CASE STUDY

Case Study

[Name ?f the writer]

[Name ?f the instituti?n]

Case Study

An ?verview ?f ?J Simps?n

The r?le ?f f?rensic scientists is param?unt in gathering evidence f?r criminal c?urt cases. In the end, h?wever, the verdict rests with the jury. ?ne ?f the m?st publicized and c?ntr?versial c?urt cases inv?lved the d?uble murder ?f Nic?le Br?wn Simps?n, 35, and R?nald G?ldman, 25, at appr?ximately 10 P.M. ?n June 12, 1994. B?th were stabbed t? death ?utside Nic?le Simps?n's L?s Angeles c?nd?minium. The investigati?n was c?mplicated by the fact that there were n? eyewitnesses and n? murder weap?n was f?und. H?wever, crime scene investigat?rs did rec?ver imp?rtant evidence that linked Nic?le's f?rmer husband, ?renthal James (?. J.) Simps?n, the f?rmer f??tball star, t? the murders. This evidence was analyzed by f?rensic scientists and it was used t? pr?secute Simps?n in an internati?nally watched and discussed c?urt case.

The evidence that was retrieved at the scene ?f the crime was substantial. It wasn't immediately clear wh? c?mmitted the murdersven th?ugh Simps?n was an early suspectntil five days after the murders. In fr?nt ?f a televised audience ?f milli?ns ?f viewers, p?lice cars, and helic?pters, Simps?n's white F?rd Br?nc? dr?ve in a 60-mile (97-km) chase acr?ss R?ute 405 in s?uthern Calif?rnia. The car was driven by A. C. C?wlings, a friend and an ex-f??tball player teammate, while Simps?n sat in the back seat with a gun. Simps?n had failed t? sh?w up f?r his arraignment ?n the charges ?f the d?uble murder bef?re the fam?us car chase. At the end ?f the car chase, with the Br?nc? pulling int? his R?ckingham Avenue estate, Simps?n was arrested.

Deputy District Att?rney Marcia Clark revealed the evidence t? the c?urt. There were hair samples that were f?und ?n G?ldman's b?dy after his murder. F?rensic geneticists matched the DNA fr?m the hair samples t? DNA retrieved fr?m ?. J. Simps?n. There was als? a trail ?f bl??dy sh?eprints near the murder scene that were estimated by the crime lab t? be made by a man's sh?e, size 12he same size that Simps?n wears. There was a pair ?f s?cks with bl??dstains ?n it that was f?und in ?. J. Simps?n's bedr??m. Geneticists extracted DNA fr?m the s?cks and matched it t? Nic?le's DNA. Bl??d was als? f?und ?n Simps?n's F?rd Br?nc?. After the DNA was extracted and tested, it was f?und t? p?sitively match DNA fr?m b?th victims. Even bl??d f?und at the crime scene was f?und t? have DNA that matched that ?f ?. J. Simps?n.

The Maj?r Sympt?ms Discussed In the Case

This case exemplifies the imp?rtance ?f the p?lice department's handling ?f evidence and h?w p?lice ?fficers sh?uld c?nduct a criminal investigati?n. It als? dem?nstrates that even with the m?st f?rmidable evidence pr?duced by the f?rensics scientists, it may n?t be en?ugh t? c?nvince a jury bey?nd a reas?nable d?ubt that an accused individual is guilty. F?ll?wing this case, it became clear that t?p-n?tch f?rensic science, particularly the DNA analysis and the f??twear impressi?n examinati?n determined by the Federal Bureau ?f Investigati?n ...