Innocence Blog

Science Thursday - September 13, 2012

Posted: September 13, 2012 12:45 pm

Massachusetts is investigating the work of a drug analyst that might lead to a review of tens of thousands of cases, forensic evidence from the West Memphis 3 trials are reviewed, and coroners in Kentucky push for funding for a medical examiner. Here’s this week’s round up of forensic news:
 
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick stated that there will be criminal and civil consequences for the “breakdown in oversight” that shuttered a state police crime lab drug unit.
 
Drug evidence from the St. Paul Police Crime Lab continues to be scrutinized. Pre-trial hearings are now focusing on whether the leftover evidence that could be retested might be contaminated.
 
Fibers which were once said to be “similar” to samples retrieved from the homes of two members of the West Memphis Three are now being questioned by three different forensic scientists.
 
A former Missouri medical examiner, who lost his medical license in the state and was fired from another medical examiner position in Florida, is now being investigated for keeping body parts in a storage unit.
 
A group of coroners in Kentucky worked together to save a medical examiner position in their state budget.