Science Thursdays

The science of biomechanics informs a death row case, Houston’s troubled crime lab is removed from police control, and toxicology evidence in the case of Roger Clemens is disputed.  Here is a round up of this week’s forensic news: 

Two days before her scheduled execution

, a female convict received support from a biomechanical expert, who submitted an affidavit in her defense. The woman was convicted of murdering an infant in her care who she maintains died after she accidentally dropped the infant. The expert contends that short falls can be fatal for infants. 

The Houston City Council

approved the appointment of a nine-member panel to oversee its crime lab

, removing it from police control.

An internal Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department report on the

mishandling of blood evidence

in the case of a fellow officer, who was allegedly driving while intoxicated, finds negligence but no criminal behavior.

A forensic toxicologist

disputes the evidence proffered by the government

in the perjury trial of baseball great Roger Clemens.