The Compiler - ICJIA · The Compiler Spring 2001 Lab resources aren’t keeping up with demand 4 Addressing the DNA backlog 7 Fingerprinting remains on cutting edge 9 Chemistry lab

Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority

Inside

The CompilerSpring 2001

Lab resources aren’tkeeping up with demand 4

Addressing the DNA backlog 7

Fingerprinting remainson cutting edge 9

Chemistry lab work reflectsdrug operations 11

Program improves sexualassault evidence collection 13

Ballistics system matchesfired bullets with guns 15

Crime scene investigation 17

State crime labs struggleto keep up with demandThe criminal justice system isrelying more than ever onDNA analysis and otherforensic techniques, but labresources haven’t kept pace.Inside, a look at some trendsin forensic science and thework of forensic laboratories.

In brief 2

Technology 19

Trends 20

Departments

Features

At the Illinois State Police ForensicScience Center at Chicago, aforensic scientist (right) extractsDNA, while a ballistics technician(below) analyzes microscopicmarkings on a bullet.

Page 2 • Spring 2001 • THE COMPILER • Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority

The CompilerPublished by the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority.

Candice M. KaneExecutive Director

Statutory members of the Authority

Volume 20, Number 2Spring 2001

In Brief

Created in 1983, the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority is a state agencydedicated to improving the administration of criminal justice. The Authority works toenhance the information tools and management resources of state and local criminaljustice agencies, and it serves as a statewide forum for criminal justice coordination,planning, and problem solving. It also is responsible for research, information systemsdevelopment, and administration of federal anti-crime funds. The Authority’s specificpowers and duties are spelled out in the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Act [20 ILCS3930/1 et seq.].

The Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority is governed by an 18-member board ofstate and local leaders from the criminal justice system, plus experts from the privatesector. Authority members help develop priorities and monitor their progress. The agency’sday-to-day work is carried out by a full-time professional staff working out of theAuthority’s Chicago office.

Copyright © 2001 Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority. All rights reserved.Opinions and positions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the Illinois CriminalJustice Information Authority. Permission to use parts or the whole publication may beobtained by writing or calling the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, Office ofPublic Information, 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 1016, Chicago, IL 60606–3997; (312)793-8550; fax (312) 793-8422. Reader comments are welcome.

E–mail Editor Daniel Dighton at <[email protected]>

Printed by authority of the State of Illinois, May 2001. Printing order number: 01–296.Number of copies: 7,000. ISSN 1059–6569. Printed on recycled paper with soybean-based ink.

Dorothy BrownClerk of the Circuit CourtCook County

Timothy F. BukowskiSheriffKankakee County

Richard A. DevineState’s AttorneyCook County

Norbert GoettenDirector, Office of the State’sAttorneys Appellate Prosecutor

Terry G. HillardSuperintendentChicago Police Department

Maureen A. JoshClerk of the Circuit CourtDeKalb County

Thomas J. JurkaninExecutive DirectorIllinois Law Enforcement Trainingand Standards Board

Produced by the Office of Public Information

John J. MillnerChief

Elmhurst Police Department

Sam W. NolenDirector

Illinois State Police

Jim RyanIllinois Attorney General

Michael SheahanSheriff

Cook County

Donald N. Snyder Jr.Director

Illinois Departmentof Corrections

Michael WallerState’s Attorney

Lake County

ASSISTANT EDITORCristin Monti

George H. RyanGovernor

Albert A. Apa

Jane Rae Buckwalter

Members of the public appointed to the Authority

Barbara Engel

John Piland

Peter B. Bensinger, Chairman

EDITORDaniel Dighton

Funds to help expand treatment servicesfor juvenile offendersGov. George H. Ryan recently announced a statewide $3.7 mil-lion substance abuse initiative to expand treatment services forjuveniles involved with the criminal justice system. Administeredby the Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS), the initia-tive will rely on interagency collaboration between DHS’s Officeof Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, the Department of Correc-tions, the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, local courtand probation systems, and substance abuse treatment providers.

The goal of the initiative is to establish a system for assess-ment and placement within community substance abuse treatmentprograms. Services will include a full continuum of care, includ-ing recovery homes and models of treatment unique to youthleaving the corrections system and re-entering their communities.

New Web site helps researchAccess to the latest criminal justice research was made easier withthe introduction of an updated National Criminal Justice Refer-ence Service (NCJRS) Web site. NCJRS is a key Internet sourcefor information on current research in criminal justice, juvenilejustice, and drug policy.

The new site, www.ncjrs.org, offers improved organizationthrough streamlined criminal justice topics, a new feature forcomprehensive research on selected issues, and the latest justiceresearch findings. The site also offers a comprehensive databasecontaining more that 160,000 citations and abstracts to criminaljustice works, and more than 1,500 full-text online publications.

Helping Paws benefits many in IllinoisThe new Helping Paws Service Dog Program at the Dwight Cor-rectional Center brings together an unlikely group of Illinoisresidents while enhancing their lives. The Illinois Department ofCorrections (IDOC), in collaboration with the Clarence Founda-tion and Lake Land College, implemented Helping Paws to rescuedogs, bring them to the correctional facility for training, and placethem with people who have special needs. Female inmates at theDwight Correctional Center learn to care for the dogs and trainthem to perform a variety of services, such as turning off lights,retrieving objects, and opening cabinets. Once the animals havemastered the tasks, they are placed in homes across the state at nocost to their new owners.

The Clarence Foundation rescues dogs from streets and shel-ters. The animals are medically cared for, and then sent to thecorrectional facility. While the dogs are learning to be of service,inmates are educated about grooming and training. Inmates whosuccessfully complete the program become licensed dog groom-ers through Lake Land College. If the dogs make the grade, theyare sent to help a new, loving owner with routine tasks.

“Helping Paws is transforming lives — both human and ca-nine,” said Donald Snyder, IDOC director.

Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority • THE COMPILER • Spring 2001 • Page 3

Two Illinois counties honored for traffic safetyWill and Livingston county sheriff’s offices have been honoredfor their work in traffic safety by the International Association ofChiefs of Police. The Will County Sheriff’s Office placed first inthe Chief’s Challenge Competition among departments with 101officers and above. The Livingston County Sheriff’s Police was afirst place winner in the chief’s competition among departmentswith 26-50 officers.

The IACP, in cooperation with the National Highway TrafficSafety Administration and the National Sheriff’s Association,sponsors the annual competition to encourage maximum safetybelt use and impaired driving enforcement. Departments arejudged on criteria such as operational guidelines regarding alltraffic enforcemnt activities, the type and quality of officer train-ing in traffic safety subjects, public education efforts, andenforcement activities.

Drug court conferenceThe Illinois Association of Drug Court Professionals (IADCP)will sponsor its Second Annual Conference Sept. 25 at the Holi-day Inn in Matteson. The IADCP is a statewide organizationcomprised of judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, court admin-istrators, probation officers, law enforcement and correctionalofficers, alcohol/drug treatment professionals, and communityactivists who work in, or have an interest in, treatment-based drugcourts. For conference or membership information, call SusanStanger at (773) 869-5127.

Federal fiscal year grants designatedThe Authority received designations for several grants from theU.S. Department of Justice for federal fiscal year 2001.

The Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) pro-gram received $1.84 million to continue providing assistance tostate prisoners. The Illinois Department of Corrections will re-ceive most of these funds. RSAT programs must providetreatment for six to 12 months, offer services in a residential set-ting away from the general inmate population, focus on substanceabuse, and develop inmates’ social, cognitive, behavioral, and vo-cational skills.

The Authority received $19.7 million under the federal Anti-Drug Abuse Act (ADAA), also known as the Edward ByrneMemorial State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance Pro-gram. Byrne funds support government programs that enablethe enforcement of Illinois drug laws and help decreaseviolent crime.

The Authority received $15.1 million to administer Victimsof Crime Act (VOCA) programs in Illinois. Funded with finespaid by those convicted of violating federal laws, VOCA supportsdirect services to victims of violent crime. The act requires thatpriority be given to services for victims of sexual assault, domes-

tic abuse, child abuse, and other groups identified by the state asunderserved victims of violent crime

Illinois received $4.1 million under the Violence AgainstWomen Act (VAWA). VAWA funds are used to improve the re-sponse of the criminal justice system to victims of sexual assaultand domestic violence.

