Science Thursday: Fake Autopsies, Blood Spatter and Fiber Comparison

Questionable and unreliable forensic evidence is the topic of discussion in courtrooms around the world.  Here’s a round up of forensic news:

Lawyers in a Chicago area murder case

debated the reliability of blood-spatter evidence

.

An Oklahoma pathologist from the Medical Examiner’s office

testified in court

about a report she submitted on autopsies that she did not actually conduct.

The UK’s Court of Appeal

dismissed Simon Hall’s appeal

in a murder case. The Criminal Cases Review Commission referred this case to the Court of Appeal because the conviction was based in part on questionable fiber identification evidence.

Another Canadian man wrongfully convicted of shaking a baby to death by the testimony of Dr. Charles Smith

was exonerated this week

.