Blood in Crime Scene Investigation
At the scene of any violent crime, the examining officer is likely to find blood and traces of other bodily fluids. These are able to tell a great deal about what happened, not only regarding details of how the crime was committed, but also about the people involved.
Nearly everyone knows his or her basic blood type, and whether it is A, B, AB, or 0, and Rhesus negative or positive. This division of blood into types was first done by Austrian physiologist Karl Landsteiner at the end of the 19th century. In his experiments, he took samples of blood and separated the red cells from the liquid, which is called the serum. He did this by spinning the blood at high speed in a centrifuge. Then he took the serum and added red cells from different people. They behaved in two different ways: either the cells mixed with the serum, or they clumped together (clotted), (”agglutinated”).
Numerous attempts at blood transfusion had been made in the past, but this observation explained for the first time why so many had failed. When introduced blood was not of exactly the same type as that in the body, it produced the clumping of red cells, and the patient died. Quick tests of blood samples to discover whether agglutination will happen is now done prior to a transfusion being made.
DIVIDING BLOOD INTO GROUPS
Red blood cells contain substances called antigens. Antigens help make antibodies that fight infection and disease. Landsteiner suggested that his experiment showed the presence of two specific antigens, which he labelled A and B. The discovery of these antigens enabled him to divide human blood into four basic groups:
Group A: antigen A present; antigen B absent
Group B: antigen A absent; antigen B present
Group AB: both antigens A and B present
Group 0: both antigens absent
The specific blood group of an individual depends on the genetic inheritance from both parents. Known as ABO typing, it has been used, for example, to identify the biological father in a paternity case. How common each group is can vary from one national population to another. In the United States, for example, the relative proportions of ABO groups are roughly 39 percent A, 13 percent B, 43 percent 0, and 5 percent AB.
In 1927, Landsteiner found two other antigen types, labeling their occurrence as M, N, and MN. In 1940, working in the United States, he and A.S. Wiener discovered the Rhesus factor, named after the Rhesus monkeys they used in their investigations. Since then, other researchers have introduced more than a dozen further group systems. Different proteins and enzymes associated with specific blood groups have also been identified.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR FORENSICS
The ability to identify blood type is an excellent tool for uncovering crucial evidence in a forensic investigation. If, for example, a victim’s ABO type is 0, and bloodstains of this type are found to be on clothing of a suspect whose type is A, there is a likelihood that they have come from the victim.
Making use of the many other blood type systems now available, this probability is greatly increased. If blood of type O occurs in 43% of the population, the substance haptoglobin-2 in 36% of these, and the enzyme PGM-2 in five percent, then the probability of an individual having these three blood types together is 43 x 36 x 5 = 7,740 in one million. In other words, around 8 people in every thousand will have this specific type of blood. It’s still not enough to obtain a conviction on this evidence alone, but it can help to reduce the number of suspects.
In 1925, another valuable discovery was made. Around 80% of people are ’secretors’. This means their saliva, urine, perspiration, and semen contain the same substances as their blood, and are able to be used for typing in much the same way. In 1940, two British researchers discovered it was possible to distinguish between female and male body cells, in particular the white blood cells and those of the lining of the mouth. Blood typing has now become so precise that recently one scientist showed that he could distinguish between the blood of his twin daughters, who were genetically identical, because one had experienced chicken pox and the other hadn’t.
SPLASHES OF BLOOD
At the scene of a violent homicidal attack, blood may be present in considerable quantities. Not only will it be found on the victim, but also on the weapon and the surroundings. Indoors, the floors, walls, and even the ceilings may be splashed. Careful observation of these bloodstains can provide valuable clues about what took place. Bloodstains and splashes are classified into six basic types.
Round drops are seen on horizontal surfaces; depending on the height from which they fell, they can spray out into a starlike shape. Splashes of blood are shaped like an exclamation mark; they show that blood has flown through the air and hit a surface at an angle. While a victim is still alive, spurts of blood result from the pumping action of the heart. A major artery can spray blood a considerable distance.
Pools form around the body of a bleeding victim. If there is more than one pool, he either dragged himself, or was dragged, from one spot to another before dying. Smears are likely also found if this happens. Trails are left when a bloody body is moved. There will be drops found if the body was carried, and smears if it was dragged.