The Authority received $8.6 million for the Juvenile Ac-countability Incentive Block Grant (JAIBG) program, whichwas enacted in 1998 to promote greater accountability in the ju-venile justice system. JAIBG funds can used for initiatives suchas programs designed to enable prosecutors to address drug, gang,and youth violence problems more effectively, and programs es-tablishing and maintaining interagency information-sharingcapabilities.

The Authority had $1 million to distribute under the LocalLaw Enforcement Block Grants program and was able tofund proposals from 66 agencies, 63 of which received LLEBGfunds for the first time. The Authority received 350 proposalsfor LLEBG funds, seeking more than $5 million. The grants arefor equipment for officer safety and basic law enforcementoperations.

Racial and ethnic justice national forum slatedThe National Criminal Justice Association National Forum 2001,“…And Justice For All — Creating Racial and Ethnic Justice inAmerica”, will take place July 30 and Aug. 1 at the Hilton SedonaResort in Sedona, Ariz. The conference will aim to assist publicofficials in making informed policy decisions concerning pro-grams and procedures to create racial and ethnic justice in allfacets of state and local criminal justice and judicial systems. Forregistration information, contact the NCJA at (202) 624-1440.

Authority staff contribute to criminaljustice journalAn article written by Authority Associate Director Gerard F.Ramker and Senior Research Scientist David E. Olson appearedin the most recent issue of The Justice System Journal, (Volume22, Number 1, 2001).

The article, “Crime Does Not Pay, But Criminals May: Fac-tors Influencing the Imposition and Collection of ProbationFees,” summarizes the findings of a study of 2,400 adults on pro-bation in Illinois.

The Justice System Journal is a publication of the NationalCenter for State Courts. An earlier version of “Crime Does NotPay, But Criminals May: Factors Influencing the Imposition andCollection of Probation Fees” was presented at the AnnualMeeting of the Midwestern Criminal Justice Association in Oc-tober 1999.!


Nearly 20 years ago, the regionalcrime laboratories of the IllinoisState Police were recognized

leaders in the field of forensic science, be-coming the first state crime lab system inthe country to be accredited. Today, thelaboratories are still top-notch, but theirability to keep up with the increasing de-mand for forensic services is beingthreatened by chronic staffing shortagesand aging facilities.

Gov. George H. Ryan recently recog-nized this situation in his proposed fiscalyear 2002 budget, earmarking $1.5 millionto hire forensic scientists and lab person-nel. The funding is intended to addressbacklogs in the processing of evidence, es-pecially in DNA testing, within the state’slab system.

“My proposed budget recognizes theimportant link between overall publicsafety and timely access to the latest tech-nical advances in forensic science,” Ryansaid in announcing his budget.

The additional funding would allowthe state police labs to hire 80 people,most of them to be trained as forensic sci-entists and lab technicians.

“That will be a tremendous help,” saidISP Deputy Director Teresa Kettelkamp,head of the Division of Forensic Services.

The need for more resourcesISP administrators have predicted thatwithout additional resources state policecrime labs could be completing less than

50 percent of their cases in a timely man-ner by 2002. There simply is not enoughstaff to keep up with the increasingworkload.

A couple of factors have had a largeimpact on the current trend. For one, po-lice agencies simply have been improvingtheir investigative capabilities and collect-ing more evidence for analysis at the ISPlabs. An even bigger reason for the in-creased workload is that five years ago thestate police assumed responsibility for theChicago Police Department’s forensiclaboratory work.

The Forensic Science Center at Chi-cago opened on July 1, 1996, as theeighth, and by far the largest, ISP lab inthe state. The Chicago Forensic ScienceCenter accounts for more than half of allcase submissions to ISP labs. Theworkload statewide for the labs has in-

creased sharply since then, but the sizeof the laboratory analytical staff has notkept pace.

In 1996, ISP labs had 269 forensicscientists and trainees. These analystshandled 74,390 cases, for an average of277 cases per analyst. By 2000, there wereabout 30 more analysts statewide, but theyhandled 122,722 cases, for an average of412 cases per analyst (Figures 1-3). Mean-while, the number of overtime hoursworked increased dramatically, and thepercent of cases completed within estab-lished time standards fell steadily.

Crime labs have long historyCrime labs in Illinois have a long history.The first police crime lab in Illinois wasestablished in Chicago as a result of thegangster wars of the Prohibition era. The

Features

State police lab system resources aren’tkeeping up with increasing demand

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

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2000*1999199819971996

74,390

112,321118,410 115,467

122,722

*2000 data is actual through July, extrapolated through December 2000

Source: Illinois State Police

Figure 1

Case activity at ISP labs

By Daniel Dighton

Daniel Dighton is a public informationofficer with the Authority.


direct catalyst was the notorious St.Valentine’s Day Massacre of 1929.

When seven members of “Bugs”Moran’s gang were cut down in a barrageof gunfire in a garage on North ClarkStreet, witnesses reported seeing police of-ficers leaving the building. Part of thesubsequent investigation focused onwhether police officers had been involved.A nationally recognized expert on firearmswas called in to examine the recoveredbullets and compare them to Thompsonsub-machine guns used by Chicago police.It was determined that police weapons didnot fire any of the bullets involved in themassacre, and the police impersonators atthe crime scene were later linked to AlCapone’s gang.

Members of the grand jury investigat-ing the massacre were so impressed by thetestimony of the expert witness on fire-arms, Col. Calvin Goddard, that theyrecommended the creation of a scientificcrime laboratory in Chicago. The first Chi-cago crime laboratory opened in June1929 in a wing of the Northwestern Uni-versity Law School.

The Chicago Police Department as-sumed full responsibility for the lab in1938. CPD operated the lab until turningthose duties over to the Illinois State Po-lice when the new Forensic ScienceCenter at Chicago opened on RooseveltRoad in 1996.

Today, the lab handles about 60,000pieces of evidence a year, with roughly80 percent of those items being drugs.Every day, some 200 to 400 pieces of evi-dence arrive at the lab. Each piece mustbe electronically scanned using a barcode system, which is used to track itthroughout the lab and maintain the chainof custody.

Statewide lab systemIn addition to the Chicago Forensic Sci-ence Center, there are state police labs inCarbondale, Fairview Heights, Joliet,Morton, Rockford, Springfield, andWestchester (map). There also is a Re-search and Development lab inSpringfield, and there are training labs atseveral facilities.

Although every lab does not do workin all areas, the state lab system conductsforensic analyses across several disci-plines, including:

Drug Chemistry — to determine ifevidence contains controlled substances orcannabis.

0

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Figure 2

Analytical staff at ISP labs(including trainees)

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394412406

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Figure 3

Average cases worked per analytical staff(including trainees)

Toxicology — to identify drugs orpoisons in tissue, blood, urine, or otherbody fluids.

Trace Chemistry — to identify andcompare traces of evidence from arsons,explosions, accidents, and non-drug re-lated cases.


Microscopy — to obtainenlarged images of small ob-jects, such as hairs, fibers,woods and building materials.

Forensic Biology/DNA— to identify and comparebody fluids and other biologi-cal matter through DNAanalysis.

Latent Prints — to findand compare prints left atcrime scenes with those of po-tential suspects.

Firearms — to determineif specific bullets, cartridges,or firearms can be related toparticular crimes.

Lengthy trainingForensic scientists at thestate’s labs are recruited fromthe ranks of college sciencemajor graduates. They mustthen undergo extensive train-ing at an ISP lab, which cantake anywhere from 12 to 36months, depending on the spe-cialty. Training for forensicscientists working with DNAand crossed trained as forensicbiologists, one of the areas ofgreatest need, takes about twoyears, Kettelkamp said.

It is not uncommon forthe state police to train forensic scientistsand then see them leave a short time laterfor higher paying laboratory jobs in theprivate sector or with another governmentagency. This presents a hardship for thelab system as it struggles to keep positionsfilled and continuously train new scien-tists. It is also difficult to keep anadequate number of instructors in thevarious disciplines.

