Chapter II

INTRODUCTION TO FORENSIC
CHEMISTRY

Dr. Jun Carino Corpuz

RMT., RN., MACT., US-RN., PH.D
DOH Accredited Drug Analyst
FORENSIC CHEMISTRY
 Application of Chemical Principles
in the examination of physical
evidences
 Chemistry applied in the
elucidation of legal problems
Role of Forensic Chemistry
a. Speedy investigation
b. Solution of crimes
Chemical findings are used in:
a. Convicting the guilty
b. Clearing the innocent
Roles…:
a. Aid the investigator
- Determines if specimen
collected is effective for such
examination
b. Analyses of:
- Blood - Other Body Fluids
- Metals - Textile fibers
- Poisons - Gunpowder
- Wines - Dangerous Drugs
- Hair - Glass Fractures
c. Able Microscopist, Physicist and a
Photographer
d. Perception gathered by organ
senses are imparted to others
e. Does not fall in any exemptions
provided by the Rules of Court
Scope of Forensic Chemistry
a. Includes the chemical side of
investigation
b. Analysis of material leading to
legal proceedings
c. Not only purely chemical
questions but aspects of
Forensic Science
Forensic Sciences:
a. Legal Medicine
b. Ballistics
c. Questioned Documents
d. Dactylloscopy
e. Photography
Stages in the Practice of Forcnsic
Chemistry
1. Collection or Reception of the
specimen to be examined
a. Sufficiency of the specimen
b. Standard for comparison
c. Maintenance for individuality
d. Labeling and Sealing
2. Actual Examination of Specimen
a. Scrutinize, document complete
description of external
appearance, manner of collection
and secured.
b. Take photographs if possible
c. Weigh, measure, record
3. Communication of Results
- A written report is made by the
chemist
4. Court Appearance
- Oral evidence is done if the case
is brought to court
Factors Contributing to the Loss of
Physical Evidence
a. Lack of Precautions Preventing
Tampering of Specimen
b. Failure in Preservation
c. Failure in transport of specimen
d. Failure in Identifying the specimen
e. Improper Packing of Specimen
Six Golden Rules
a. Go slowly
b. Be thorough
c. Consult others
d. Use imagination
e. Take notes
f. Avoid complicated theories
Types of Examination Used
a. Qualitative Examination
- “What?”
b. Quantitative Examination
- “How much?”
Methods Of Analyses
a. Wet Method
- Requires much time and
effort
b. High Precision Method
- UV and IR Spectrophometry
Techniques Used in Forensic
Chemistry
a. Microscopy
- Magnify and resolve fine details
b. Photography
- Preservation of evidence
c. Invisible Rays
- Uses UV.,IR.,X-Ray
d. Chromatography
- Separation of the constituents
of a solution or colloidal
dispersion
e. Electrophoresis
- Migration of particles to
opposite electrode
f. Spectrography
- Elemental Analysis
g. Laser Technique
- Innovation of spectrography
h. Mass Spectrometry
- Analyses samples in the MW
i. Spectrophotometry
- Measures concentration of
various elements or
compounds
j. Neutron Activation Analysis
- Uses nuclear reactor
k. X-Ray Diffraction Analysis
l. DNA Typing
- aka DNA profiling
- DNA found in the sample
m. Forensic Entomology
- Study of different insects
n. Atomic Absorption
- Detects trace element
Characteristics of Tools and
Techniques Used

