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October 5, 2015
Evidence Report for Case # 077, Anna Garcia decedent
INTRODUCTION
Anna Garcia was found dead in her home on a hot, 92°F summer morning. She was last seen
walking her dog at 6:00 am with a sweater on, despite the heat. Due to Anna Garcia’s dog’s
barking for two hours straight, Doug Greene, Anna’s neighbor, called the police. The call came
in at 9:45 am. Both the police and the EMT arrived at the scene at 9:56 am. The EMT who was
called to the scene pronounced Anna dead. The police immediately notified a team of crime
scene investigators as well as the medical examiner, both of whom were dispatched to the house.
At the scene, Anna was lying face down in the entry hallway of her house. There was a table
knocked over with blood on the table and on the floor near her head. There was also a pile of
vomit near her head. The papers on the floor had titles such as “Everything Low-Cholesterol
Cookbook” and “Dog Speak,” along with a Japanese ordering menu. Also, on a chair there was
her purse and a sweater, and on the table beside it, there was a picture of her dog. There were
two white, unidentified pills on the floor, along with a dog leash, and a cup with remains of some
kind of brown liquid in it. Through this unit we conducted many labs with the evidence we
collected from the scene, Anna Garcia, and the persons of interest. The persons of interest are
Alex Garcia (Anna’s ex-husband), Erica Piedmont (Alex’s new wife), Doug Greene (Anna’s
neighbor), and Lucy Leffingwell (Anna’s business partner at the local baker they own).
Evidence that we collected included blood, DNA, hair, footprints (the bottom of their shoes), and
fingerprints. We were also given the autopsy of Anna Garcia. This report provides a summary of
all the experiments conducted regarding the case, and their results. This report also summarizes
all the facts revealed to us, and the conclusions we made based on these facts. Our jobs are to
find the cause and manner of Anna Garcia’s mysterious death. All the following labs were
conducted to identify and exonerate possible causes and manners of death. We conducted labs
that identified the evidence, such as the pill identification lab. We also had labs so we could see
who was at the scene, these labs included the DNA, hair, fingerprint, blood type analysis, and
footprint labs. We also conducted experiments that recreated possible scenarios at the crime
scene, such as the blood spatter lab. Blood is a very important part to cracking the case because
blood can identify a person, and can help recreate what happened at the scene.
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
Blood Analysis
There was blood found at the crime scene on the table and on the floor near Anna Garcia’s head.
Some of the blood from the crime scene was collected, as well as from all the persons of interest
and Anna Garcia. The crime scene was also recreated in the laboratory so we could identify how
the height from which blood is dropped affects the diameter of the blood spatter, and to
determine Anna’s probable position when she lost blood. Blood type can determine who you can
receive blood from and who you can donate blood to, but blood type also plays a key role in
crime scene investigations because it can help determine who lost blood.
Blood Type. The blood from the crime scene, Anna Garcia, and all the persons of interest was
collected and analyzed to determine their blood type. Three collections of blood were put into a
dish, Anti-A Serum was applied to one well, Anti-B Serum was applied to another well, and
Anti-Rh was applied to the last well. If the blood in the well clumped when the indicator was
added to it, then it tested positive. The Anti-A and Anti-B Serum determined what type of blood
it was, and the Anti-Rh determined whether the blood was positive or negative. For example, if
a blood sample clumped when Anti-A Serum and Anti-Rh was added to it, then the blood type
for that person would be A+ (read as A positive), if the blood didn’t clump to the Anti-A or Anti-
B Serum then the blood type would be O and the positive or negative would be determined by
whether or not the blood clumped when Anti-Rh was added to it. On the other hand, if the blood
clumped when both Anti-A and Anti-B Serum were added to it then the blood type would be AB
and the positive or negative would be determined by whether or not the blood clumped when
Anti-Rh was added to it. The results for the blood samples of Anna Garcia, the persons of
interest, and the blood found at the crime scene were all analyzed to determine the blood type of
each blood sample collected. Once the blood type was discovered it was recorded in a data table
(Table 1).
Since Anna Garcia and the blood found at the crime scene are the same type (A+), it can be
determined that the blood at the crime scene belonged to Anna Garcia. This conclusion makes
sense because the blood at the crime scene was found near Anna’s head, and according to the
autopsy Anna did suffer from a head injury on her right temple. By looking at the size and
patterns of the blood at the crime scene we can determine what positions someone was in when
they lost blood, how long they were in that position, and what weapons were used to harm the
victim.
Blood Spatter. For the blood spatter lab we created a simulation of the crime scene, in order to
find out how the height from which blood is dropped affects the diameter of the blood spatter.
We used the same amount of blood each time to ensure our results were accurate. Blood was
dropped from heights of 0, 50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 centimeters. We also controlled all
external variables by ensuring that the blood was dropped on the same graph paper, the pipette
was always parallel to the wall when the blood was dropped, the blood mixture was the same,
and the blood was dropped in the same area every time. Each time we dropped blood we
measured and recorded the diameter of the blood, we did multiple trials for each height, then we
averaged out the trials to ensure there was no outliers. The diameter of the main droplet of blood
and the diameter of the blood spatter were recorded separately. The blood eventually began to
spatter when it was dropped from a height of 250 centimeters. The data was put into a Microsoft
Excel spreadsheet in the form of a table (Table 2).
