23/10/2021

Top 8 Unsolved Heists of the World You Must Know

Mysteries grab our ATTENTION! Don’t they? Mysteries are so overwhelming that we get involved in them and relates them with us. A mystery takes a person to a relatively new world with strange and never-ending surprises until it uncovers the truth. Throughout the history of forensic science, experts/detectives have faced many mysterious cases including murders, robberies, heists, etc. Heist is a word given for taking away something illegally i.e., without permission. Among several crimes, heists are one of the commonest ones. Some of the heists even lead to death due to intervention by police or citizens. if you look into heists in detail, you will find how difficult it is to conduct a successful heist and yet many heists have remained mysterious till now. Here, I have listed some of the top 8 unsolved heists of history. Unsolved Heists of the World 1. Isabella Gardener’s Museum Heist Considered to be […]

Forensic Yard Top 5 0 5 min read
21/10/2021

Donald Henry Gaskins: An Infamous “Pee Wee” Serial Killer of South Carolina

Donald Henry Gaskins also known as Pee Wee Gaskins or Junior Parrott was an American mass murderer and rapist who claimed to have committed about 110 murders. He was sentenced to several punishments for various crimes committed in his lifetime. His mass murders terrorized people from 1953 to 1982, out of which he named few as “coastal kills” and “serious killings”. Though he was so well in leaving no trace after the crime commission, he was convicted for his last murder of 13-year-old Kim Ghelkins. He was arrested under suspicion which was aroused by people when Kim was missing and people found her clothes in Gaskin’s apartments. Even after his confession of 110 murders, police were able to charge for only fifteen murders due to the lack of evidence. Initially, Donald was sentenced to life imprisonment but due to the murder of a fellow inmate, he was awarded a death […]

Forensic Yard Case Studies 0 4 min read
19/10/2021

The Mysterious Stoneman Murders Case Study

Stoneman murders started back in 1985 in Sion, a highly-populated area in the most happening city ai, India. The name Stoneman was given by a popular English press in Calcutta, as a second edition of the same series of murders were reported in Kolkata too. The modus operandi of all the murders was simple. The killer would approach homeless people such as beggars, rag pickers, or even drainage workers who slept on the pavements at night and threw a heavy stone or a concrete block from the nearby pavement of about 30kg on them crushing their skull to immediate death. The only things left in the crime scene would be the stone and the victim’s corpse. Till today neither including police or any other investigative agencies found the real culprit behind the Stoneman murders and hence the case remains unsolved! Before describing the case in detail, let’s also have a […]

Adra Balagopal Case Studies 0 4 min read
18/10/2021

Cardiac Poisons – An Overview

Poison is a substance or chemical that causes damage to living tissues and has an injurious or fatal effect on the body. It can be taken through various modes through ingested, inhaled or absorbed. Cardiac poisons mainly act on the heart, either directly on the muscle or through its nerve supply. These types of poisons generally produce a deleterious effect due to poisoning of the cardiac muscle. Most cases of cardiac poisons are accidental poisoning by plants containing certain compounds (glycosides or alkaloids) which are poisonous in nature and effect. There are certain drugs that are although taken for the treatment of Cardiac dysfunction, but may affect adversely which could be lethal. Cardiac poison can be classified into four types. In this article, we will discuss all types of cardiac poisons in detail. Classification of Cardiac Poison  Cardiotoxic Plant Poisons  Diuretics  Antihypertensives  Antiarrhythmics 1. Cardiotoxic Plant Poisons a) Nicotine Nicotine […]

Forensic Yard Toxicology 0 6 min read
17/10/2021

The Highway Killer- The Story of Larry Eyler

During the Halloween of 1977, the quiet suburban peaceful foothills of Los Angeles witnessed the most heinous scene of the crime. It was early in the morning, and a dead man was found naked in front of a house near the pedestrian walk. To avoid his children from witnessing this shocking scene, the owner of the house covered the victim’s body with a carpet and called the police. On reaching the crime scene, the senior officer in charge termed it as a complete murder the moment he saw the body. There were clear ligature marks around the victim’s neck, ankles, and wrists. On further observation it was found that the body was positioned upside down as if someone more powerful or more than one person dragged the body carrying it below the armpits and dumped it there. The police also found a small white fiber on the victim’s eyelids. They […]

Adra Balagopal Case Studies 0 5 min read
16/10/2021

The Whitechapel Murders Case Study: Jack The Ripper

One of the mysterious and challenging cases in serial killing history, Jack the Ripper case is still unsolved due to the non-identification of the culprit. The killer created a reign of terror in London (1888 and 1889) by murdering prostitutes. The killer was also known by several names such as white-chapel murderer and leather apron. Several Forensic experts were called and were unable to identify the motive for these serial killings as there were no links found between each victim. Police agencies tried hard to close the case but due to a lack of technological methods, they weren’t able to do so. It was estimated that there could be 11 victims of this case but due to lack of link, it was proved that there were five victims. All victims were prostitutes and the modus operandi was similar, hence they were termed as “Canonical five”. The killer used to cut […]