One thing ISP administrators are con-sidering to address the turnover problemis a requirement that recruits agree to staywith ISP after they finish training for atleast as long as their training lasted.

Another plan is to adjust the paygrade steps and create a category for fo-rensic scientist administrators. Because

forensic scientists can get overtime pay,they can easily end up earning moremoney than managers who do not qualifyfor overtime, making it difficult to fillmanagement positions, Kettelkamp said.

Until 1995, most of the training foranalysts was conducted at the Southern Il-linois Forensic Science Centre inCarbondale. The only exception was toxi-cology, which was taught in Springfield.But in 1995, the classes for new employeetraining became too large to be accommo-dated at the Carbondale facility. Now, anorientation is conducted in Carbondaleand subsequent training is done there andat other regional labs.

Kettelkamp said one of her goals forthe lab system is to consolidate all trainingat a forensic science institute in Spring-

field. Such a facility couldaccommodate all initial train-ing as well as ongoingin-service training. It couldalso serve as a Midwest train-ing center for FBI classesoffered to law enforcementagencies, she said.

Outdated facilitiesThe condition of the labora-tory facilities is another issuethat ISP wants to address andimprove over the next fewyears. Of the eight regionallaboratories in the system,only the facilities in Chicago,Morton, Joliet (second floor),and Rockford were con-structed as laboratories. Thefirst floor of Joliet was con-verted from business offices,as were the labs in Spring-field and Westchester, andthe Research and Develop-ment lab in Springfield. Thefacility in Carbondale hadpreviously been a collegedormitory, and the one inFairview Heights was a tu-berculosis sanatorium.

Several facilities sufferfrom being either too small,or they have inadequate

heating, ventilation and air conditioning,which is crucial to the sensitive natureof the equipment and the tests at thelaboratories.

“It takes some special expertise tobuild a facility as a forensics lab,”Kettelkamp said.

Today, even though Chicago is fairlynew and an exceptional facility, it is toosmall and needs to be expanded. “It wasbuilt too small to begin with,” Kettelkampsaid. ISP originally wanted a 120,000-square-foot facility in Chicago, but got abuilding with only 85,636 square feet.Plans are now under way for expansion ofthe lab.!

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ISP Regional Laboratories


State seeks to reduce DNA backlog

Forensic Scientist Tanis Wildhaberconducts a DNA extraction in a traininglab at the ISP’s Forensic Science Centerat Chicago.

Photo by Daniel Dighton

The use of DNA has become one ofthe most powerful methods ofcrime solving. But while DNA

testing is on the rise within the criminaljustice system, resources haven’t kept upwith demand.

“Success generates more emphasison the use of DNA technology,” saidKathleen Stevens, assistant deputy direc-tor of the Illinois State Police’s Divisionof Forensic Services. “This emphasiscauses a substantial increase in case sub-missions.”

The fundamental building block of ahuman’s entire genetic makeup, DNA, ordeoxyribonucleic acid, contains compo-nents of nearly every cell in the humanbody. It can be detected in blood, semen,skin cells, tissue, organs, muscle, braincells, bone, teeth, hair, saliva, mucous,perspiration, fingernails, and other bio-logical matter, and is the same in everycell of the body.

Rapid growth in casesDNA technology instills a heightenedsense of justice in the community as theunjustly accused are exonerated and thetruly criminal are convicted. Illinois StatePolice DNA case submissions increasednearly 35 percent between 1999 and 2000.

“The success of DNA has lead to anexpectation on the part of the criminaljustice community to look for DNA evi-dence first at a crime scene, rather thanrelying on other forms of physical evi-dence and investigative leads as in thepast,” Stevens said.

National databaseUsing database technology, DNA evi-dence taken from separate crime scenescan be matched nationally and statewide.The Combined DNA Index System(CODIS) is used to generate suspects inunsolved cases and identify serial cases.CODIS is the FBI’s national DNA data-base. It is made up of three components: aforensic database that contains DNA pro-files from semen and blood stains from acrime; a population database that canmatch DNA profiles; and an offender data-base of DNA information from individualswho have been convicted of legislativelyspecified offenses.

All DNA samples taken from crimescenes are entered into CODIS. Illinois fo-rensic labs also have access to a statedatabase through CODIS.

Increased fundingA criminal justice plan for Illinois draftedby the Authority calls for increased fund-ing of DNA initiatives. In addition, Gov.George H. Ryan earmarked $1.5 millionof the state fiscal year 2002 budget to hireadditional scientists and laboratory per-sonnel to address evidence processingbacklogs in the state police forensic labsystem, specifically for DNA testing.

“What is most damaging about theDNA backlog is unsolved crimes, whichtranslates to offenders on the street com-mitting additional crimes,” Stevens said.

ISP also is facing increased DNAcasework as a result of recent state legisla-tion increasing the number of offensesrequiring DNA samples. When it takes ef-fect in a couple of years, a recently passedlaw (SB 644) will require individuals con-

By Cristin Monti

The normal annual caseload growthrate in most other forensic disciplines isbetween 6 and 8 percent, and it is un-known whether the trend of increasingDNA analysis will continue, she said.

In December 2000, about 1,270 ISPcases were backlogged for DNA analysisof sexual assault evidence. State policeofficials said with current staffing limita-tions, it could take up to 17 months toprocess these cases, provided no newDNA cases were received. Federal grantfunding has been allocated by the Author-ity to outsource many of these cases toprivate labs to help reduce the backlog.

Cristin Monti is a public informationofficer with the Authority.


victed of homicide, attempted homicide,kidnapping, aggravated kidnapping, bur-glary, and other serious crimes to provideDNA samples to authorities.

Some debate has arisen nationally,however, over DNA testing requirementsfor arrestees. Upon request by the NationalInstitute of Justice, the National Commis-sion on the Future of DNA Evidencestudied privacy, financial, and practical is-sues involved in gathering DNAsamples from arrestees. While thecommission is still debating theconstitutionality of taking DNAfrom an arrestee, it urged againstsuch DNA sampling until the con-victed offender database backlog iseliminated, more resources are al-located toward DNA testing incases that do not have a suspect,and additional funding is availablefor an increased workload.

Analyzing DNAThe average DNA case takes about a weekto complete. First, stain identification isdone to identify whether the evidence col-lected is, in fact, blood, semen, saliva orany other biological matter that could leadto DNA analysis.

“We’ve had car doors come in herewhere they swear it’s blood and it’s barbe-cue sauce,” said Cecilia Doyle, DNAgroup supervisor at the Illinois State Po-lice Forensic Science Center at Chicago.

With the exception of identical twins,each person’s DNA is different. However,a genetic connection can be made betweenDNA types. In cases where the body of thevictim cannot be found, DNA taken fromthe victim’s relatives may be used andmatched to DNA found on a suspect.

Environmental factors can be detri-mental to the quality of DNA evidence.DNA can be damaged with exposure toheat, sunlight, moisture, mold, or bacteria.

But advances in DNA technology al-low forensic scientists to achievemeaningful results from smaller and moredegraded samples. DNA evidence can beretrieved from nearly every surface, in-cluding that of soda cans, cigarette butts,

and postage stamps, and forensically valu-able DNA can be found on evidence evenafter several decades.

While DNA testing has done wondersfor the field of criminal investigation, it isnot without limitations. Like fingerprints,DNA evidence cannot determine when orfor how long a suspect was at a crimescene. Investigators look for evidence thatcan be used to solve a case, such as body

fluid found where it shouldn’t be. Avictim’s blood on the clothing of a sus-pect, for instance, would be usefulevidence.

DNA forensic science training maytake up to two years. DNA analysis in-volves a thorough, three-step processincluding testing of the evidence andcompletion of the case file, peer review,and another review by lab supervisors toensure proper guidelines were followed.

The complex nature of DNA testingallows only about four cases to be com-pleted per month by each scientist. Thebacklog of DNA cases at the Forensic Sci-ence Center hovers near 400. “It’s atremendous number,” Doyle said.

