Randall Murch, PhD

Virginia Tech-National Capital Region

Former Member of the NAS Committee 

“Strengthening Forensic Science In the United Stat

A Path Forward”

Presentation to NIST VCAT October 14, 2010
 If the Federal Government’s contributions to the U.S. fo

enterprise have been substantially valuable to this point 

enterprise have been substantially valuable to this point 

source of funding and policy, why is the enterprise in ththat it is in?

 If the Federal Government is not reorganized per the NA

recommend i h h i ifi 

dat

ion,

w

hat are

t

h

e most

s

ignificant program

resources that will deliver on the NAS recommendationshould be responsible for them? Who should be held acfor them?

 What do the performer and stakeholder bases want from 

Federal Government, how and by when?

 Does the Federal Government possess and can it demon

leadership vision planning proficiency responsivenesleadership, vision, planning, proficiency, responsivenesaccountability and persistence to meet needs, demands expectations?

 How has success been measured to this point? How sho

going forward?
CONTEXT

A Brief “S

ystems of 

Systems” View
• App g 

lication of science in the investigation of le

matters

• Scientific knowledge and technology are used t

Scientific knowledge and technology are used t

as witnesses in both criminal and civil matters (applied to intelligence and military and policy 

d ii ) ec sions)

• Science may not offer definitive solutions for a

Science may not offer definitive solutions for a

scenarios; it does provide a special investigativ

• Goal is “attribution” – i.e., who committed the 
PREVENT

Crime &

Terrorism by Tackling 

Underlying Causes

PURSUE

To reduce the

THREAT

Criminals & Terrorists; 

Those Who Aid & Abet

PROTECT

To redu

RI

The Public & National

Interests To reduce

VULNERABILITY

PREPARE

For the Consequences

Forensic Science is one “tool in the 
 Did A C Did A C i (E t 

r

ime (Event 

Occur?

 What Happened? How Did It Occur? When Did It Occur? Where Did It Occur Why Did It Occur? Who Was Involved? What Evidence Exis

Does It Tell Us? Hoare the Links?

 How Reliable and C

the Evidence?

 What Alternative Ex

are There for the Ev

Forensic Science Can Contribute to Answering All 
 Intelligence & Information Gathering

 Field Investigation 

g 

 Crime Scene Investigation Laboratory Analysis

Leads

 Laboratory Analysis Interpretation, Integration, Applicatio Building Shaping Prosecution  Building, Shaping Prosecution Communication and Decision Making
 Biology

 Chemistry Materials Trace

Evidence

 Impression and 

Pattern

 Engineering Digital

-Computer

 Reconstructive Medical WMD (CBRN)
Field 

Assessment/

Analysis

Interpretation/

Conclusions

Lab

Analysis

K-Q Compare

C

Collection &

Preservation

Evidence/

Samples

Comprehensive Quality Assurance & Control

•Capabilities Matched to Submitter & Stakeholder Needs and Reque

•Appropriate Deployable Assets & Facilities with Sufficient Resources for Operatio

•Field, Transport & Laboratory Evidence Integrity & Security

•Properly Credentialed, Trained and Certified Personnel

•Full Suite of Equipment, Fully Validated Methods: Matched to Samples Received & 

•Comprehensive Quality Assurance & Control Program

•Appropriate Repositories and Data Bases 

•Appropriate Resources: Research, Development, Validation, Standards, Techno
 In the U.S. and elsewhere science for jus

being increasingly scrutinized for:

I h U i d S d h 

 Accuracy Reliability

In the United States and other forensic science and its perforbeen shown or assessed to havsignificant gaps, shortcoming

Reliability S i ifi b i d lid i 

 Validity Credibility

•Scientific basis and validatio

science or practice in some d

•Credentials and training of p•Funding and Infrastructure  Credibility O i i l I d d 

 Repeatability Defensibility

•Organizational Independenc•Understanding, Use and Scr

by Legal and Judicial Comm

 Defensibility S “St th i F i S i 

See “Strengthening Forensic Scien

United States: A Path Forward” NResearch Council (U.S.), 2009
 Robust Collection & 

 Reliabilit

y Preservation of Evidence

 Relevant Exploitation of Sam

ple

y

 Defined & Acce

Error Rate

p

 Speed & Respo

 High Discrimination Enables Comparison of 

K and Q Samples

 Speed & Respo Repeatability Transferability K and Q Samples V lidit C B 

 Utility Across Known, Encountered Sample 

Types



V

alidit

y Can B

e

Independently Established

Types

 Results Probati

 Accuracy

Results ProbatiInterpretable, Explainable, De

Significant Focus: All Disciplines and Meth

Rigorous RDTE & V is Needed 
 Increases confidence of those who rely o

results, interpretations, findings and conclusions

 Sets high expectations for performers, se

and outputs provided, interested or deporganizations and stakeholders

 Ensures that best science and practice oc Establishes culture of accountability, vig

and continuous improvement within l b t i d ith th titi laboratories and with other practitioner
 Stakeholders

F d l G

 Performers



F

e

deral Government F d l L b 

 State Governments Local Governments Federal State & Local Law 



F

e

deral L

a

borato

 State Laboratori Local Governme

Laboratories

 Federal, State & Local Law 

Enforcement Agencies

 Federal , State and Local 

JudiciariesF d l St t & 

 Private Laborato Individuals as E University and C



F

e

dera

l, St

a

t

e & P d E 

Local Prosecutors

 Legal Defense Community Media

Pro

grams and E

 Technology and 

Suppliers

Media

 Public Victims of Crime & 

Families and Accused & Implicated

Strategies, Priorit

Investments Should 

Entire System

 Communities Special Niches

Entire System

High Benefit/C
The NAS Study

“Strengthening Forensic 

S i I h U i d S S

c

ience I

n

t

h

e U

n

ited State

aka

“The Current State and Futur

of U S Forensic Science of U.S. Forensic Science ”
 Origination: 

