaeological recording techniques can provide accurate data capture, which can then be used to assist vital reconstruction of a scene.

The Three Principles of Crime Scene Investigation

Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) involves the complex and rigorous examination of evidence which ultimately ends with a criminal prosecution. This work is carried out by Crime Scene Investigators who are trained in the identification, recovery and recording of evidence from a multitude of different crime scenes – including buildings, people (be that victim, suspect or witness), transport or areas of land or water.

How Radiocarbon Analysis of Skeletal Remains can Determine Year of Birth and Death

The following article is based on research by G. T. Cook, L. A. N. Ainscough and E. Dunbar.

Radiocarbon dating can be particularly useful in establishing the age of a sample rich in carbon, including hair, bone, blood residue, textiles, fabrics, wood, charcoal, plant fibres, and pollen. Traditionally, it is most frequently used to determine whether human remains or evidence items are of archaeological or forensic significance.

Forensic Access Group acquires Faraday Forensics

Forensic Access Group has recently completed the acquisition of Faraday Forensics. This is the latest acquisition by the Forensic Access Group, building on the success of Forensic Access and following the recent acquisition of IntaForensics and Alecto Forensic Services, all of which supports an ambitious growth strategy aimed at creating a leading international forensic and criminal justice services organisation.

How Diatom Analysis can be Integrated into Forensic Ecology Strategies

Diatom analysis, as a forensic investigation technique, is a fairly niche tool. It has many applications in forensic investigations, such as direct environmental analysis in soil and water samples, alongside being present in human tissue, hair, and material adhesion. This particular form of evidence evaluation sees species identification merge with ecological interpretation.

Meet the Team: Adam McConochie

When it comes to the world of forensics, you could call Adam McConochie a Jack of all trades, master of ecology. In his current role he is an Ecology Services Manager and Quality Adviser, and his wealth of experience in the ecology disciplines has rendered him an integral member of the Alecto Forensics team.

The Power of Digital Imaging in Forensic Investigations

Digital imaging has many uses in the field of forensics, encompassing a broad spectrum of disciplines from body reconstruction and visualisation to crime scene reconstruction and injury mapping. We caught-up with Alecto Forensics’ digital imaging specialist David Harrison to discuss how forensic imaging can be used to help build a case.

Meet the Team: Rosie Everett

We sat down for an introduction and interview with Rosie Everett, Forensic Ecologist at Alecto Forensics. Rosie has been a member of team Alecto since April 2019 and joined the company full time in 2021.

Meet the Team: Gaille MacKinnon

We sat down for an introduction and interview with Gaille MacKinnon, Lead Forensic Anthropologist and a Lead Forensic Archaeologist here at Alecto Forensics. Gaille is a senior reporting scientist and an experienced member of the team, having been a consultant in these disciplines since 1998.

Alecto Forensics: Training Excellence

Alecto Forensics is an internationally recognised forensic services and training provider, widely regarded as the market leader for delivering Crime Scene Investigation courses. We offer a wide range of CSI and associated courses and are happy to discuss bespoke training needs.

Everything You Need to Know About Diatoms in Forensics

It’s time to shine a spotlight on one of forensic science’s emerging disciplines: diatom analysis. Contrary to what you might think, diatom testing is not a new area of forensic analysis. Some of the earliest research into diatoms as a method for investigating drowning cases started emerging in the late sixties – early seventies.