We know that determining a bite is from an adult or a child can be complex – especially when arch widths alone are used: Arch width changes from 6 weeks to 45 years of age And even the definition of “Adult” or “Child” with respect to dental development is complex …
Read More »German authorities raise concern over dental age estimation
This piece from the BBC furthers the concern among Europeans about the use of dental (and medical) information to age individuals in asylum or immigration cases. While there is a clear need to be sure of an individual’s age – especially if they are to be placed in children’s settings – …
Read More »Karla Brown – Forensic Files
The Karla Brown case and potential wrongful conviction of John Prante continues. A bitemark assessed in minutes, a bitemark that wasn’t discovered for several years and an odontologist with a chequered past of wrongful convictions (indeed, the individual involved may well now be sued by another victim of his BM …
Read More »Innocence Project takes on yet another bitemark case
The Belleville News has an article and interview with Dana Delger from the NY IP. They have taken the case of the case of John Prante, who was convicted in 1983 of the murder of Karla Brown. You can read the full article here. The bitemark evidence is described as …
Read More »Lawyers & Experts say “no science” bite-mark analysis warrants exoneration or retrial
You can read the full story here from the Trib Live This case concerns a Tom David case – Kunco – which has long been recognised as an issue case that was bound to come around to appeal. A UV photograph (remind you of Mike West? Indeed Tom David said he received …
Read More »Bite mark evidence challenged in Paul Alan Ross case
Original story in full at the Altoona Mirror – here. Defense attorneys for Paul Aaron Ross say there is no valid science linking a bite mark to a specific person, so when Ross’ murder case comes up for a retrial in Blair County court, that evidence should be excluded. At …
Read More »Danny Hill’s Appeal Denied
A long running case with flawed bitemark evidence at its heart has reached a new hurdle. While the judge agreed that the BM evidence was poor, could not be used to link to a suspect and is this case was given inappropriate weight, she felt that, even with the bitemark excluded …
Read More »UK Supreme Court recommends Jury Primers
The head of the UK Supreme Court has recommended Jury primers for forensic science in a piece called “Stop needless dispute of science in the courts” published in Nature this week. We have described the use of the Jury primers before – they present a means of showing the trier …
Read More »Bite-mark decision raises tougher questions
Peter and Mary Bush, forensic scientists in the School of Dental Medicine, had much to celebrate during the past week. Their work — several studies that found the science behind bite-mark analysis unsound — helped lay the foundation for a landmark recommendation by the Texas Forensic Science Commission to ban …
Read More »Senn – I am part of the problem
The audio from the TFSC has just been released. Its over two and half hours, but Dr David Senn presents within the first few minutes and makes a startling admission I think that I am part of the problem No doubt that it is true. Senn, who has appeared three times …
Read More »Bitemark evidence is junk science – until research shows otherwise
Here is how the Houston Post described the findings from the Texas Forensic Science Commission. Why not listen to the NPR interview with Chris Fabricant on the impact of this finding here. There were bite marks on John Sweek’s arm when police found him stabbed to death on his kitchen …
Read More »Fabricant on TPR describes impact of Texas decision
Following the landmark decision of the Texas Forensic Science Commission to recommend a ban on the use of bitemarks, Chris Fabricant, Director of Strategic Litigation at the Innocence Project, talks to TPR on the reasons behind, and the impact of, the decision. Replaying some of Dr David Senn’s earlier interview on …
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