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You are here: Home / Archives for Finger Printing

Finger Printing

Suspect in Branagan cold case

March 24, 2014 By Alice

Moira "Holly" Branagan

When I checked StatCounter I saw that many people had look up the Moira Holly Branagan case. I asked on Twitter whether there was anything new I might have missed … and YES! An article came up in Allentown’s Morning Call newspaper on Sunday. Hat Tip to @deathunderglass! “For the first time since Holly Branagan‘s murder 35 […]

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Filed Under: Forensics Tagged With: Autopsy, DNA, Finger Printing, Knife Attack, Moira "Holly" Branagan, Pennsylvania

Fingerprint Misidentification

November 27, 2012 By Alice

Fingerprint Misidentification: State of Indiana v. Lana Canen. Based on a fingerprint misidentification, Lana Canen spent eight years in prison for a murder she did not commit. But now, she has finally been exonerated of Helen Sailor’s 2002 murder. From the Wrongful Convictions Blog: “On Thanksgiving 2002, Helen Sailor, an elderly woman living in Elkhart, Indiana, was […]

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Filed Under: Forensics, Miscarriages of Justice Tagged With: Expert Testimony, Faulty Evidence, Finger Printing, Forensics, Identification, Indiana, Miscarriage of Justice, Partial Finger Printing, post-conviction relief

Possible prosecution in 1985 Blakelock case

August 19, 2012 By Alice

Keith Blakelock grid AdS

All the papers were buzzing since last night about a possible prosecution in the 1985 cold case of UK Police Officer Keith Blakelock. Officer Blakelock and his colleague Pc Coombes was was attacked by 300-strong mob as he tried to protect firefighters who were tackling a supermarket blaze at the height of the riot known as the […]

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Filed Under: Cold Case News, Unsolved Tagged With: Broadwater Farm Riots, Cruelty, Expert Testimony, Finger Printing, Forensics, Pc Keith Blakelock, UK, Unsolved Homicide

Recap #cclivechat August 17, 2012

August 17, 2012 By Alice

Karen Caughlin

Today’s #cclivechat was dedicated to the 1974 Canadian cold case of Karen Caughlin. I highlighted several things that concern me in her case. Of course, those concerns are just the top of the iceberg! I started with the evidence in her case, worried that it might not have been preserved properly for examination with modern […]

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Filed Under: Forensics, Unsolved Tagged With: Canada, DNA, DNA Database, Finger Printing, Karen Caughlin, OPP, Sarnia, Unsolved Homicide

New manager on Caughlin case

July 18, 2012 By Alice

Karen Caughlin

New manager handling the Karen Caughlin case is great news. Fresh eyes to look over a file to see if we missed anything. On May 1, 2012, Inspector Chris Avery was assigned to the 1974 Caughlin investigation. The case of Karen Caughlin has featured here on DCC ever since Karen’s older sister Kathy contacted me by email. Kathy […]

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Filed Under: Cold Case News, Unsolved Tagged With: Canada, Crime Scene, DNA, Finger Printing, Forensics, hit-and-run, Karen Caughlin, Sarnia, Unsolved Homicide

Update Karen Caughlin

July 11, 2012 By Alice

Karen Caughlin

The Lambton Shield reports that “one of the suspects in the 1974 murder of Karen Caughlin may have died. It is believed that Miss Caughlin was struck by a vehicle and left for dead in a shallow ditch on the side of Plowing Match Road (formally known as Side Road 6-7) in Enniskillen Township, a couple kilometers northwest of […]

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Filed Under: Cold Case News, Unsolved Tagged With: Canada, Crime Scene, DNA, Finger Printing, Forensics, Karen Caughlin, OPP, Sarnia, Unsolved Homicide

Gone but not forgotten: Raymond Nels Nelson

June 1, 2012 By Alice

Raymond Nels Nelson

Gone but not forgotten: Raymond Nels Nelson: thirty-one years ago, someone killed Raymond Nels Nelson by hitting him on the head with a typewriter. Nelson, bureau chief of the Providence Journal and Evening Bulletin in Warwick, Rhode Island, and later a member of Senatorial candidate Claiborne Pell’s team, was a dynamic man and public figure in Washington, D.C., but foremost, he […]

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Filed Under: Forensics, Unsolved Tagged With: Autopsy, Crime Scene, D.C., DNA, Finger Printing, Partial Finger Printing, Raymond Nels Nelson, Unsolved Homicide, Washington

Recap #CCLiveChat April 13, 2012

April 13, 2012 By Alice

sum it up #cclivechat

For this #cclivechat, we join Richard Case at the Fingerprint Society’s Annual Conference. Richard began his career in 1994 working at the South Wales Police Fingerprint Bureau. Richard was able to complete his training and qualified as an expert in early 2000. In May 2001, Richard was employed by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) where he has undertaken […]

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Filed Under: Unsolved Tagged With: Finger Printing, Richard Case

#CCLiveChat recap March 9, 2012

March 9, 2012 By Alice

sum it up #cclivechat

So good to be back online with CCLiveChat! Again, the hour moved fast and our friends on their mobiles had quite a struggle to keep up. But that does not matter. I am very glad they were all there. We discussed some DCC news and the “no progress” in the Zeigler case to move over […]

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Filed Under: Unsolved Tagged With: Alice Hawkes, Autopsy, Crime Scene, Finger Printing, Forensics, Identification, Missing Person, Nancy Grunwaldt, Police, Unsolved Homicide, William Thomas Zeigler

Recap #CCLiveChat Jan 13, 2012

January 13, 2012 By Alice

On finger prints - Photography AdS

Friday the 13th and CCLiveChat, what can go wrong. It was tempting fate and indeed something happened. Air plane delays messed up Richard Case‘s travel plans. Our #CCLiveChat therefore began much early with questions and answers send via email and Twitter. At the noon hour, several other CSI folks jumped in and we learned a […]

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Filed Under: Unsolved Tagged With: cclivechat, Crime Labs, Crime Scene, Evidence, Finger Printing, Forensics, Identification, Richard Mark Case

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Author Notes

Since 2009, I write about unsolved cases that need renewed media attention. I only do research and leave active investigations to the authorities.

My posts cover homicides, missing and unidentified people, wrongful convictions, and forensics as related to unsolved cases.

On book reviews: I only review select works of true crime, crime fiction, and historical fiction/mysteries. The stories have to fit my website's theme, tone, and research. It is my prerogative to not review a book. Please check the FAQ page for more.

My databases are free to the public. Cases are sorted by the victim’s last name.

If you have any questions about my website please check the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page, the About page, and the tabs in both menu bars. If you cannot find the answers there, please contact me.

Thank you,

Alice de Sturler
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