Stevens said the DNA backlog is agrowing problem that also can be attrib-uted to the introduction of newtechnology. New techniques for DNAanalysis must be tested and validated be-fore the technology is available for use byforensic scientists. DNA technology haschanged three times since ISP began usingit in its forensic labs in the early 1990s.Each change requires validation and train-

ing prior to actual application of the newtechnology.

Prioritizing DNA evidenceLimited personnel resources require anemphasis on effectively prioritizing caseprocessing. Evidence needed for upcom-ing trials has top priority and lab personnelfocus first on completing case files re-quested by prosecutors.

Suspects can be held in cus-tody for 72 hours if blood orsemen is present on evidence.While the testing process typicallyis long, it is possible for somecases to be handled more quickly,with verbal results given as to theinclusivity or exclusivity of an in-dividual in two to three days.

DNA analysis for investiga-tive purposes in cases where thereis a suspect is the next priority.Last on the list of priorities, but not

least important to the criminal justice com-munity, is processing DNA evidence incases that do not have suspects. The resultsof these tests are entered into CODIS. Thehighest backlog is seen in cases wherethere are no known suspects.

Reducing the backlogTo reduce the backlog of DNA cases, offi-cials are calling for a state forensic scienceimprovement plan to achieve timely, highquality forensic services. They would alsolike Congress to appropriate adequatefunds for the National Forensic ScienceImprovement Act, which seeks to improvethe quality, timeliness, and credibility offorensic science services for criminal jus-tice purposes.

“DNA is a powerful investigativetool,” Stevens said. “Eliminating the back-log will allow law enforcement officers,prosecutors, and defense attorneys to ex-onerate the wrongfully accused, solvecrimes, and identify possible suspects incrimes where the suspect is unknown.”!

“What is most damaging about the

DNA backlog is unsolved crimes,

which translates to offenders on the

street committing additional crimes.”

— ISP Assistant Deputy Director

Kathleen Stevens.


New technology, national network, keepsfingerprinting on cutting edge

Forensic ScientistLinda Engstromuses the vacuummetal depositionchamber todevelop latentprints.

Photos by Daniel Dighton

In her three years as a latent fingerprintexaminer with the Illinois StatePolice’s Forensic Science Center at

Chicago, Linda Engstrom has workedsome difficult cases. Lately, for thetoughest cases, she has used a methodfor finding fingerprints that involves coat-ing the surface of an object withevaporated gold and zinc particles in avacuum chamber.

The vacuum metal deposition cham-ber is generally a method of last resort. It’san attempt to find fingerprints on surfaceswhere other more conventional methodshave failed. Typical objects suitable forthe device are plastic bags, glass, anditems that have been submerged in water,Engstrom said.

Because it is one of the few machinesof its type in the country, the state police

lab has received casesfrom some distantagencies seeking helpwith evidence. In arecent case from theNew York City PoliceDepartment,Engstrom attemptedunsuccessfully to de-velop fingerprints onthree plastic bags thathad held the remainsof a homicide victim.

Engstrom works a lot with the Chi-cago Police Department’s “cold case” unit,which investigates old, unsolved homi-cides. In one case she handled, a 1979homicide, she attempted to develop printson eight plastic bags that had been pre-served as evidence and previouslychecked for fingerprints using a powdertechnique. Using the vacuum metal depo-sition chamber she was able to developthree identifiable prints. Unfortunately, itturned out that they belonged to a policeofficer who worked the crime scene morethan 20 years earlier.

Although she hasn’t yet linked anydeveloped prints to a suspect, Engstromisn’t discouraged. “It’s just a matter oftime is what it comes down to,” she said,while demonstrating how tiny amounts ofevaporated gold and zinc adhere tosmooth surfaces such as plastic bags orglass to reveal fingerprints in themachine’s chamber.

As its name suggests, the vacuummetal deposition chamber creates avacuum environment that is significantlybelow atmospheric pressure. Inside itslarge cylindrical chamber, a minuteamount of gold is heated and evaporated.As the vapors of the metal rise, the metalparticles are deposited on the objects in-side. Any residue from fingerprints on anobject, however, will absorb the gold.Then a small amount of zinc is similarlyheated until it evaporates. Those vaporizedparticles adhere to the gold, except wherethe gold was absorbed by the oily residueof fingerprints. Any fingerprints on the ob-ject are revealed by the absence of the

By Daniel Dighton


grayish-white zinc, which has coated ev-erything else.

The FBI and the U.S. Secret Serviceuse vacuum metal deposition chambers,but before the Chicago lab got one in1998, ISP had to send items to Ontario,Canada, for that type of testing.

Engstrom, who is one of several fo-rensic scientists trained to use themachine, said she uses it about once aweek, but it is generally a method of lastresort for developing latent fingerprintson evidence. “I will use it after I’ve gonethrough other conventional methods,”she said.

Latent fingerprintsLatent fingerprints are impressions that areleft on objects by human fingers, butwhich are invisible to the naked eye. Be-cause of their unique characteristics,fingerprints have long been a positivemeans of identification.

Other techniques for visualizing fin-gerprints on objects include the use ofpowders, chemicals, dye stains, photo-graphic films and filters, and electronicdevices such as lasers and computers. Alatent print examiner may use one or sev-eral of these techniques to visualizeotherwise invisible fingerprints for analy-sis and make photographic records topreserve the prints.

The use of fluorescent dyes with alaser is one of the most common and suc-cessful methods for finding fingerprintsat the ISP lab in Chicago, said Jan Girten,chief of the lab’s Criminalistics Section.

“The laser really has been a work-horse for us,” she said. “We have two ofthem and they’re on day and night.”

Another popular method for develop-ing fingerprints is to fume an object byheating superglue in a sealed chamber.The gaseous fumes coat the object with awhite material that reveals fingerprints,which can then be photographed or furtherenhanced.

Latent fingerprints that have been de-veloped on evidence can be used toidentify suspects by comparing them to

known fingerprints in a vast database com-piled mostly through arrest records.

State and national databasesThe fingerprint database is the backboneof the Automated Fingerprint Identifica-tion System (AFIS). In Illinois, the statepolice’s AFIS contains more than 2.5 mil-lion scanned fingerprint cards of knownindividuals, and more than 6,500 unidenti-fied latent prints.

Suspects can be identified if latentprints from a crime scene are entered intothe computer and there is a match with oneof the 2.5 million sets of known finger-prints in AFIS. The computer system,however, does not do all of the work.AFIS provides a list of possible matchesthat closely resemble the latent print, andthen skilled examiners must visually deter-mine if there is an actual match.

Nationally, the FBI developed andmaintains a fingerprint system and data-base known as the Integrated AutomatedFingerprint Identification System (IAFIS),which became fully operational in 1999.IAFIS contains the fingerprints of morethan 35 million known individuals.

The ISP’s Chicago Forensic ScienceCenter became operational with IAFISless than a year ago, and as of May was theonly ISP lab on the national system. Infirst nine months that they were usingIAFIS, the ISP lab scientists ran 117 casesthrough the system and got 13 “hits,”which means they positively identified aprint and possibly a suspect, Girten said.

Fingerprint cards are criticalThe success of any fingerprint system de-pends on the quality of the knownfingerprints on file. Placed on what areknown as ten-print cards, these prints aretypically taken after an arrest. Three cop-ies of ten-print cards are made: one forlocal authorities, one for the state police,and one for the FBI.

Each print on a ten-print card must bea good, clear image to be compared to fin-gerprints from crime scenes. If the prints

on the card are at all smudged, they will beof little use in solving a crime. This situa-tion arose about a year ago when ISPlatent print examiners identified a suspectin a Chicago homicide using IAFIS. Thesame suspect’s ten-print card was on filein the state police’s system, which waschecked first, but the examiners did notget a hit there because the print wassmudged, Girten said.

Many agencies now have a system forscanning fingerprints on ten-print cardselectronically called Livescan, which al-lows the fingerprint taker to easily re-rollsmudged or partial prints to make surethey are of good quality. But the processstill depends on the care and attention ofthe operator, and does not completelyeliminate the chance of poor quality printsgetting into the database, Girten said.

Latent print examination accountsfor about 11 percent of the cases submit-ted to ISP labs. During the first sixmonths of 2000, the latest numbers avail-able, state police labs had 390 hits usingAFIS, for a success rate of about 35 per-cent, Girten said.