a. Sensitivity
b. Specificity
c. Rapidity
Principles Used in Forensic
Chemistry
a. Law of Individuality
- Every object, natural or man-
made has an individuality which
is not duplicated in any other
object.
b. Law of Progressive Change
- Everything changes with the
passage of time.
c. Principle of Comparison
- Only “likes” can be compared
d. Principle of Analysis
- The analysis can be no
better
than the sample analyzed
e. Law of Probability
- All identifications, definite
or indefinite, are made
consciously or
unconsciously
on the basis of probability
Crime Scene Vocabulary
Crime Scene
- Any physical location in which a
crime has occurred
- Or is suspected of having
occurred.
Types of Crime Scenes
a. Primary Crime Scene
- The original location of a
crime or accident.
b. Secondary Crime Scene
- An alternate location, such as
where additional evidence
may be found.
Suspect
- Person thought to be capable of
committing a crime.
Accomplice
- Second person associated with
committing a crime.
Alibi
- Statement of where a suspect
was
at the time of a crime.
Evidence
Is a means, sanctioned by law, of
ascertaining in a judicial
proceedings the truth respecting
a matter of fact.
Kinds of Evidence
a. Testimonial Evidence
- Would be any witnessed
accounts of an incident or
crime.
b. Physical Evidence
- Any material items that would
be
present on the crime scene or
the
victims.
- Presented in a crime
investigation
to prove or disprove the facts
Examples…
DNA
Body itself
Weapon used
Pieces of carpet
Blood and other body fluids
Fingerprints, or casts of
footprints or tire prints.
c. Trace Evidence
- Refers evidence that is found at
a
crime scene in small but
measurable amounts.
Scientific Evidence
- The means sanctioned by law, of
ascertaining in a judicial
proceeding the truth respecting a
matter of wherein scientific
knowledge is necessary.
Forms of Scientific Evidence
a. Real or Autoptic Evidence
- Evidence which is addressed to
the
senses of the court.
b. Testimonial evidence
- Comes from people.
- E.g. Testimony of an expert
witness in court
c. Experimental Evidence
- An expert witness may be
required to perform certain
experiments to prove a certain
matter of fact.
d. Documentary Evidence
- any written evidence presented
by an expert in court.
Basic Forms of Evidences
a. Direct Evidence
- That which the senses
perceive.
- Any fact to which a witness
testifies based on what he saw,
heard, smelled, touched or
tasted,
b. Circumstantial Evidence
- A kind of evidence which seeks
to establish a conclusion by
inferences from proved facts.
c. Hearsay Evidence
- A statement made by a witness
on
the authority of another and
not
from his own personal
knowledge
or observation.
What will evidence collected at a
scene do for the investigation?
 May prove that a crime has been
committed
 Establish any key elements of a
crime
 Link a suspect with a crime
scene or a victim
 Establish the identity of a
victim or suspect
 Corroborate verbal witness
testimony
 Exonerate the innocent.
 Give detectives leads to work
with in the case
Witness

A witness in court may be an

ordinary or expert witness.
Types of Witnesses
a. Ordinary Witness
- He must have the organ and
power to perceive the
perception
gathered by his organ of sense
can be imparted to others.
b. Expert Witness
- The opinion of a witness
regarding a question of
science,
art or trade, where he is skill
therein, may be received in
evidence.
ORDINARY WITNESS VS
EXPERT WITNESS
 Crime Scene Protocol

a. Interview
- First step in processing a crime scene
- To determine what allegedly
happened,
what crime took place, and how was
the crime committed.
- May not be factual information
- Gives the investigators a place to
b. Examine
- Second step in the investigating a
crime scene
- Will help identify possible items of
evidentiary nature, point of entry
and
point of exit, and getting the
general
layout of the crime scene.
c. Photograph
- Third step in the protocol
- Involves creating a pictorial record
of the scene and record items of
possible evidence.
- Crime scene photographs taken in
two categories (1) overall views and
(2) items of evidence.
d. Sketch
- Fourth step in the protocol
- Drawing a rough sketch
- Demonstrate the layout of the
crime
scene or to identify the exact
position
of the deceased victim or evidence
within the crime scene.
e. Process
- Last step in the protocol.
- Crime scene technician will process
the
crime scene for evidence, both
physical
and testimonial evidence.
- Crime scene technicians to identify,
evaluate and collect physical evidence
from the crime scene for further