Murder we wrote II

The news have arrived, today we were informed that the members of the team that is going to solve the case of the dead of the professor X is:

The Math Expert: Gabriel Robinson Perez http://pequegaby.blogspot.com/
The Media Experts: Alejandra Sanabria http://axela13.blogspot.com/
& Alan Rios http://www.elalan90.blogspot.com/
The Journalist: Silvia Galindo http://silvie4ever.blogspot.com/
Forensic scientist: Sahara de Leon http://zaradeleon.blogspot.com/

All of the members of the team have a long experience and preparation and that’s why we know that this mystery is going to be solved soon because we have the best on the subject.

The team is going to realize a forensic investigation, so we asked some questions to the Media Expert Alejandra Sanabria, who gave us an interview to analyze the basic concepts of the forensic science.

What is forensic science?
>Actually forensic science is a very complex concept it can be defined as “any aspect of science as it relates to law”, or sections of science that can be used or “called into question in a court of law” like Murray Forensic says.
I would say this is a science developed from the need to solve the crimes that they were not easy to solve, however, forensics is not just science; it has also mathematics involved on it. And in has help made a lot of difference on the world since it was invented signifying the progress of modern technology.

What kind of evidence can be collected in a murder case?
>There ate many types of evidence, actually every thing is evidence, that is why it is very important to take pictures, but some of the most commons types of evidence are:
Bodily fluids:
Blood
Urine for alcohol, drugs and poisoning medicines,
Materials:
Metals
Paints
Ceramics
Used bullet cartridges
Dyes
Stains
Biological evidence
Seeds
Plants
Soil
Wood

Why is important to determine the time of death?
>It is very important because a minute can make the difference between the guilty and an innocent person. Because some times the dead subject in question was with many persons the same day, so the body was found a week latter, how is the police going to know who of the many persons who where with the dead, was or were the guilty or if it was another person.

What methods are commonly used to find the time of death?
>There are two methods of identifying the time of dead
Firsts, measuring the change produced by a process which takes place at a known rate, which was either initiated or stopped by the event under investigation, i.e. death. Like the amount and distribution of rigor mortis, the change in body temperature, and the degree of putrefaction of the body.
And second, by comparing the occurrence of events which took place at known times, with the time of occurrence of the event under investigation. Like that a wrist watch stopped by a blow during an assault, the extent of digestion of the last known meal.

What factors are considered in Algor Mortis? And how does the environment affect the time of death?
>First of all the algor mortis refers to the body cooling after the dead and before 24 hours. The scientist many scientist believe that it is the most reliable way to identify the time of dead of a body. And to get this data they analyze the room temperature, humidity levels, air movement the normal temperature of the person, the actual temperature, the weight and fat levels in the body.
The core body temperature drops at an estimated rate of 0.8K each hour from the time of death, but is ever-changing dependant on the anterior factors.

What can you tell about the different methods of temperature reading of the body? Do they make a difference in the results?
>Like the methods are base in different factors, I can be determined that between less environmental factors affects the prediction the result is going to be more reliable. And even if the methods may vary in their results, this comparison between them helps the Scientifics to establish a more trustworthy time of dead. Here is where the mathematics enters.


We received during this week many comments about why does we as many experts mention that the mathematics are so important in this new, many of the comments were from students of high school who’s teachers of math’s have been telling them to be informed about the case of the dead of the Professor X, and more important to be informed about the process, what would you tell them about this topic and the mathematics?
>For some persons the mathematics are boring(for me not, of course), and I’m sure that many of us sees some type of program about, policeman, doctors or murders at the TV also I’m sure your teacher had told you that in some point of your life you are going to need the mathematics, I remember that may 6th semester math teacher made me invent a case, so even when this sounds bad, the teachers are taking advantage making you interested on this, and if you analyze it, isn’t it better to be in a real situation that just do the formulas and bla, bla, bla… this murder mixes a real situation with the mathematics and also shows us that even if our abilities are different(like our team) we can make a team work to solve the mysteries, or in this case to find the guilty.

We thank to Alejandra Sanabria for her interview and we are hopping to have another interview with her soon.

We will keep you informed.


Bibliography
Burton, Emily. The Mathematics of Solving Crimes. ccds. Consulted on Saturday, February 22, 2008. http://www.ccds.charlotte.nc.us/mcgrail/stu0102/HP2/
Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Dundee. Time of Death. Consulted on Saturday, February 22, 2008. http://www.dundee.ac.uk/forensicmedicine/notes/timedeath.pdf
Scene Of Crime. Forenstic science. Library thinkquest. Consulted on Saturday, February 22, 2008. http://library.thinkquest.org/04oct/00206/scene_of_crime.htm