The rate for hits is not bad, but thetime it takes to process those cases isslowed by a shortage of trained forensicscientists. The typical turnaround timefor latent print cases at the Chicago lab isabout 95 days, although they can docases in a couple of days if it is urgent,Girten said.

Turnover caused by scientists leavingfor better paying jobs in the private sectoror for other reasons makes it difficult tokeep the labs fully staffed. Girten said shecurrently has 14 forensic scientists work-ing in latent print, but needs 20 to be fullystaffed. She predicts that over the next sixto eight years she will need to have 26 fo-rensic scientists to keep up with theworkload.!


Chemistry lab business reflectspolice efforts in combating drugs

It is easy to lose sight of the manysteps involved in a criminal druginvestigation. Every substance col-

lected by police that leads to acontrolled substance or marijuana pos-session charge must be scientificallystudied to determine whether the sub-stance is, in fact, illegal.

Following confiscation, sub-stances suspected to be illegal drugsare sent to the Illinois State Police Di-vision of Forensic Services forchemical analysis. A suspect may beprosecuted only after the substancetaken from him has been positivelyidentified as controlled or cannabis.

Last year at the Drug ChemistrySection of the Forensic Science Centerat Chicago, 47 chemists and three evi-dence technicians processed 54,000drug cases. The lab typically com-pletes about 50 percent of itssubmissions in less than a week.

“Our function is to provide accu-rate chemical analysis in a timelymanner,” said Jim O’Connor, Chemis-try Section chief.

Three support staff members coor-dinate the work to ensure analysis ofeach piece of evidence is completed in suf-ficient time.

Testing strategiesSeveral items may be tested in a singlecase. Past cases have included up to 900pieces of evidence, most commonly plantmaterial, tablets, capsules, powders, drugparaphernalia, and residues. Forensic sci-entists in the Chemistry Section analyze

print” of its chemical compounds.Colorimetric tests also are conducted,identifying substances through colorscreated with chemical reactions. Chem-ists also use varying techniques withinfrared and ultraviolet light to seewhether its elements form a controlledsubstance or cannabis. The manner inwhich a substance absorbs light is in-dicative of its chemical structure.

“It’s old-fashioned science,”O’Connor said. “The tests we conductare definitive. They prove these chemi-cals are heroin. They are cocaine.”

Chemical forensics andfundingLaw enforcement activity is the domi-nating factor in the kind of substancesmost often sent to the lab for testing.For instance, if a lot of attention isgiven to combating methamphetamine,police may go after meth labs andchemists will find themselves process-ing more meth and less of other drugs.

“What we see in our lab dependson what the police bring in here, andwhat police bring in here depends onthe resources put into drug operations

on the streets,” O’Connor said. “Thedrugs we analyze may not be representa-tive of what’s out there — it’s arepresentation, but not always an accuraterepresentation.”

O’Connor said overall the amount offunding received for chemical investiga-tion has kept up with increasing numbersof cases.

suspected controlled substances usingchemical, microscopic, and instrumentaltechniques. Chemists conduct at least twodifferent tests on each substance during aninvestigation to determine its exact iden-tity. The type of evidence determines whattest will be conducted.

The gas chromotography/mass spec-trometry instrument can break downalmost every substance to reveal a “finger-

A chemist at the Forensic Science Center atChicago conducts a color test for crack cocaine.


By Cristin Monti


Trends in drug useIn each case, chemists deter-mine whether the substancesthey are testing include thoselisted as illegal under theControlled Substances Act,usually under schedules I-IV.

Drugs in Schedule I ofthe Controlled SubstancesAct are substances that havea high potential for abuse, no currently ac-ceptable medical use in treatment, andlack any accepted safe use under medicalsupervision. Schedule II drugs includesubstances with a high potential for abusewith severe liability to cause psychic orphysical dependence, but have some ap-proved medical use. Schedule I and IIdrugs include, but are not limited to, co-caine, heroin, methamphetamines, andhallucinogenics.

Drugs in schedules III and IV havesafe and accepted medical uses in the U.S.They include substances containingsmaller amounts of certain narcotic andnon-narcotic drugs, anti-anxiety drugs,tranquilizers, and sedatives. Schedule IIIdrugs have a lower potential for abusethan those in schedules I and II, and in-clude mixtures of limited specifiedquantities of codeine, morphine, or opium,with other non-controlled active ingredi-

ents. Valium and appe-tite suppressant drugsfall under the ScheduleIV category.

In 2000, more than220,000 pieces of evi-dence were tested inthe Drug ChemistrySection of the ChicagoForensic Science Cen-

ter, a 5 percent increase from 1999. Of theitems submitted for analysis in 2000,70,090 contained cannabis and 149,051revealed a controlled substance (Figure 1).

Cocaine, cannabis, and heroin are themost commonly analyzed substances inforensics labs across Illinois, but tests arerevealing a steady increase in designerdrugs such as GHB (gammahydroxybutyrate), also known as the daterape drug, and MDMA(methylenedioxymethamphetamine), orEcstasy.

O’Connor said the lab has been pro-cessing an increasing amount of ketamine,also known as Special K. Ketamine is ananesthetic used in the veterinary field andis listed as a Schedule III substance.

“There are a million different thingsyou can do with chemicals,” he said.“There are constantly people out theremaking new drugs and figuring out waysto beat the system with the chemicalsthey use.”!

“There are a million different things you can do

with chemicals. There are constantly people out

there making new drugs and figuring out ways

to beat the system with the chemicals they use.”

— Chemistry Section Chief Jim O’Connor

Figure 1

Percent of drug cases at the ForensicScience Center at Chicago reporting

illegal substances in 2000

Other** 2%NSSF* 4%

Heroin

Cocaine

Cannabis

37%

38%

19%

*No scheduled substance found.** Other drugs included, but were not limited to, mushrooms, PCP, and GHB.Source: Illinois State Police Forensic Science Center at Chicago

N= 223,037


Program improves evidence collectionand response to sexual assault victims

By Jennifer Hiselman

Jennifer Hiselman is a research analystwith the Authority’s Research andAnalysis unit.

In 1999, more than 6,000 criminalsexual assaults were reported to policein Illinois. Although this number has

declined over the past few years, we knowthat this is only a small portion of the truenumber of sex crimes committed state-wide. National victimization estimatesindicate that only about one in four sexualassault victims ever report these incidentsto police.1 Other estimates are even lower.The National Women’s Study estimatedonly 16 percent of rapes against women 18or older are reported to police.2 Thus,many of these victims face the traumaticaftereffects of victimization without much,if any, assistance, and aware that their as-sailant is at liberty to victimize others.

Many rape victims often decide not toreport because they fear others will not be-lieve them. This fear is not unwarranted,as sex crimes can be very difficult to pros-ecute. The crucial element needed toconvict a sex offender is forensic evi-dence. Because sex crimes typically occurwithout the presence of witnesses or muchvisible physical injury, forensic evidencemay be the only indication that a crime oc-curred. Forensic evidence can also providethe extra confidence the victim needs tomove forth with prosecution.

Illinois’ newly implemented SexualAssault Nurse Examiner (SANE) pro-grams attempt to alleviate barriers toprosecution in three ways. First, victimscan receive immediate, compassionate,and comprehensive medical-forensic

evaluation and care by a professionalnurse examiner who has the training andexperience to anticipate their needs duringthis time of crisis. Second, sexual assaultnurse examiners provide complete infor-mation about choices so that victims canmake informed decisions about reportingthe crime to police, the care they receive inthe emergency department, and the assis-tance that is available to them. Finally, theprogram trains sexual assault nurse exam-iners to collect and present forensicevidence more efficiently to increase thesuccess rate of sex crime prosecutions inIllinois. This can accelerate the victim’srecovery, prevent secondary injury or ill-ness, and ultimately increase theprosecution of sex offenders.

The Authority was charged with pilot-ing four SANE programs with stategeneral revenue funds. Federal Victims ofCrime Act (VOCA) funds were designatedfor purchasing forensic evidence tools —colposcopes — for each of the hospitalsimplementing SANE programs. Programswere implemented in Lake, DuPage, andChampaign counties in 2000. Another pro-gram will be established in Cook Countythis year.