Table 2. The relationship between blood spatter diameter and height from which the blood
was dropped, used to determine Anna Garcia’s probable position when she lost blood.
Height From Which the Blood was Diameter of the Main Diameter of Spatter (in
Dropped (in centimeters) Drop of Blood (in centimeters)
centimeters)
0 0.5 0
50 0.9 0
100 1.1 0
150 1.2 0
200 1.3 0
250 1.35 1.85
In Table 2, the “Height From Which the Blood was Dropped (in centimeters)” column represents
the height from which one drop of blood was dropped. The “Diameter of the Main Drop of
Blood” column refers to the diameter of the biggest drop of blood on the paper, which is the
place where the blood first hit the paper. The blood drop was measured straight across from one
side to the other, passing through the center of the circle. Lastly, the “Diameter of Spatter”
column refers to the diameter of the blood spatter which was measured using the longest distance
between the blood droplets. The table was then used to create a scatter plot of the data (Figure
1).
A blood drop at the crime scene was measured to be 1.1 centimeters in diameter. Based on my
data and graph, combined with graphs produced by my classmates, Anna lost blood from a
height of 60 to 100 centimeters above the ground.
Blood Spatter Experiment
2
Diameter (in centimeters)
1.5
0.5
0
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
Height (in centimeters)
Figure 1. The relationship between blood spatter diameter and height from which the blood
was dropped, used to determine Anna Garcia’s probable position when she lost blood.
DNA Lab
Methods. We received DNA sequences from the evidence left at the crime scene, Anna Garcia,
and the persons of interest. We applied the HaeIII restriction enzyme to the DNA, which cut the
DNA straight through between base pairs CC and GG. Then, we applied the DNA fragments to
a paper “gel,” which, based on the number of base pairs in each fragment, were graphed on the
“gel,” (Figure 2). This process represents gel electrophoresis. Gel electrophoresis is a way to
compare different samples DNA by the number of fragments and the size of those fragments. It
is used in crime scene investigations to determine whether or not DNA found at the crime scene
matches the DNA of a particular person. Since each no one’s DNA is identical (excluding twins)
it is a key factor in identifying whether or not someone was at the crime scene. If DNA from the
crime scene matches DNA of one of the suspects, it is guaranteed that the suspect was at the
crime scene at some time.
Figure 2. Paper “gel” of DNA collected from the crime scene, Anna Garcia, and the
persons of interest.
Results. Through RFLP, we were able to analyze the bands in the gel and determine that the
DNA found at the crime scene belonged to Anna Garcia. Anna Garcia’s DNA and DNA found
at the crime scene had the same number of fragments and each of the fragments have the same
amount of base pairs.
Through the lab, it was discovered that the farther the ambient temperature is away from body
temperature, the quicker the body will cool. A visual representation of the data was then created
(Figure 3).
Time of Death Experiment
25
Temp. of Wterlock (°C)
20
15
10
0
0 min 5 min 10 min 15 min 20 min
Minutes after death
Results. We applied the Glaister equation to find Anna’s approximate time of death. The
Glaister equation is; (98.4-measured rectal temperature)/1.5=approximate number of hours since
death. The Glaister equation is in degrees Fahrenheit, so when the rectal temperature is
measured it must be in degrees Fahrenheit. It was given to us that the measured rectal
temperature of Anna at 11:00 was 92.4°F. We substituted in 92.4 for the measure rectal
temperature and solved to get an answer of 4. This means that by 11:00am, Anna had been dead
for approximately 4 hours. Eleven minus four equals seven, therefore Anna died at
approximately 7:00 am.
CONCLUSION
Through many experiments and labs it was determined that Anna’s blood, footprint, and hair
were at the crime scene. Also, during the incident Anna lost blood from a height of 60 to 100
centimeters and she died at approximately 7:00 am. Alex’s fingerprint was found at the crime
scene, the two pills were identified as acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin), and the autopsy report
revealed Anna’s condition when she died. Currently, I believe that the manner of death was
natural and the cause of death was sickle cell disease. I believe this because the autopsy said that
she had grey fingernails from lack of oxygen, red blood cells carry oxygen, and sickle cell
disease describes the inability for red blood cells to carry enough oxygen throughout the body,
whether it is from the lack of red blood cells or the red blood cells are misshaped. If the red
blood cells are misshaped or there are not enough of them, oxygen cannot travel through the
body as needed. Due to the lack of distribution of oxygen, the muscles, which are responsible
for producing heat, may not have functioned at full capacity, causing her to feel cold even though
it was 92°F outside. She wore the sweater because she was cold and whenever she went in the
house she had a heat stroke, passed out and hit her right temple on the table on the way down.
The vomiting was caused by her body temperature being too high. Her death occurred when the
misshaped red blood cells cut of oxygen in the brain and she had a stroke.