Mercedez Vainuku

Chemistry Honors
P. 5/6th
December 17, 2012
Forensic Scientist Court Evidence Paper
A male teenager in between the age of 15 16, was found deceased in Mrs. Wickelsons
classroom at the Salt Lake Center for Science Education on November 20, 2012 at 8:10 a.m. By
collecting qualitative data, we found this 510, 165 lb male in a face down position with his
eyes open. He had no skin abrasions or any blood smeared around him. This dead body had a
body temperature of 70 F, and appeared to be Caucasian/Hispanic. Inside his jeans pocket we
found a gum wrapper, 2 tickets to Breaking Dawn Part 2 on November 17, 2012 thats already
been seen at 3:10 p.m. Our body we found had short black hair, green eyes and a 3 day scruff.
He also had small soil samples on his shoes. Now, the question is Who is this guy? Well, using
forensic science, we discovered the answer to this question, and a little more.
Investigators turn to forensic scientists to help solve cold cases that have been unsolved
for 20 or 30 years. Forensic scientists need samples that most people find unimportant to find
out different sets of information such as drug use and where the victim has been living recently.
In order to find out these things, the police left it up to us forensic scientists to discover
information about the victim found in Mrs. Wickelsons room.
We started out by taking samples from the victim. There are different H2O isotopes
contained within a hair strand, thus telling us where hes been living recently. An isotope is an

atom containing the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons. Atoms are
identified or defined by their number of protons however the neutrons arent always the same
thus making an isotope. The hair is able to tell us where out victim has been, due to the different
isotopes that are found in different regions of the United States.
The next sample was taken from soil on his shoes. This was because of the pollen in the
dirt. The pollen can show us what plant(s) this teenager has stepped on. Our computer can show
us where that plant grows, thereby telling us where hes been. The soil sample is put under a
scanning electron microscope, where the electrons from a crystal that repel the electrons from the
pollen atom. The machine then detects where the electron bounces off, and the computer zooms
into the electron. The pollen is recorded and we find out which plant(s) it came from.
Our last sample we took was from the fiber that was attached to his clothes. These fibers
were put under a fluorescence microscope that when light shines on the sample hit the
electrons of the fiber, making it bounce to a higher energy level. These fibers can be traced to
different sources such as clothes from another company or a certain car company. This
information can be useful, because we can find if he was in a car recently before his death, or if
he has fibers from another persons shirt or any other type of clothing.
Our results for our hair sample were that the hydrogen and oxygen isotopes were traced
back to the tap water in Florida. We found the pollen on his shoes were from the region of mid
New York to Florida. Both of the results found, suggested Florida so that is made as a very big
inference of where the victim has been staying recently, but our fiber analysis can tell us more.
Our data told us the fibers were cotton, polyester and nylon fibers from cars. The samples were
then fluoresced under the microscope and using our data base chart (kind of like a taxonomy

key), we found out the fibers came from a Red Toyota, 4 door coup with a Florida license plate
parked outside of gateway. The car was registered under the name of Juan Tapia, which is
exactly how we found our victims name, and this isnt the only thing well find in this case.