Need for programsThe need for SANE programs became ap-parent after medical professionalsthroughout the country recognized thatservices to sexual assault victims admittedto emergency departments often were notadequate. Victims would frequently haveto wait several hours in busy, public areaswhile not being allowed to eat, drink, oruse the restroom for fear of destroying evi-dence. Moreover, medical staff often were

not specifically trained to conduct forensicexaminations on sexual assault victims,much less how to meet the emotionalneeds of victims after such a dehumaniz-ing form of violence. Finally, medical staffoften lacked the ability to provide expertwitness testimony, which is critical toprosecuting sexual assault cases. As re-search became more prevalent on thecomplex needs of sexual assault victimsand the importance of efficient collectionand presentation of evidence in prosecu-tion, medical professionals recognized theneed for an improved response to sexualassault victims.

Compassionate care for victimsSharon Dimitrijevich is a registered nurseand sexual assault nurse examiner at Mid-western Regional Medical Center in LakeCounty. She explained that when a victimof sexual assault is admitted to thehospital’s emergency department for treat-ment, emergency room workersimmediately page a sexual assault nurseexaminer. There is a nurse examiner oncall 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Anemergency room staff member also willpage a rape crisis advocate from the LakeCounty Council Against Sexual Assault(LaCASA), the local sexual assault pro-gram, so the victim can be offered on-siteadvocacy services. The victim is taken to aprivate room until the sexual assault nurseexaminer arrives.

The sexual assault nurse examiner ex-plains the forensic evidence procedure tothe victim, provides information on howthe evidence will assist with prosecution ifthe victim decides to press charges, andalso offers the services from LaCASA.


The nurse examiner informs the victimthat the LaCASA rape crisis advocate isavailable on-site to provide support andinformation before, during, or after the fo-rensic examination. Most sexual assaultvictims treated at Midwestern Regionalchoose to receive the advocate’s servicesduring their stay, Dimitrijevich said.

Evidence collectionAccording to a guide from the U.S. De-partment of Justice, Office for Victims ofCrime, the four primary uses of the evi-dence collected by sexual assault nurseexaminers are: to confirm recent sexualcontact; to identify the perpetrator; toverify the victim’s account of the incident;and to demonstrate the act was not consen-sual, but was forced or coerced.3

Nearly all hospital emergency depart-ments use the traditional sexual assaultevidence collection kits. Although the evi-dence collected using the kits can be usedfor all four purposes mentioned above,such evidence is most likely only going tohelp confirm sexual contact and identifythe perpetrator. It is much more difficult toobtain evidence corroborating the victim’sstory and demonstrating that sexual con-tact was forced or coerced. Clothing canbe used to help corroborate the victim’sstory if stains or debris collected are con-sistent with the surroundings as describedby the victim. Evidence to support that thesexual contact was not consensual is mostlikely derived from physical injuries; how-ever, most sexual assaults do not involvevisible physical injuries.4

Another method of identifying co-erced or forced sex used at MidwesternRegional Medical Center involves the useof a staining agent known as Toluidineblue. Toluidine blue can substantially en-hance the visualization of genital injuriesby staining perineal and perianal lacera-tions and abrasions on victims. The dyeonly stains if such injuries are present,thus increasing its capacity to detecttrauma that is not visible with the nakedeye, Dimitrijevich said.

The colposcopeAll Illinois SANE programs funded by thestate include the colposcopic examinationas part of their evidentiary exam protocol.The colposcope is the latest technologicaladvancement in the detection of trauma insexual assault victims. Evidence collectedusing a colposcope can help substantiallyin identifying victims of forced or coercedsexual contact.

The colposcope has been extremelyvaluable at Midwestern Regional for in-creasing the ability to detect trauma insexual assault victims, Dimitrijevich said.It is used on all victims treated throughMidwestern Regional’s SANE program.The colposcope is an instrument with amagnifying lens using a binocular systemthat can enhance visualization of up to 80percent of injuries resulting from sexualassault. It magnifies injuries up to 30 timesgreater than what can be seen with the na-ked eye. The colposcope also serves as anexcellent light source. Without the aid ofthe colposcope, 80 percent of injuries onvictims could be potentially missed,Dimitrijevich said.

The colposcope is non-intrusive, mak-ing it an especially effective tool to usewith child victims. In fact, the scope nevertouches the victim. The colposcope is po-sitioned about a foot away from the areaon the victim to be examined and photo-graphed. The colposcope is attached to acomputer monitor, on which the picture ismagnified for the nurse examiner toevaluate. The colposcope can detect mi-croscopic trauma such as tears, abrasions,swelling, or bruises. The colposcope canalso help identify victims of repeated inci-

dents of sexual abuse by detecting micro-scopic scar tissue.

The benefits of the colposcope rapidlydecrease as time elapses between the as-sault and the time that the victim isexamined. In fact, nearly half of visible in-juries may become healed after only 72hours, so it is important that the colpo-scope be used as soon as possible after theassault, Dimitrijevich said.

Although some injury may be de-tected with consensual sex, the degree oftrauma and the number of areas that showinjury are much less than what typicallyappears after forced sex. Although nocolposcopic exam can ultimately confirmwhether or not sex was consensual, anexam showing multiple abrasions andtears will certainly add convincing evi-dence to help increase prosecution rates,Dimitrijevich said.

Evaluation of programsAs part of the legislation funding the fourSANE pilot programs, the Authority isevaluating the programs and must presenta report to the General Assembly withintwo years of implementation. To completethis report, Authority staff will gather in-formation from sexual assault nurseexaminers, rape crisis advocates, and pros-ecutors who have worked with sexualassault victims treated through theprograms.!

Notes:1. Bureau of Justice Statistic’s NationalCrime Victimization Survey. CriminalVictimization 1999, Changes 1998-1999with Trends 1993-1999. August, 2000.

2. Kilpatrick, D.G., Edmunds, C.N. andSeymour, A.K. Rape in America: A reportto the nation. National Victim Center:1992.

3. U.S. Dept. of Justice, Office for Victimsof Crime 1999. Sexual Assault Nurse Ex-aminer (SANE) Development andOperation Guide. Sexual Assault Re-source Service. Minneapolis, Minnesota.

4. Ibid.

The colposcope is the

latest technological

advancement in the

detection of trauma in

sexual assault victims.


National ballistics system links weapons tobullets and cartridges from crime scenes

IBIS Technician Chris Holy mounts a bullet to be analyzed under amicroscope (above), and then uses the IBIS computer and monitor toinspect the bullet’s unique striations.

Photos by Daniel Dighton

When Benjamin Smith went ona shooting spree randomlytargeting minorities over In-

dependence Day weekend in 1999, thebullets he left behind provided valuableclues for investigators. While Smith wason his deadly trek from Chicago toBloomington, Ind., police and laboratoryanalysts were working overtime to findanswers.

The rampage that began in Chicagoon Friday would take two more days andstretch across hundreds of miles beforecoming to an end. Two innocent victimslay dead and nine were wounded beforeSmith finally took his own life. He left be-hind 13 crime scenes involving sevenpolice jurisdictions in two states.

Each time Smith sped away from acrime scene, police scoured the area forfired bullets and discharged cartridgecases. These would be collected and ana-lyzed at the Illinois State Police ForensicScience Center at Chicago. Among thequestions the analysts would be attemptingto answer: What weapons were used? Wasmore than one shooter involved? Had theweapons been used in other crimes?

Highly trained forensic scientists andtechnicians would attempt to answer thesequestions with the aid of sophisticatedcomputers networked with the IntegratedBallistics Identification System (IBIS).Using high-powered microscopes and adigital imaging system, IBIS enables ana-lysts to compare fired bullets and

discharged cartridge cases to determinewhere they originated. IBIS’s computer-ized database helps analysts link firearmsevidence to other cases, and to link sus-pects to crimes.

Unique prints fromeach gunEach gun has unique mark-ings, similar tofingerprints, which itleaves on fired bullets anddischarged cartridge cases,said Joseph Thibault, fire-arms supervisor at theISP’s Forensic ScienceCenter at Chicago.

