The scene was very complex and included law enforcement, EMS personnel, Prosecuting
Attorney's, various media outlets, and spectators who made the students' job even
more realistic and challenging.
Our very own, Dr. Glen Jackson, will be featured in an upcoming episode of Forensic Files II on HLN at 10:30 p.m. on Sunday, August 15th. The episode covers the wrongful conviction of Jason Lively, who was convicted of murder and arson in 2006 and served 14 years in prison. Dr. Jackson’s analysis and testimony were critical pieces to his exoneration. The case was covered by the Washington Post and is described in the National Registry of Exonerations.
Experts say wrongful fire convictions are disturbingly common, because
investigators often lack up-to-date education and advanced training. The prosecutors in Lively's wrongful conviction case hired chemist Glen Jackson to review the case. Jackson's work confirmed that the fire in question was not deliberately set. For the full story, see the Washington Post article.
Researchers Dr. Tatiana Trejos and Dr. Luis Arroyo in the West Virginia University Department of Forensic and Investigative Science have received two grants from the Department of Justice (DOJ) and National Institute of Justice totaling nearly $1 million.
The WVU Department of Forensic and Investigative Science made a donation of personal protective equipment to WVU Medicine to help them provide the best care possible during this difficult time. The donation included 54000 gloves, 1500 shoe covers, 600 Tyvek suits, 200 goggles/safety glasses, 150 face masks and 50 head covers.
The 2020 American Academy of Forensic Science meeting was productive for the FIS students and faculty! WVU FIS was represented with nineteen oral and/or poster presentations. It is always rewarding to share our work with the professional forensic science community.
