Scope  From this early development, emerged the modern
professional discipline called criminologists, a term
Scientific study of detection of forgery, deception method,
and techniques in the classification of fingerprints, ballistics
examination, the application of chemistry in the identification
of physical evidence-treatment and detection of poisons, the
preparation of photographic evidence in court and the
application of medical sciences in crime investigation in the
field of law and administration of justice
Criminalistics
>Is that profession and scientific discipline directed to the
identification, individualization, interpretation and recognition
of physical evidence through application of the natural
sciences to law science matters.
Refers to the search, by various scientific methods, to find
proof of guilt or to establish innocence is an invaluable aide to
a criminal investigation.
 Scientific logic was first applied to the solution of crime, in a
limited degree,
 19th century. Poisons were separated and identified by
such pioneer chemists as the Frenchman Matthieu Orfila
and the Belgian Jean Stas.
 Individuals were identified through the anthropometric
system of Alphonse Bertillon and through the
 comparison and classification of fingerprints as develop
by the Argentine Juan Vucetich, the English Social
Scientist Sir Francis Galton and others
 Bertillon’s work was widely hailed in the 1880’s and
1890’s as the only reliable method, thus giving pre-
eminence to the French Surete’ (national police). Much loss of
reputation when fingerprints were demonstrated, in the early
1900’s, to be superior.
-Forensic Pathology
> medical study of violent, suspicious, or unexplained
deaths
> beginning in the 19th century and become well
established in the early part of the 20th century.
 Two notable figures involved are ;
>Sir Bernard Spilsbury,as the British home office
pathologist,
> Sir Sydney Smith of Edinburgh University Medical
School.
>Col. Calvin Hooker Goddard, an American army
Doctor and Criminologist
> attributed the development of the comparison
microscope in the early 1900’s was a milestone of
another kind.
>who placed the identification of firearms on its first firm
basis
> initiated the investigation of physical evidence in United
States
> father of Ballistics
that came into use in United States about 1950.
PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION
This course covers the different methods of
personal identification
>, as an aid to crime detection, investigation,
information,
>as evidence for prosecution of an offense/felony.
>It includes the processes of recording, processing,
preservation, and court presentation.
Basic Concept:
>Personal
-anything relating to or belonging to an individual.
> Identification
action or process of identifying someone or
something or the fact of being identified.
>Personal Identification
is the process, or techniques, or approaches, or
means of establishing the identity of a particular
person.
>Criminal Identification
is the process of identifying the certainty of a person
responsible in the commission of a crime which may
be accorded by a witness or the victim itself in the
pursuit of justice.
In medico-legal, the following are aspects of personal
identification:
1. Determination of the individuality of a person
2. Act or process of showing to be the same
3. Determination or establishment as a particular
person or thing
4. Ascertaining the nature or supposed identity of a
person or something
IMPORTANCE OF IDENTIFICATION OF PERSONS
1. In the prosecution of criminal offense, the identity of
the offender and that of the victim must be established;
otherwise it will be a ground for the dismissal of the
charge or the acquittal of the accused.
2. The identification of a missing person or presumed dead
will facilitate settlement of the estate, retirement,
insurance and other social benefits. It vests on the heirs
the right over properties of the identified person.
3. Identification resolves the anxiety of the next of kin,
other relatives and friends as to the whereabouts of a
missing person or victim of calamity or criminal act.
4. Identification may be needed in some transactions, like
cashing of cheque, entering a premise, delivery of parcels
or registered mail in post office, sale of property, release of
dead bodies to relatives, parties to a contact.
5. Exchanging of criminal-identifying information with
identification bureaus of foreign countries in cases of
mutual interest.
6. Prevention of hospital mistakes in the identification of
infants
7. Recognition by the government of honoured dead
CRIME LABORATORY
AIM:
To examine and without bias interpret the result of the
examination of any physical evidence that is submitted to it on
a request basis.
SECTIONS: (6)…other
1. Chemical Section
> equipment for analyzing blood, urine and other bloody
fluids.
>Drugs, narcotics and sometimes poisons may be
analyzed to determine and nature and quantity.
Inshort :testing for drugs, toxins, poisons, and other
chemical compounds
2. Physical Markings Section
>include marks left at the scene of a robbery or at other
crime scenes involving the use of tools, the markings
made by the bullets and cartridges cases by firearms, and
certain other types of marking that may be matched with
their counterparts from another source, such as broken
objects.
3. Serology
>section devoted to blood and other physiological
materials. Ex: detecting HIV, determine blood type,
4. Microchemistry Section
> deals with the individualization of such miscellaneous
materials as glass, small quantities of soil, flecks and chips
of paints, plastics, bits of metal, fibers, hairs, and all sorts
of dust and residues that can be studied to identify their
source.
5. Questioned or special document section
>capable of making identification of handwriting, of
typewriting and of the characteristics of writing and
recording implements.
Most fraud is committed with some accompanying
documentary evidence.:
- Counterfeiting(replica of money) might be involved, as
might alteration, substitution, and obliteration of part or
all of some type of recorded material. this section is more
concerned of bad checks
6. Polygraph Section
>is created to help in the interrogation and detection of
deception.
>primarily used to minimize the number of suspects and
reinforce and validate whether witnesses are genuine or
of lying kind.
Note:
-only a lead in investigation
-inadmissable as evidence in the court
>SPECIAL SERVICES:
Aside from the examination types of evidence
brought in the crime laboratories, some services which are
available to a certain laboratory.