Forensic Yard Case Studies 0 4 min read
15/10/2021

Organochlorine Pesticide Poisoning: Toxicity, Fatal Dose, Symptoms

The chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticides were introduced in the 1940s and 1950s and comprise insecticides such as DDT, methoxychlor, chlordane, heptachlor, Aldrin, endrin, mirex, and lindane. Organochlorines are known for their high determination and injurious characteristics. These pesticides result in neurological damage, endocrine disorders, and have several acute and chronic impacts on health. Hence contamination of the environment with organochlorine pesticides drastically affecting the ecosystem. Analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999–2004 studied the relation between organochlorine pesticides which revealed that serum concentrations of b-HCH and dieldrin were significantly associated with prostate cancer prevalence. A study conducted in China also revealed that prenatal exposure to DDT, β-BHC, HCB and mirex caused a decrease in the birth weight of infants. DDT is one of the common pesticides used which was manufactured in 1874. During World War II, the United States used a large amount of DDT to control vector-borne […]

Forensic Yard Toxicology 0 2 min read
14/10/2021

The Mysterious Case Study of Pedro Lopez

We come across multiple mysterious case studies on our day to day basis. Some are heartbreaking while others are nerve-wrenching and some are a mixture of varied emotions. One such case study is mentioned in the ensuing paragraphs woven around a criminal named “Pedro Lopez”. Background of Case It was a bright sunny Sunday in Ecuador, a small mountain town of Ambato in 1980 during the festival of fruits and festivals. Although the morning was in complete hype with vendors setting up their stalls and customers rushing up the plaza, there was a sense of sadness and vigilance in the atmosphere. The day passed by like any other day till 4 pm in the afternoon. The plaza was disrupted by a food stall owner Caralina Ramon and her friends chasing and catching hold of a man. He claimed to be a poor and innocent man but the vendors, not being […]

Forensic Yard Case Studies 0 6 min read
13/10/2021

Cerbera Odollam- A Potential Poison

Depression is the most layman term that has become quite common over a while among teenagers and young adults especially during the starting of the pandemic phase. It is the most dangerous form of mental sickness which, if not treated properly ends up in suicidal thoughts or self-ingested death. The increasing cases of depression must be treated with proper consultation from a psychologist. But what is more alarming is that when people undergo these depression episodes, repercussions that follow which are most probably suicidal thoughts are highly increasing due to the easy availability of toxic substances like dangerous drugs and poisons. One such plant poison is Cerbera Odollam (ping pong). How the Richest Plant is a Toxic Poison? Cerbera odollam, also known as ping pong plant or suicide tree is mostly found in Southern India, Southeast Asia, Madagascar, and Australia. It appears oval to round in shape, resembling raw passion […]

Adra Balagopal Toxicology 0 4 min read
10/10/2021

Virtual Justice System in India: An Opportunity or Danger

The outbreak of the COVID-19 caused widespread havoc all across the globe and changed the day-to-day schedule drastically. The global pandemic has expanded opportunities for various types of crime and bringing up a new challenge for the Justice system. Social isolation and nationwide lockdown impacted the legal sector to remain closed. Irrespective of the situation, the constitutional right of access to justice cannot be denied, and hence just like any crisis brings up an opportunity to do something innovative, a change to the new normal, the virtual court system was born out of necessity. The high court of Punjab and Haryana launched its first virtual court in August 2019 in Faridabad. Virtual courts has the presence of lawyers, judges, and all those involved with a case online over a video conference. It can be used for sharing documents, evidence, hearing arguments at trial as well as the appellate stage. This […]

Arya Suresh Blog 0 4 min read
08/10/2021

Organophosphorus Poisoning: Action, Symptoms, Causes and Uses

Pesticides are chemical and biological substances such as bacteria, viruses, or disinfectants that are meant to detect or kill pests. Organophosphorus can be classified according to its origin. It can be further divided into Organic and Inorganic. Inorganic pesticides do not comprise carbon and are generally extracted from mineral ores extracted from the earth. Examples of inorganic pesticides comprise Copper Sulphate, Ferrous Sulphate, Copper, and sulfur. On the other hand, Organic pesticides include carbon in their chemical structure. Organophosphates are a common class of insecticides. Actually, its large doses of organophosphates can also harm people and other animals. It can occur when you’re exposed to them for too long or at high levels. They are typically colorless-to-brown liquids at room temperature. Some may be odorless, while others have a fruit-like smell. According to research, it says as many as 25 million agricultural workers across the developing world have at least one […]

Forensic Yard Toxicology 0 3 min read
07/10/2021

Process of Extracting Fingerprints From Deceased Person

Fingerprints are the impressions formed on the fingers and thumbs of the individual in the womb. They are unique to every individual since every individual grows in a different intra-uterine environment including twins. Hence, these are extremely helpful in the identification of individuals. Fingerprints have been found to be extremely helpful to capture criminals as they leave their fingerprints at every place they touch barehand. They are even helpful in identification of a dead body by simply picking the prints from the dead person. For many years, science has relied upon fingerprints to identify individuals and also solve criminal cases as they are quite reliable and doesn’t vanish easily off from the finger. They even remain until the human body decomposes completely. Extraction fingerprints from the dead body is important in Mass Disaster cases, Homicidal cases, Accidents, Suicidal cases, etc. Therefore, it is crucial to extract the prints with extreme […]

Forensic Yard Fingerprints 2 3 min read