If you are looking for a Sydney Criminal Lawyer, contact Go to Court. Our Sydney Criminal Lawyer is here to help. BS14082011SCL
Fire up the Spit Roast Dad !
Everyone has their special memory of family barbecues when they were younger, with dad at the helm turning the meat. A spit roast can be described as the ultimate barbecue for an evening of socializing be it with friends or family. This is because the rotisserie serves as a centerpiece for the evening as well as a handy conversation starter. One of the greatest benefits of a spit roast is the ease of use compared to that of a traditional barbecue. No more slaving over a hot grill hoping that the meat is just right. The rotisserie takes care of even heat distribution as well as leaving the “cooks” hands free to actually enjoy the party.The only thing that a chef needs to concentrate on is the basting of the meat and veggies on the spit, one might favour a smokey hickory baste, or maybe a special family recipe. The options are boundless and only limited to ones imagination. Spit roast hire Sydney can help you get your spit roast organised with supplies and advice.
Another great benefit of the Spit roast is the ability to serve any number of people that may be present at the occasion. Did ten extra guests suddenly crash the party? No problem! just slap on another hunk of meat to the rotisserie and you’re sorted! This does not necessarily mean that one needs to cook huge amounts of meat at a time in order have a spit roast. Any number of portions can be catered for, be it two or fifty people.
It’s quite easy to assume that vegetarians would be left out of the equation when talking about a spit roast, this could not be further from the truth. There are various options available for vegetarians which involve placing different vegetables such as aubergines or squashes on the rotisserie. These can be placed right next to the meat so that everyone at the party is catered for with nobody feeling excluded. The presence of a spit roast can truly give a party a greater chance of success.
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Law firm marketing: Making the most of what you’ve got!
If the marketing strategy for your law company depends on online marketing, niche marketing to particular industries, traditional advertising, or just retaining and growing a share of your stable of clients, you’ll need to create content.
Content is an essential dynamic of legal marketing, and without it you might just as well not have a law firm marketing plan. But producing content is hard work, and you want to make the best of the material that you manage to produce. Following are several suggestions to help you use the two most reliably produced types of legal marketing content as effectively as you can.
Law Firm Marketing - Written material (blogs, email alerts, brochures, guides, information sheets)
If you have produced any quality, interesting material of any of the formats above, don’t only send it off once or print it and leave it to sit in your reception area. Distribute that content as broadly as is possible. For every item of written material you produce, consider:
- Have I distributed it to as many, relevant, clients as possible?
- Has it been loaded to my website?
- Have I sent it directly to referrers, associates and other professionals?
- Have I linked to it with a post on Facebook and a tweet on Twitter?
- Has it been sent to media contacts?
- Is everyone in the company aware of it and can they explain it in detail if a client asks about it?
- Can I transform it into a different type of content and distribute in a different form?
Law Firm Marketing - Presentations
Presentations are generally created with a particular audience in mind, or because of a particular request. Therefore they are often presented once then left to stagnate. All of the time required to prepare them results in just one presentation. To get more out of your presentation consider:
- Who else may I present it to?
- How can I let the greatest number of people know about it?
- Have I discussed it on my website, Facebook, Twitter, and suggested that I present it to others?
- Is it relevant to send the presentation in hard copy to those who were unable to attend the seminar?
- Can I record an audio or video of the presentation and distribute it via email or directly?
- Can I write an article or blog discussing questions that arose from the presentation?
- Have I sent additional content to all the people that were at the presentation?
While a lot of these ideas might feel like more work at a time when you’ve probably damaged your monthly billings with the amount of time you spent preparing the first lot of material, it is essential to remember that it is far easier to use a small amount of time now to really impact on what you’ve already produced than it is to produced a whole new piece of legal marketing material.
Improve the benefits of all the time you put into law firm marketing and you’ll discover that the next time you need to create some content you’ll feel more positive about how effective the results will be.
John Gray is a practising lawyer and the Senior Marketer at John Gray Marketing, an Australian specialist law firm and legal marketing consultancy. If you are interested in law marketing, legal marketing and marketing for lawyers, contact John Gray today.