With IBIS, bullets are examined un-der a microscope, which shows the uniquestriations or markings created by the borewhen the bullet is fired. When a gun ismade, the gun manufacturer bores a hole

By Jennifer Fortney

Jennifer Fortney was an intern with theAuthority’s Office of Public Information.


Forensic Scientist Richard Amberger analyzes a handgun at theForensic Science Center at Chicago. He was attempting to recover thegun’s serial number, which had been ground off.


in the barrel stock using a drill, whichleaves unique marks. Metal against metalwill leave a different impression evenwhen the same drill is used to make thehole. The gun’s firing pin and breech faceleave unique impressions on the dis-charged cartridge cases.

When ballistic evidence is broughtinto an ISP lab, it is documented andmanually compared to other similar firedbullets, or discharged cartridge casesfound at the scene. Then the dischargedcartridge case or fired bullet is set under amicroscope and digital camera attached toa computer and monitor. As the evidenceis scanned, images of unique microscopicmarkings are photographed and enteredinto a database. Those images can then becompared to others on the IBIS network.

As technicians analyze fired bulletsor discharged cartridge cases, IBIS willautomatically search for “hits” and pro-vide a long list of possible matches. Thefirst five or 10 matches listed are most of-ten the ones investigators compare. “It’staking just a few minutes to do what usedto take two or three weeks,” said BrianMayland, a forensic scientist at the ISPlab in Chicago.

When the system identifies a possiblematch, two firearms examiners must con-

firm that it is accurate. “No ID’s are made[entirely] off the system,” Thibault said.

After Smith shot former NorthwesternUniversity basketball coach RickyByrdsong in Skokie, investigators foundseven bullets at the scene, including onethat passed through the window of anearby home. A short time later, policewere gathering evidence from a similarshooting scene in Northbrook, anotherChicago suburb.

By noon on Saturday, Mayland hadbeen called into ISP’s Chicago lab to helpwith the investigation. Dozens of bulletsand cartridge cases recovered during thisshooting spree had been taken to the labfor analysis.

“This particular case was a little dif-ferent from my perspective,” Maylandsaid. In most cases, he examines the rem-nants of crime after it has beencommitted, and then proves or disprovesinvestigators’ assumptions about what

happened, he said. In this case, evidencewas coming in while Smith was on hisshooting spree, and investigators knewthey had to move fast.

Mayland quickly determined thatthere were only two guns involved, a .22-caliber and a .380-caliber. Thisinformation, combined with witnessstatements, helped police determine thatonly one person was responsible for thespree. Less than 24 hours after the first in-cident, police knew there was oneshooter, and, with other information gath-ered during the investigation, they hadidentified a suspect.

The shooting spree finally came to anend when Smith shot and killed himself inSalem, Illinois. But there were still manyunanswered questions. Mayland continuedto look at all of the evidence to ensurethere was not a copycat shooter. He alsochecked IBIS to see if Smith’s guns hadleft prints at other crime scenes. It turnedout that the guns Smith used were notlinked to any crimes other than the holidayweekend rampage.

Forensic Technology, Inc., inMontreal, Canada, developed IBIS, whichis supported in the United States by theBureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.IBIS is becoming the standard ballisticssystem in labs across the country. In Illi-nois, the state police labs at Chicago,Joliet, and Rockford are on the same IBISnetwork. The DuPage County Sheriff’sOffice forensics laboratory and the North-ern Illinois Police Crime Lab also are onthe IBIS network. ISP labs in Morton,Springfield, Fairview Heights, andCarbondale use a similar system, Drugfire,which was developed by the FBI, but theywill soon be converting to IBIS, said ISPDeputy Director Teresa Kettelkamp.!

As technicians analyze fired bullets or discharged

cartridge cases, IBIS will automatically search for

“hits” and provide a long list of possible matches.


Every crime scene is different for theinvestigators gathering the evidence

In September 1993, a badly beatenfemale body was discovered onChicago’s South Side. Crime scene

investigators collected evidence and tookphotos of the body, which had beendragged through an abandoned lot and lefton a burlap bag. There was a great deal ofphysical evidence to collect, but no obvi-ous link to a suspect, and the case wentunsolved for years.

DNA helping with old casesSix years later, an officer with a special“cold case” unit of the Chicago PoliceDepartment that investigates old, hard-to-solve cases, was looking at the photos ofthe scene while working on the unsolvedmurders of several drug-using prostitutesin the same area. The burlap bag caughther attention. After finding it in an evi-dence storage room, she had it sent to theIllinois State Police Forensic Science Cen-ter at Chicago for analysis. Forensicscientists at the lab discovered a semenstain on the bag. Through DNA analy-sis, this piece of evidence ultimatelyhelped police solve the string ofmurder cases.

“When you do get one (akiller), it’s gratifying,” said Sgt.Jack Ridges, program director forthe CPD’s Central Homicide Evalua-tion and Support Squad (CHESS).

The job of gathering the informationis a difficult experience, emotionally andphysically, Ridges said. In addition, a lotof good information does not necessarilymean that the bad guy gets caught. But

By Jennifer Fortney

something like a burlap bag can make anincredible difference.

“DNA is now doing a lot of linkagefor us,” Ridges said, referring to the appli-cation of DNA analysis to evidence fromcases that may be several years old.

Paint chips help solve a caseBut other, more rudimentary methods ofgathering evidence are just as important.

In the early morning of Feb. 25,Karen Bockhol and her

two adult childrenpulled away from their

home in a white minivan todeliver Sunday newspapers in Joliet.

Concern grew, however, when the familydid not return from their route as expected.Police began an air search covering a 10-square-mile area near the Des PlainesRiver, where they had last been seen.

After a failed four-day air search,Joliet police organized a wide-scale footsearch. “Our guys physically started walk-ing the shore line,” said Cmdr. JamesGrace of the Joliet Police Department. Theground troops found a scene and were ableto start collecting clues. They discoveredfresh damage to a tree and traces of paint.These were strong indicators that there hadbeen an accident and the van may be in thecold river, Grace said.

On March 1, fire department diversbegan a search in the murky Des Plaines

River. The van was found upside downat the river bottom and the bodies of

the missing Bockhol family mem-bers were inside the vehicle.

In the end, it was determinedthrough further examination andanalysis that foul play was not in-volved. Due to faulty brakes, thevan collided with the tree and slid

into the water. “Forensic evidencein this case saved us one day’s time

in the search process,” Grace said. “There is no good rule for evi-

dence,” said Chicago Police DepartmentLt. John Huels, who has been a crimescene investigator since 1983. He said thatwhen he enters a scene he never knowswhat he’ll come across. Sometimes some-thing as simple as a paint chip will solvethe case.

Forensic investigators usually arriveon the scene behind a string of others, suchas patrol officers, supervisors, and detec-tives. In Chicago, about 160 policeofficers collect evidence over three shifts


throughout the city. A majority of theseofficers are evidence technicians who gen-erally handle property crimes, Huels said.Forensic investigators, who handle majorviolent crimes, are paired off, and two setsare on duty at most times to cover theentire city.

When investigators arrive at a homi-cide scene for instance, typically one takesphotographs while the other talks to wit-nesses and police officers who arrivedon the scene earlier. It is necessary to getas much information as possible. For ex-ample, if the investigator knows thevictim and relatives don’t smoke andthen sees a cigarette butt on the floor,that butt could be valuable evidence.Similarly, if the patrol officer who ar-rived first said the victim has beenmoved, investigators can get a betterpicture of what to collect, or where valu-able evidence may be hidden.

Body fluid key evidenceBody fluids that can be DNA tested areoften the best pieces of evidence, alongwith ballistic evidence, which can betracked in the lab, Huels said. Chemi-cals, clothing fibers, and blood spatteranalysis also may play an important rolein solving the crime, according to Huels.Dusting for fingerprints is still a largepart of the job, too.

Finally crime scene investigatorspack evidence in paper or a tube and shipit to the Illinois State Police for analysis.In some instances the courts will call onthem later to testify. The process must besystematic and accurate because evi-dence collected today may havelong-term effects.

