Human remains are frequently recovered from fluvial (lotic) water environments. Rivers, streams, canals and other flowing water bodies pose distinct challenges in forensic practice, particularly due to their current. Compared to other aquatic contexts, fluviatile taphonomy is underrepresented in the forensic literature and the last comprehensive summary was written over a decade ago. Therefore, a systematic review was performed to collect and summarise the current knowledge in forensics about fluvial taphonomy, including decomposition of remains, transport characteristics, search, postmortem submersion interval (PMSI) estimation, taphonomic alterations, and differences to other water bodies. 92 reports met the inclusion criteria for this review, most of them showed a moderate risk of bias. Their main findings were summarised and two major challenges identified. First, predictions about fluvial transport of human bodies pose a tremendous issue in forensic practice, leading to later detection and lower recovery rate of remains, complicating various subsequent analyses. Second, PMSI estimations are difficult particularly due to variable environmental conditions in fluviatile systems. Recommendations for future research in the area of fluvial forensic taphonomy include that case-related data such as the detailed decomposition state and river characteristics need to be made available. More standardised research protocols are required for a facilitated comparison between studies, environments and regions. This review provides forensic practitioners with a comprehensive, updated resource for the investigation of fluvial remains. It also guides future research towards a more efficient practice to build the basis for a broader, more robust and comprehensive synthesis, subsequently supporting analyses in forensic casework.

When generating virtual reconstructions of crime scenes for use as either investigative or training tools, the accuracy of the spatial data underpinning these reconstructions must be fully understood. This research aims to assess the accuracy and completeness of the spatial data collected at the crime scene, recorded using specialised and off-the-shelf mapping technologies available to law enforcement and forensic investigators. A simulated fire scene in a domestic dwelling in the Guldborgsund municipality, Denmark, was selected as a case study. First, a multimodal dataset of point clouds was assembled using a Leica RTC360 terrestrial laser system (TLS), a Leica BLK2GO handheld mobile laser scanner (HMLS), a Matterport Pro2 3D Camera structured-light scanner (SL), and a Canon EOS 5D Mark III digital single-lens reflex camera (DSLR). Due to its nominal precision and resolution, we identified the point cloud obtained using the TLS as the baseline reference system for the comparative analysis of the selected survey methods. The present analysis included the evaluation of the accuracy and quality of point clouds by comparison with the baseline reference data using visual inspection, inter-cloud distance estimation, measurement uncertainty of selected features and odometry drift analysis. Due to the different nature of the methods, it is not our intention to identify the best surveying method overall. In contrast, we are interested in benchmarking the performance of the selected capture methods both qualitatively and quantitatively in the context of incident documentation.

Animal abuse is an increasingly recognized societal concern, with growing emphasis on the role of veterinary teams in the identification and documentation of suspected abuse. Diagnostic imaging is pivotal in identifying hidden injuries, characterizing trauma patterns, and supporting medical and legal decision-making. This retrospective study analyzed diagnostic imaging in suspected animal abuse cases over a decade at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna (Vetmeduni Vienna). Between 2014 and 2023, records and imaging archives of 11,689 companion and exotic animals, including cats, dogs, birds, lagomorphs, and reptiles, were reviewed. Large animals were excluded from this study. Cases were selected based on key abuse-related terms (e.g., animal abuse, gunshot wound, pellet, projectile) and the use of imaging modalities: radiography (x-ray), computed tomography (CT), ultrasonography (US), or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). 83 cases were identified as suspected abuse, including 16 deceased animals, 14 of which underwent necropsy. Clinical and diagnostic histories were analyzed for all cases. Across species, predominant injuries included skeletal fractures and ballistic trauma, often multiple or combined. No cases utilized US or MRI for case qualification. Across all species, imaging revealed high rates of trauma, including fractures (common in dogs, cats, and reptiles) and ballistic injuries (most frequent in birds and dogs). CT was especially valuable in birds and reptiles due to anatomical complexity, while radiography was effective across all species. These findings demonstrate that diagnostic imaging provides objective, case-specific evidence that can guide clinical evaluation, document internal injuries, and support forensic investigations and legal proceedings.

Large Language Models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT promise efficiency gains in routine text-based work, but their use in forensic settings raises challenges for confidentiality, governance, and forensic validation. Prior studies have evaluated LLMs on single tasks within single forensic disciplines, leaving open the question under which conditions such models can be embedded in the day-to-day workflows of a forensic institute. This paper reports a three-month pilot at the Netherlands Forensic Institute, in which 50 forensic and support staff used Robin, a ChatGPT-4o instance hosted in a Trusted Cloud environment of the Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security, governed by a Data Protection Impact Assessment and a GDPR-compliant processing agreement. We report user-experienced applications gathered from semi-structured interviews, walk-in sessions, and follow-up mini-projects, and group them into three recurring categories: generating new text, reducing larger inputs to relevant information, and transforming text between styles, languages, or representations. Participants found Robin most useful for low-risk writing support, while expectations quickly extended towards system integration, document-grounded retrieval, coding assistance, and case-oriented support. We also discuss the technical, organisational, ethical, and legal conditions for sustainable deployment, and argue that workflow support and forensic reasoning require different levels of human oversight and discipline-specific validation. The pilot is presented as an exploratory institutional case study rather than as a performance evaluation of an LLM for forensic analysis.

