Forensic Implications of Biting Behavior: A Conceptually Underdeveloped Area of Investigation (original) (raw)

Forensic bitemark identification: weak foundations, exaggerated claims

Journal of law and the biosciences, 2016

Several forensic sciences, especially of the pattern-matching kind, are increasingly seen to lack the scientific foundation needed to justify continuing admission as trial evidence. Indeed, several have been abolished in the recent past. A likely next candidate for elimination is bitemark identification. A number of DNA exonerations have occurred in recent years for individuals convicted based on erroneous bitemark identifications. Intense scientific and legal scrutiny has resulted. An important National Academies review found little scientific support for the field. The Texas Forensic Science Commission recently recommended a moratorium on the admission of bitemark expert testimony. The California Supreme Court has a case before it that could start a national dismantling of forensic odontology. This article describes the (legal) basis for the rise of bitemark identification and the (scientific) basis for its impending fall. The article explains the general logic of forensic identif...

Dog-bite-related attacks: A new forensic approach

Forensic Science International, 2020

Dog attacks today represent a health hazard considering that prevention strategies have not always been successful. The identification of the dog that attacked the victim is necessary, considering the civil or criminal consequences for the animal's owner. An accurate scene analysis must be performed collecting a series of important information. Forensic investigations in dog attacks involve different methods, such as the evaluating of the canine Short Tandem Repeat (STR) typing in saliva traces on wounds or bite mark analysis, however, these techniques cannot always be applied. The effort to find new methods to identify the dog that attacked the victim represents a very interesting field for the forensic community. This study aims to propose an innovative approach, based on the identification of the victim's profile in the dog's mouth, using a buccal swab on the suspected aggressor dog, to find the victim's genetic profile. In addition, a further goal of this study is to determine the persistence time of hexogen DNA in the dog's mouth to define a timeframe for performing this particular technique. For this purpose, ten different dogs were used to aggressively bite a bovine sample (reference sample) to simulate the victim. For each dog two buccal swabs were taken at different time intervals: 30 0 , 45 0 , 60 0 , 90 0 , 120 0 , 150 0 , 180 0 and 240 0. The typing of the swabs provided an interpretable profile after 45 0 while traces of bovine profile were found until 150 0 after the dog attack simulation. These results could be improved using the human identification kit, which is more sensitive. In the light of this experimental study, the forensic community should consider using this approach in real casework studies with the aim of collecting new data, validating this technique for forensic use.

Forensic studies of dog attacks on humans: a focus on bite mark analysis

Research and Reports in Forensic Medical Science, 2015

The interaction between domestic animals and humans has not been free of conflicts, and dog attacks represent a real problem, not only for the health consequences, but also for the possible criminal, and can affect the legal or financial outcomes. Dogs' teeth have particular features, and the resulting bite marks are a major point of forensic interest mainly in the absence of witnesses or in cases where postmortem dog interference can be misinterpreted. An appropriate forensic approach should include an exhaustive analysis of the scene, the victim, and the dog. Bite marks must be discriminated from other traumas, and the familiarity of the investigator with different patterns of animal behavior can be of great importance in the correct assessment of the offending specie. A scientific inclusion/exclusion of the dog involved is possible and also recommended because of the possible consequences for the owner of the animal. Since dog bite mark analysis should involve different forensic professionals such as pathologists, odontologists, veterinarians, biologists, and also police investigators, a review focused on this type of evidence from a multidisciplinary point of view is presented. Prevention and mitigating strategies focused on both breed-specific legislation and the legal responsibility of the owner for the dog's behavior are discussed.

Selection of test bites records as part of a forensic bite mark analysis protocol

Egyptian Journal of Forensic Sciences

Background: Test bites have been recommended for collecting evidence of suspected dentition in bite mark analysis. However, these recommendations only suggest recording the interocclusal relationship without establishing number of records or characteristics to obtain proper records. This fails to consider not only the possibility that the recording material did not respond properly, but also that the evaluator has not detected simulations, habits or parafunctions that may affect the tests. Methods: This research establishes differences between three wax test bites taken from the same subjects to determine if the first bite offered the best quality. Results: No significant statistical association was found between the number of test bites recorded and respective quality. The interrater agreement produced almost perfect and substantial agreements. Conclusion: There is no significant evidence that a first and only test bite is the highest quality test bite. Therefore, it is recommended to take more than a single bite test in controlled situations.