The value of thorough evidence col-lection and improved DNA testing wasevident in another old case that Ridges andthe CHESS officers were able to solve.

In 1987 a young woman had beenstabbed 30 times in her home. Her doorwas made of metal, and almost impen-etrable. There was no forensic evidence

indicating forced entry, so police sus-pected that she knew her attacker, but thecase remained unsolved.

Ridges and his team found old swabscollected at the scene, which had beenstored in a refrigerator. The DNA was use-ful, but could not be matched in theCombined DNA Index System, the FBI’snational DNA database used to generatesuspects in unsolved cases and identify se-

rial cases. Time passed and they finallygot a tip on a man who had died severalyears before. Ridges did a DNA test onone of the suspect’s family members andfound a match.

“The hardest part of this case was togo back to the girl’s mother and tell herthat her best friend’s son did it,” Ridgessaid. “It really leaves an impression onyou, a case like that.”

Because of cases like this, membersof law enforcement are encouraged to

keep more evidence longer in anticipa-tion of further advances in technology,he added.

While DNA testing and databases aremajor developments for police, HaydenBaldwin, a retired Illinois State Policecrime scene investigator, said other tech-niques remain important.

He remembered one case in which afamily came home from shopping to find

that their house was ransacked, and sev-eral pieces of jewelry and their VCRwere missing.

Within moments after arriving onthe scene Baldwin found the point of en-try, where markings from a pry bar wereleft on the metal door jam of the slidingglass patio door. Two different footwearpatterns were found on the kitchen floor.From examining the objects the suspectshad touched while ransacking the threebedrooms, closets and the family room,it was discovered that they were wearinggloves with an odd pattern on them. Of-ficers canvassing the area spotted twomen walking near the scene and stoppedthem for questioning.

“The officers then noticed a pair ofgloves sticking out from one of themales right rear pocket,” Baldwin said.The gloves were taken to the scene andmatched the pattern discovered by in-

vestigators. Their shoes also matched theprints near the door. “The suspects weretold of the evidence and they confessed tothe crime,” he said. “All stolen propertywas recovered.”!


Survey shows rise in computer crimeBy Steve PrisocAssociate Director, Information Systems Unit

Technology

The Computer Security Institute’s (CSI) annual Com-puter Crime and Security Survey was released inMarch. One of the most important measures of com-

puter crime in the U.S., the survey is produced in collaborationwith the FBI’s Computer Intrusion Squad in San Francisco.

Large scale cybercrimeThe survey covered 2000 and was taken in December of thatyear. Based on responses from 538 computer security practitio-ners employed by corporations, government agencies,financial institutions, medical institutions, and universities,the survey indicated that cybercrime increased substantiallylast year.

The survey showed 85 percent of respondents detectedcomputer security breaches within the last 12 months. Nearly65 percent of those surveyed claimed financial loss as a resultof a security breach, and they said that most losses were due totheft of proprietary information or outright fraud.

Most respondents said the most common point of breachwas through their Internet connection. However, the number ofreported security breaches through internal systems droppednearly 50 percent since last year, with 30 percent of respon-dents indicating instances of internal computer crime.

Reporting cybercrime to law enforcement is on the rise,according to the survey. About 35 percent of respondents re-ported security breaches to law enforcement in 2000, while 25percent acknowledged reporting such crime the previous year,and only 16 percent of cybercrime victims reported contactingpolice the year before that.

Abuse of employee Internet privileges and denial of ser-vice attacks are increasing. Thirty-eight percent of respondentsindicated they had been victimized by a denial of service at-tack, which can disable a Web site by flooding it with requestsfor service, subsequently blocking access by legitimate users.Denial of service attacks have been widely reported by thepress and in the last year a number of prominent companies,including Yahoo and Amazon, suffered severe losses as a re-sult. About 25 percent of respondents reported denial ofservice attacks last year.

Companies reported a significant increase in abuse ofInternet privileges by employees, with 91 percent indicatingabuses such as downloading pornography or pirated software,or inappropriate use of company e-mail. This is up from 79percent last year. This could be attributed to the increasing ten-dency of organizations to monitor Internet use and theproliferation of software designed to detect such abuse. Re-

ports of computer viruses also rose, with 94 percent of respon-dents indicating that viruses were detected in their systems. Theyear before, 85 percent of respondents detected viruses.

Particularly disturbing was CSI’s finding that 13 percent ofrespondents admitted to being victimized by theft of transactioninformation. Such information on transactions, particularlythose related to Internet purchases, including customer names,passwords, credit card numbers and other personal information,could be used to directly defraud consumers. Sometimes the in-formation is used to obtain credit cards in the victim’s name.This constitutes identity theft, and according to the PrivacyRights Clearinghouse, 500,000 to 700,000 Americans were vic-tims of identity theft last year.

Personal cybercrimeCybercrime against individuals has become increasingly com-mon in recent years as more commerce is conducted over theInternet. According to the Internet Fraud Complaint Center(IFCC), a joint effort of the National White Collar Crime Centerand the FBI, Internet auction fraud is by far the most reportedfraud, accounting for almost two-thirds of all complaints toIFCC. Non-deliverable merchandise or non-payment accountedfor an additional 22 percent of complaints. Creditand debit card fraud made up almost 5 percent of complaints.Other types of confidence fraud, such as home improvementscams and investment fraud, also figured among the most re-ported offenses.

Between May 8 and Nov. 8, 2000, the average dollar lossfor an Internet fraud against all victims, businesses, and indi-viduals was $894. The average loss for individuals alone was$255, but more than 17 percent of victims suffered losses greaterthan $1,000. Almost one-third of victims endured losses of lessthan $100, and two-thirds lost under $500. The greatest losseswere suffered by victims of Internet investment fraud sincelarger amounts of cash are usually required up front. The lowestdollar loss amounts were associated with auction fraud offenses.

Illinois ranked fifth among states for the number of indi-vidual victims who filed complaints with the IFCC and rankedseventh for the number of individual perpetrators. The reportshows that 3.5 percent of perpetrators reside in Illinois, but 4.3percent of individual complainants live in Illinois. Californiaseems to be the clear leader in Internet fraud with 17 percent ofindividual perpetrators and 15 percent of individualcomplainants.!


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For address corrections, additions, or deletions, writethe information below and return this portion of thepage to the Authority’s Office of Public Information.Please include your telephone number. Thank you.

ILLINOISILLINOISILLINOISILLINOISILLINOISCriminal Justice Information Authority

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312-793-8550, TDD: 312-793-4170, Fax: 312-793-8422

Education and family factorsfor juvenile probationers

Comparison of adult male andfemale probationers

Trends

Illinois Probation Outcome Study*

0

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

FemaleMale

Children living with probationer

Income less than $10,000

UnemployedPrior adult conviction

The 2000 Illinois Probation Outcome Study found that femaleprobationers had less extensive criminal histories than males,but females had higher levels of unemployment at case entry,and as a result, a larger percentage of female probationershad annual incomes of $10,000 or less. In addition, femaleprobationers were much more likely to have children livingwith them, and 15 percent of adult female probationers werepregnant at some point during their supervision periods.

The study also found that the majority of juvenile probation-ers were enrolled in traditional school programs, and a largeproportion of juveniles were from families with annual in-comes below $20,000 and were receiving public assistance.The majority of juvenile probationers were not living withboth parents at the time of case initiation, and juvenile pro-bationers were most frequently residing with their mothersalone. Nearly 10 percent of juvenile probationers (male orfemale) had children of their own, and 15 percent of femalejuvenile probationers were pregnant during their periods ofprobation supervision.

*Source: Preliminary analyses from the 2000 Illinois Probation Outcome Study. The Authority will publish a full report based on the study this year.For further information contact research analysts David Olson or Sharyn Adams at the Authority.

0

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Juvenile probationers

with children

Living with mother only

Living with both parents

Family receiving

public assistance

Family income less

than $20,000

Dropout/truant

Alternative school

Traditional school

Documents

The Compiler - ICJIA · The Compiler Spring 2001 Lab resources aren’t keeping up with demand 4 Addressing the DNA backlog 7 Fingerprinting remains on cutting edge 9 Chemistry lab