Presumptive colorimetric tests are widely used in forensic field investigations. However, the conventional liquid Scott test has important operational drawbacks for patrol officers, including limited portability, higher costs, user exposure to hazardous chemicals, and the generation of chemical waste. In this context, this study aimed to develop a Scott test paper (STP) by immobilizing a cobalt thiocyanate reagent in glycerin onto a paper matrix. Evaluation with authentic street cocaine samples showed a limit of detection (LOD) of 4 mg·mL[-1] and 100% agreement with the conventional Scott test. Overall, the STP proved to be a safe and effective tool for the qualitative detection of cocaine in seized samples, both in solid form and in solution. It is contamination-free and compatible with standard police field equipment. Importantly, the STP overcomes key limitations of the conventional method by improving portability, reducing operator exposure to hazardous reagents, and minimizing chemical waste generation. As with the conventional Scott test, the STP retains known selectivity limitations and positive results require confirmatory laboratory analysis.

The decomposition process of a body can be influenced by various intrinsic and extrinsic variables. While many intrinsic and extrinsic variables are known to affect decomposition, their specific effects under different climate conditions remain unclear. Gaining a better fundamental understanding of how these variables affect the decomposition rate contributes to better interpreting the taphonomic context, being able to more accurately estimate the post-mortem interval (PMI) in the future, and help prevent over- or underestimation of the PMI. Here we investigated the influence of weight (ranging from 800 to 2700 g and 4230 to 10,500 g), accumulated degree-days (ADD), sunlight hours, precipitation, humidity, and entomological activity (consisting of maggots, beetle larvae, and beetles) on the decomposition rate of small pig cadavers in a temperate maritime climate. The results of this research show that ADD was the largest influencing factor on the decomposition rate, followed by (in order of strength of influence) humidity, the presence of entomological activity, and weight class. Additionally, statistically significant interactions between variables were found, as well as seasonal differences and variations across decomposition phases. This confirms that decomposition is not influenced by a single factor, but rather by the combined effects of multiple variables and seasonal differences. These findings underscore the need for PMI models that incorporate these key factors rather than relying solely on TBS.

Post-mortem interval (PMI) estimation is a critical aspect in forensic practice that is essential for legal proceedings and criminal investigations. However, it remains a challenging task subject to significant limitations in current estimation techniques, notably inter-operator variability that can affect the reliability of expert conclusions. Considering the importance and complexity of this task, as well as the lack of significant advances despite technical progress, a multimodal approach appears to be the most suitable for producing the most accurate estimation while reducing uncertainty. This article introduces an open-source application developed in Python, designed to assist forensic pathologists, medico-legal investigators, and forensic trainees in their daily PMI estimation workflow. The application implements existing body cooling equations, using numerical root-finding for the nonlinear Henssge models. By combining rectal and tympanic temperature models with established thanatological signs, this application provides a comprehensive, standardized and user-friendly tool for forensic practitioners. Built with Streamlit, this application features an intuitive browser-based interface that allows for easy data input and result visualization. The corrective factor is automatically adjusted according to body weight, reducing a common source of manual error. The application provides graphical representations of body cooling curves to aid in visualizing the results. It generates standardized PDF files for documentation and reporting, ensuring that the results are easily interpretable, reproducible and suitable for documentation in both investigative and judicial settings. The open-source architecture under the GNU GPLv3 license represents an innovation, promoting collaborative development and continuous improvement. By leveraging Python's computational capabilities and an accessible design, this application streamlines the complex process of PMI determination by combining established methods with automated calculations. Future developments will focus on integrating additional thanatological parameters and developing more sophisticated body cooling models.

Hyperspectral remote sensing/image spectroscopy (HRS/IS) has increasingly been utilized in forensic and humanitarian contexts, where spectral signatures aid in the location of human remains, identification of disturbed terrain, and detection of materials indicative of criminal activity. During forensic and humanitarian investigations, articles of clothing are essential pieces of evidence when employing HRS/IS techniques, as clothing remains the dominant material exposed to aerial, space-based, or unmanned monitoring systems. In this study, thirty-nine articles of clothing were collected from African migrants in temporary camps at known points of origin in North Africa and analyzed using an Analytical Spectral Devices (ASD) (PANalytical) FieldSpec 4 Hi-Res spectroradiometer and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The observed fabric types include cotton, polyester, elastane, and rayon, which varied in size, style, color, pattern, shape, and condition. Results show multiple distinct absorption features in the NIR and SWIR spectral ranges for endmember and blended fabric compositions, which can be easily distinguished through remote sensing techniques. Additionally, when affected by environmental debris, SEM analysis indicates the known amount of material found on a garment does not obscure reflective spectra. Results from this study show HRS/IS techniques are effective in lab-based settings with material evidence and enhance the suitability of in-field data collection, leading to the potential for remote crime scene investigation.