Some laboratories for:
-Specialists in Arson Investigation:
>Intentional burning) involves the examination of
fire scenes to determine the cause and origin of
a fire.
-Specialists in Vehicular Accidents
>specialists may use forensic techniques to
reconstruct accidents, examine vehicle damage,
and provide information about the events
leading to the accident.
- the comparison and identification of paint
transfers(becomes evidence)
: a paint (good between two paint)will leave a
mark on a damaged part which will leave
traces.
-Specialists in Bomb Investigation:
>focus on analyzing explosive devices, remnants
of explosions, and related evidence
INSTRUMENTS:
* The use of microscope, such as the:
-Stereoscopic binocular(old),
> The simple compound, the low-power
-Polarizing or Petrographic Microscope(new)
>high-power comparison
-Spectrophotometers
>The infrared, visible and ultraviolet
>then-layer and gas chromatography equipment, x-ray
diffraction, and the emission spectrograph.
>The electron microprobe, the soft x-ray, the scanning
electron microscope, the x-ray fluorescence
spectrometer, and the equipment for neuron activation
analysis
Ordinary Method of Identification (12)
1. Occupational marks (ex. Painters have paints)
2. Race - Malay: brown, flat nose, round face, round head,
wearing apparel
3. Structure- Tips of middle fingers of both hands
extended laterally
4. Tattoo marks
5. Weight- It is not a good point because it may change
from time to time
6. Deformities – particularly those leaving permanent scars
or deformities
7. Birth Marks
8. Moles
9. Scar
 11. Tribal Marks the shortest possible time, especially in cases of mass
12. Sexual Organ disaster
SCIENTIFIC OR MEDICO-LEGAL METHODS 5. There is no rigid rule to be observed in the procedure of
1. Fingerprint or dactyloscopy identification of persons.(vary depending on the specific context)
2. Odontology – dental identification by studying the Methods of Identification(2)
dental structures. 1. 1. By Comparison
In the Philippines, P.D. 1575 requires practitioners of 2. – the identifying details or characteristics found at the
dentistry to keep record of their patients for crime scene compared to known records of the victim or
identification purposes if no other means of suspect.
identification is available. -identification criteria recovered during the
3. Determination of Sex investigation are compared with records available in the
4. Determination of Age file.
5. Blood and Bloodstains – determination of the blood 2. By Exclusion
types – means elimination process is applied.
6. Hair and fibers - if two or more persons have identified and all but one is yet
identified; the one whose identity has not been established may
7. Identification of the Skeleton
be known by the process of elimination.
–Forensic Osteology or Anthropometry
by Alphonse Bertillon –measuring of the skeletal remains. Identification of Dead Bodies
The bases of this method are:
various methods can be used in identifying dead bodies.
a. human skeleton is unchangeable after 20 years
The ordinary methods include in the utilization of the
b. No two human beings have exactly the same bones
following:
c. Use of simple instrument
1. personal effects
2. physical description
Necessary information in Bertillon System:
3. portrait parle’ (spoken picture)
a. Descriptive data- color of hair, eyes, shape of nose, etc.
- verbal description which is sometimes aided by general
b. Body marks
photographic files, mug files or rogue galleries.
c. Anthropometric measurement- height
d. Measurement of the head, limb
POINTS OF IDENTIFICATION APPLICABLE TO BOTH LIVING
8. DNA – Deoxyribonucleic Acid
Identification of the Mutilated Remains – If practicable, apply
AND DEAD PERSON BEFORE DECOMPOSITION
the same methods as in identifying the dead body, However,
1. OCCUPATIONAL MARKS
blood and DNA fingerprinting is the most appropriate 2. RACE
depending on the possibility of identification. a. Color of the Skin
1. Caucasian - fair
RULES TO PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION 2. Malayan - brown
3. Mongolian - fair
1.Law of Multiplicity of Evidence 4. Negro – black
The greater the number of points of similarities and b. Feature of Face
dissimilarities of two persons compared, the greater the 1. Caucasian- prominent sharp face
probability for the conclusion to be correct. 2. Malayan- flat nose with round face
3. Mongolian- almond eyes and prominent cheekbone
2. The value of different points of identification varies in 4. Negro- thick lips and prominent eyes
the Formulation of Conclusion c. Shape of the Skull
1. Caucasian - elongated skull
In fresh cadaver, if the fingerprints on file are the same as 2. Malayan - round head
those recovered from the crime scene, it will positively 3. Mongolian - round head
establish the identity of the person, while bodily marks 4. Red Indians and Eskimos - flat head
like moles, scars, complexion, shape of nose, etc. are d. Wearing Apparel casual and customary wearing apparel
merely corroborative( supports existing evidence). may indicate race as well as religion, nationality, region and
Visual recognition by relative or friends may be of lesser value custom
as compared with fingertips or dental examination. 3. STATURE
4. TEETH (Odontology =identification through dental record)
3. The longer the interval between the death and the 5. TATTOO MARKS
examination of the remains for purposes of identification, 6. SCAR MARKS
the greater is the need for experts in establishing the 7. BIRTHMARKS
identity 8. DEFORMITIES
9. MOLES
4. Inasmuch as the object to be identified is highly
10. INJURIES LIVING A PERMANENT RESULT
perishable, it is necessary for the team or experts to act in
11. TRIBAL MARKS
12. SEXUAL ORGANS (Presence of Testes and Ovaries)
13. BLOOD GROUPING (A-B-AB-O System) and Typing
(M-N-MN)