George Burch Trial Day 5 Part 1 Controlled Substance Analyst Madison Kniskern Testifies | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Forensic scientist testifies about her role in examining a vehicle for blood evidence in a crime investigation.

Key Insights

• 🧑‍🔬 The forensic scientist's primary duty is to analyze controlled substances and process crime scenes.
• 🧑‍🔬 In this case, the scientist examined a vehicle for blood evidence but found none.
• 🕵️ Luminol and phenolphthalein tests were used to detect the presence of blood.
• ❓ Various evidence, including swabs, photographs, and statements, were collected throughout the investigation.

Transcript

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Questions & Answers

Q: What is the role of a controlled substance analyst?

A controlled substance analyst analyzes substances submitted to the lab for the presence of controlled substances.

Q: How does luminol work in detecting blood?

Luminol reacts with blood and produces a blue glow that can be visually seen and photographed. It is a presumptive test for blood, indicating its presence.

Q: Why did they swab the exterior and interior door handles?

Swabbing the door handles was done to collect DNA evidence, not specifically for blood analysis.

Q: Were any items found to have blood evidence?

No, during the examination, no items tested positive for the presence of blood.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The forensic scientist has a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry and works as a controlled substance analyst and crime scene response team leader.

• She has received specific training in analyzing controlled substances and processing crime scenes.

• In this case, she examined a vehicle for the presence of blood using phenolphthalein and luminol tests.

• No blood evidence was found in the vehicle, and other evidence collected did not indicate the presence of blood.