Perimortem traumatic dental injuries (PTDIs) can provide critical forensic information for reconstructing events occurring around the time of death. Accurate assessment and differentiation of traumatic dental injuries (TDIs) may contribute to the interpretation of injury patterns, the evaluation of possible causes and manners of death, and forensic investigations. However, accurately determining the timing of dental trauma, particularly distinguishing PTDIs from antemortem dental injuries (ADIs) and postmortem (PM) alterations, remains a significant forensic challenge. To provide a structured forensic framework for interpretation, a comprehensive literature search was conducted across three major electronic databases, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. In accordance with structured narrative review recommendations (SANRA criteria), experimental, clinical, and observational studies published between 1965 and 2025 (including early electronic records from 2026) in English addressing morphological, biomechanical, taphonomic, and imaging characteristics of dental trauma were eligible for inclusion. Screening was performed in four distinct stages, incorporating a preliminary calibration exercise where two independent reviewers assessed a 20% sample of titles to ensure consistent application of eligibility criteria. Following full-text assessment, a total of 34 studies were finally selected. Evidence indicates that injury patterns result from the interaction between the impact characteristics and the biomechanical properties of dental and supporting tissues. PM alterations, particularly weathering-related changes and non-traumatic fractures, may mimic traumatic lesions and complicate diagnosis. Accurate differentiation relies on fracture morphology, surface characteristics, staining patterns, and evidence of bone biological response. Future research on advanced imaging, including cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and micro-computed tomography (micro-CT), could enhance non-destructive documentation. Integrating biomechanical and imaging data may improve diagnostic reliability in forensic contexts and supports robust medico-legal interpretation.

Traces (remnants of a past event under scrutiny) provide a great deal of useful information, however many aspects of selection and recovery need further exploration. The increased use of trace DNA has prompted extensive research into recovery rates of DNA profiles from various surfaces and collection methods. While recovery rates inform trace targeting, the utility of a profile reflects its actual contribution to an investigation. Utility is defined as the added value the use of a trace provides to an investigation, which if measured would increase knowledge for trace selection and analysis. This project analysed 47,097 data points relating to trace DNA samples[3] collected during 2022 within New South Wales, Australia. Recovery rates of these exhibits were calculated for comparison. Further, a subset of 1206 data points were analysed to ascertain the utility or added value of the trace DNA profiles found, i.e. did the recovered profile add value to the investigation? Results showed that when considering recovery and the added value of an exhibit collectively, trace DNA profiles from steering wheels, weapons, motorcycle or bikes, paper or porous items and plastic items demonstrated comparatively high performance. Items with high recovery rates such as clothing were seen to not add comparatively as much value to investigations. It was noted, however, that when clothing profiles did add value, there was a higher percentage of identifications to persons not previously connected to the investigation (defined as cold links), when compared to other exhibit types. This project developed and tested an integrated approach that considers profile recovery rates, the utility of a profile and the investigative context of traces. Together, these provide a more holistic, context-sensitive view of trace DNA effectiveness, supporting an initial decision-support framework to assist crime-scene officers in trace selection.

Genetic profiles were successfully obtained from hair samples both directly plucked from the scalp and indirectly from personal items such as combs and hairbrushes. Additionally, 100 genetic profiles were generated from buccal swabs from all donors, allowing the calculation of population allele and genotype frequencies. Complete genetic profiles were recovered from samples containing less than 0.012 ng of total nuclear DNA. Nuclear DNA yield per hair root was highly variable, whereas hair shafts yielded up to 2 ng of total nuDNA and in some cases less than 0.1 ng. Multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) revealed that hair growth phase and the presence of a root were not significantly associated with successful profile recovery; instead, greater hair thickness and direct sampling correlated with higher success rates. In certain cases, the Insertion/Null (INNUL) markers system, InnoTyper 21, outperformed the Power Plex Fusion 6 C STR kit. For forensic purposes, using the entire hair shaft provided better profiling outcomes than using the root alone. All Insertion/Null (INNUL) markers were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, except for a few loci showing minor linkage disequilibrium. These results highlight the analytical potential of INNUL markers for obtaining nuclear DNA profiles from hair, even in challenging forensic contexts.