Si S J i 

 Charge



S

c A t d 

ience, State, Justice,

Commerce and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (2006), Report Language directs 

“the NAS to conduct 



Assess current and across entire comm

 Make recommenda

maximize the use aeffectiveness of fore

directs the NAS to conduct a study on forensic science” 

 Timeline:

 Fall 2006 (1st Committee meeting) February 2009 

technolo

gies and te

 Identify potential s

advances

 Make recommenda

meeting) 

– February 2009 programs that will 

(report published )

 Role of the NAS with 

Forensic Science: 

A b f di 

programs that will number of qualified scientists and mediavailable to public l

 Disseminate best pr

 A num

ber

o lit d 

f studies on

methods and programs before and after “Strengthening Forensic Science

”

ensure quality and in forensic technolotechniques

 Examine role of for

in homeland securi

Science

 Examine interoper

AFIS

 Other issues as dete
 Reorganize the Federal Government and place policy program oversight 

 Mandatory accreditatio

and place policy, program oversight laboratories and perforand budget authority with new agency

 Establish standard terminology to facilitate and foster improved 

communications

laboratories and perforinstitutions and certificpractitioners and perfo

 Ensure pervasive and c

routine quality assuran

communications quality control; minimi

 Increase research in the accuracy, reliability and validity of forensic sciences Im

prove the scientific bases of 

quality control; minimimistakes and bias, confcontinued reliability a

 Establish Code of Ethic

p

 Attract a sufficient sup

forensic sciences and maximize the independence of the performers

 Research and measures to 

understand and reduce bias

 (Leveraging NIST and extensive 

p

performers and train thattract and fund researuniversities

 Improve medicolegal d

 investigations (several, 

(Leveraging NIST and extensive external base) Develop tools to advance best methods and practices for measurement, validation, reliability, information sharing, standards accreditation tools bases 

investigations (several, 

 Achieve broad-based A

interoperability throug

 Facilitate and foster gre

involvement in homel( ith FBI d CDC) standards , accreditation tools, bases for education and training (with FBI and CDC)
 Continuation of the same which results in no signif

sus

t i bl t i t a

inabl

e sys

tems improvemen

t

s

 Simply throwing more money at “The Problem” An ineffective, unresponsive, indecipherable Feder

bureaucracy many programs that don bureaucracy, many programs that don t measurabl

’t measurabl

advance “The Cause”

 Lack of leadership, performance and “deliverables

transparency

 Empire building  Lack of engaging the “best and brightest” inside an

“the Government” and a collaborative, p 

 enter

prise a

 Lack of an aggressive vision, strategy, plan for implementation, measures of effectiveness, accoun

and resources for success

 Fail dh l h d f 

lure to adhere to at 

least t

he intent an

d spirit i

f n

letter of the NAS recommendations (perhaps absenreorganizing the Federal Government)
Thoughts on 

NIST and 

Advancing U.S

Forensic Science

Going Forward
 NIST is one of four Federal agencies identified by n

th NAS d ti (th th NIH FB

e NAS recommen

d

ations (th

e

others are NIH, FB

CDC); this should impart substantial significance trole

 Several of the NAS recommendations are or should 

NIST’s “sweet spots”; play to and improve on agenmissions and strengths, don’t try to be something y

 Consider scrutinizin

g “what it has done thus far an

against “what is needed and expected to optimize system “ and determine whether it can engineer itsaccordingly (would an external review help?)

 Seek (demand?) the authority and resources to full

against “what needs to be done” in a thoughtfully aggressive, collaborative, strategic approach with measurable near, mid- and lon

g-term deliverables 

impacts ; against specif d ic NAS recommen

dations
 Approach Forensic Science C h A 

from a “Systems Approach” 

 Establish Validated 

Attributes and Limits to F i M th d O t t 



Compre

hensive 

A

of Reference MateTraining for Prope

 Advance the S

yste

Forens

i

c M

eth

o

d

s , O

u

tpu

t

s

and Interpretation of Results and Acceptable Communication

y Perspective to Scie

Quality through StPossible Scientific Foundations

 Increase Scientific Rigor: Advance the Science for 

Better Sample Exploitation, Precision, Reliabilit

y and 

 Train the Forensic 

to Perform Better Sand Demand Betteof Themselves , y Validity, Quality of Implemented Methods, SOPs and Protocols

 Systems Approach to Timely 

of Themselves

 Educate Consume

the Science is , ShoCan Be ; Increase Expectations and D

 Systems Approach to Timely Development, Validation and Implementation of Standards Expectations and D

on the Performers Who Support 
 Expand research, development, test, evaluation and val

forensic methods and protocols to ensure the proper scifoundations

 Accelerate the creation, acceptance and implementation 

standards for forensic science and practice, special focus evaluation and validation

 Train performers and consumers to better understand a

science in forensic applications, with focus on scientific performance quality 

 Expand the engagement of the U.S. scientific communit

forensic science to include them engaging the stakehold

No Rational or Legitimate Reason Why the 

Only Real Source of Funding & Programs is DOJ
 Authority

 Effective, Visionary Leadership Imp gy lementable Strategy & Plan Sufficient Financial & Personnel Resour Proper Organizational Structure Credibility with Performers and Stakeho Collaborative Outreach & Engagement Measurable Outputs with High Impact Transparency and Accountability  Agility 
Questions?

Discussion?