What is field forensics?

DeFrance coined this term to refer to all the multitude of forensic disciplines that happen “in the wild”. These disciplines require the rigors of proper scientific documentation and practices, but conducted in the uncontrolled conditions of the field. Those who work in these disciplines must deal with the chaos of the scene, the weather conditions, the terrain, and countless potential hazards. This is not the tidy science of the laboratory and requires its own special set of skills that are based in a strong technical foundation with a dash of flexibility and ingenuity. Field forensics is real science in the real world.

Included with field forensics are disciplines like crime scene investigation, crime scene reconstruction, shooting reconstruction, crime scene management, multi-disciplinary searches such as detection of clandestine graves, and on-scene operations for a wide variety of complex scenes.

What are crime scene and shooting reconstruction?

Reconstruction is an often misunderstood field and a term that is often misused to describe very unscientific approaches to evidence. At its core, reconstruction uses physical evidence, scene context, and physical laws to define the events that occurred during an incident. This approach is scientifically sound and provides your case with results that are defensible under the scrutiny of a courtroom. Others may offer flashy animations that turn your case into a mini-movie, but these approaches are fraught with speculation and unsupported by objective facts. Do not be fooled. DeFrance will bring a no-nonsense analysis built on decades of experience in the field, leadership in the crime scene reconstruction community, and direct participation in development of standards in shooting reconstruction and crime scene reconstruction.

What is 3D laser scanning technology?

The use of 3D technologies like terrestrial laser scanners, total stations, LiDAR, structured light scanners, photogrammetry, and drone mapping are increasingly being used to document crime scenes and aid in more advanced analysis, crime scene and shooting reconstruction, and to generate court exhibits that are detailed. highly accurate, and immersive. But, understanding how to view, review, and analyze this type of data requires expertise. With direct experience as an instrument operator since 2008 and active participation in the community, DeFrance can help you decipher this new crime scene documentation frontier. How was the data collected? Were standards of practice and calibration met when the data was collected? How can this data be used at trial to enhance your case? DeFrance can help you work through these and many more issues to avoid surprises in the courtroom.

What is different about DeFrance training courses?

There are a lot of training courses out there, so why should you pick DeFrance Field Forensics to train your personnel? DeFrance brings three decades of experience doing science in the uncontrolled environment of the field. Being effective in field forensics demands a creative and flexible mindset operating within the confines of a solid technical foundation. DeFrance courses are built on the philosophy that students must not just understand how to do something, but why they are doing it that way. Because when the real world throws you a curveball, you need to understand how to adapt on the fly while still maintaining your scientific credibility.

Why would I need case-specific experimentation?

Forensic scientists understand a great deal about how crimes occur and when types of scientific analysis can be used to interpret physical evidence. However, the reality is that real crimes are chaotic and complex. They often times do not fit neatly into the published research. They include unique combinations of conditions that no one ever dreamed of researching. If this describes your case, then you can’t rely on the existing science that could result in misinterpretation of the evidence. In those cases, you must push the science forward by asking the scientific questions that relate directly to your case facts. DeFrance has curated a background in biology, physics, forensic science, and materials science that provide him with the technical background and practical experience to design case-specific experiments, interpret the results, and defend those results in court.