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Forensic science

An illustration shows several bodies layed out in in various positions with one red body.

In the western Balkans, DNA tests help families discover fate of dead relatives

Conflict

DNA testing is making it possible for thousands of families to recover and identify the skeletal remains of loved ones decades after they were murdered or disappeared. But some families are traumatized and distressed by these discoveries. 

Forensic Sculptor

Arts, Culture & Media
Shoeprint analysis

Just how much science is in forensic science?

Science
FBI Director James Comey takes a question from a reporter during a news conference at the FBI field office in Boston, Massachusetts, on November 18, 2014.

How the FBI used ‘invalid, grossly exaggerated testimony’ for decades

Justice

FBI Review: Exaggerated Evidence in 27 Death Penalty Cases

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Rape Kits Mishandled at NYC Lab

Another medical examiner’s office has discovered serious problems with their analysis of DNA evidence in criminal cases. Just a month ago, The Takeaway reported on a rogue medical technician in Massachusetts, a technician who allegedly tampered with thousands of cases during her tenure at the state crime lab. This time the New York City Medical […]

Digging For The Truth: Yasser Arafat Exhumed

Global Politics

The remains of Yasser Arafat was exhumed today to determine if the former Palestinian leader was poisoned. Arafat died eight years ago, allegedly from a stroke.

Kate Doyle: Documenting Latin America’s Painful Past

Conflict & Justice

Evidence uncovered by Kate Doyle, a researcher at the non-profit National Security Archive has proven crucial in several recent human rights trials in Latin America.

“The Real CSI”: New Documentary Looks at the Flaws in Forensic Science

Forensic science is central to almost every TV crime drama, but real life forensic science is a lot messier than the way it’s portrayed on television. Andres Cediel is the producer of “The Real CSI,” a new Frontline documentary produced by WGBH. The documentary tries to separate the science from the drama.  Jennifer Mnookin, a UCLA […]

Excavation of Human Skeletal Remains Botched in Mexico Cave

Arts, Culture & Media

As state authorities rushed to collect the bones recently found in southern Mexico, they ruined the archaeological values of the remains.

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