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Given 5 clues that involved a review of my newly obtained knowledge on forensics: fingerprints, hair/ fiber evidence and lipstick my group and I were required to identify the individual who might have committed the murder.

Clue 1: A set of 4 prints, thumb is missing. Through careful observations my group and I determined that the fingerprints were produced from the right hand. Once identified these four prints included 2 whorls and 2 tented arches.  





Clue 2: Being a hair/ fiber sample the evidence had to be observed underneath a microscope to distinguish that this sample was in fact a hair sample that was most likely color treated. 





 






Clue 3: A torn up note was also found and after assembling the pieces the note read, "You will never find her!"







Clue 4: Following the same steps for Clue 2 this sample was identified as African American hair.













Clue 5: This piece of evidence could either be a blood stain or a lipstick smudge. Further investigation would be required to determine the mark.









Drug Lab 

     Through the use of 3 stimulated drugs: "cocaine", "LSD" and "methamphetamine", also known as "meth" my group and I were required to use each drug reagent in order to see if each sample would test positive for any of drug reagents. We were unable to test substances for meth because its reagent wasn't available at the time. Before I was able to start testing the substances I had to put a small amount of the substance into a beaker and shake. This step allowed myself and other classmates to have more drug to work with. After placing a couple of drops on the clear test plates we added each of the reagents to the drops and took its pH to determine if the substances were cocaine or LSD. By completing this lab I was able to get the feel on how forensic scientists are able to determine if an unknown substance is a drug.




Data


With drug analysis we used various indicators on various samples to test for the presence of cocaine, which turns blue, LSD, which turns yellow, and meth. We also tested the pH using pH paper. Test Results:

Drug	pH	Cocaine	LSD	Meth
1	6 (no change)	Positive	Negative
2	9 (dark green)	Positive	Negative
3	3 (orange)	Negative	Positive
4	8 (lime green)	Positive	Negative
5	6 (no change)	Positive	Negative
6	3.5 (orange)	Negative	Positive

Poison Lab

     Prior to starting this lab we were asked to think of possible poisons. But first it helps to know the definition of a poison: a substance that, when introduced into or absorbed by a living organism, causes death or injury. Here are a few that myself and group members came up with: Pesticide, bug bites, antifreeze, and lead. A poison can also be a material that an individual is allergic to for instance, sugar for diabetics, and milk for individuals who are Lactose Intolerant. Symptoms of poison can be enlarged pupils, bleeding out of the eyes, nose, mouth and ears, nausea and a difference in skin tone.
     For this activity we were to test to see if the any of the six given substances were poisonous. For aspirin, iodine, sugar, cyanide,  a household cleaning product and metal poison, each substance had their own indicators located nearby. By completing this lab I realized that poison can play a major role in revealing criminals because there was probably a reason on my a criminal might have used the poison for an individual case. For example, maybe the killer knew that the victim was diabetic so he/ she overdosed the individual as their means of murder. This could now limit forensic scientists to look for individuals who were close to the victim and knew that he/she was diabetic.