Smartphone manufacturers' enhanced privacy and security measures, such as File-Based Encryption (FBE), have disrupted traditional data extraction techniques, necessitating the adoption of Full File System Extraction (FFS). FFS requires booting a smartphone, decrypting its UserData partition, and accessing files individually, a process that risks data modifications caused by postboot application activity and network connections. This study evaluates the impact of FFS on evidence integrity by analyzing hash value changes across repeated acquisitions from Android smartphones. Using mobile forensic tools and ADB (Android Debug Bridge) for validation, we assessed whether FFS complies with the principles of repeatability and reproducibility. Files were categorized into five potential forensic relevance classes to evaluate how hash value changes affect the reliability of digital evidence. Results highlight that system-generated files and logs are prone to changes during FFS, while user-generated content largely retains integrity. To address these challenges, we suggest two possible solutions. The first is a technical approach that uses an initial reference image to identify and restore altered files, effectively mitigating hash value discrepancies. The second is a procedural measure emphasizing detailed documentation and systematic management of acquisition changes, particularly for newly created files. These findings and proposed approaches aim to improve the reliability of FFS in digital forensics, ensuring evidence admissibility and supporting cross-validation across forensic tools. This research contributes to advancing standardized practices for smartphone evidence acquisition in forensic investigations.

Splenic artery aneurysm (SAA) rupture is a deceptive cause of sudden unexpected death presenting significant medicolegal challenges. This retrospective case series and comprehensive literature review analyzes the clinicopathological features of six nontraumatic fatal SAA ruptures. Clinical presentations were predominantly nonspecific, resulting in diagnostic delays and medicolegal inquiries in two cases. A size-rupture paradox was observed, as fatal hemorrhage occurred across a wide diameter spectrum (3-12 cm), proving that small aneurysms also carry lethal potential. The literature review elucidates the multifactorial etiopathogenesis of SAA, encompassing genetic, hormonal, hemodynamic, and inflammatory factors. Furthermore, the clinical trajectory of delayed fatality is explained by the double-rupture phenomenon, which creates a deceptive lucid interval. Histochemical evaluation utilizing Elastic Verhoeff-Van Gieson (EVG) staining was pivotal, demonstrating severe internal elastic lamina loss to confirm spontaneous degenerative rupture and exclude trauma. Consequently, meticulous celiac trunk dissection and routine EVG histochemistry must be integrated into forensic autopsy protocols evaluating unexplained hemoperitoneum to accurately determine the cause of death and address liability disputes.

The increasing prevalence of fentanyl within the illegal global drug market underscores the need for rapid, low-cost, and straightforward detection methods. Eosin Y demonstrates a measurable color change in the presence of fentanyl, making it a promising candidate for colorimetric sensing and preliminary identification of fentanyl hydrochloride in seized drug samples. This study investigated the interactions of fentanyl freebase and fentanyl hydrochloride with eosin Y in both solution and solid states. Quinine sulfate was included in the solid-state analysis due to its visually similar colorimetric response. CIE-Lab colorimetric evaluation revealed that the peach-to-pink color shift produced by solid fentanyl hydrochloride closely matched that of quinine sulfate, indicating that quinine sulfate may serve as a safe and practical simulant for fentanyl hydrochloride in eosin Y-based assays. In contrast, fentanyl freebase produced no observable color change. Solution-state studies, assessed visually and through UV-Vis and fluorescence spectroscopy, showed that fentanyl hydrochloride generated the strongest absorbance increase at 560 nm, while fluorescence emission at 542 nm increased for both the freebase and hydrochloride forms. These findings demonstrate that the protonation state of fentanyl is critical for eliciting eosin Y's colorimetric response, while the presence of hydrochloric acid alone does not account for the observed changes. Overall, the results supported the potential of eosin Y as a practical colorimetric indicator for protonated fentanyl species and highlighted quinine sulfate as a viable simulant for safer laboratory testing.

Short tandem repeat (STR) profiling is a cornerstone of forensic DNA analysis, particularly during criminal investigations. However, certain clinical conditions, such as bone marrow transplantation, can complicate interpretation. To illustrate the impact of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation on forensic STR analysis, this case report details a sexual assault investigation involving a female victim who had previously received a bone marrow transplant from a female donor. A female sexual assault victim underwent forensic examination, during which multiple biological swabs were collected. STR profiling was conducted on the victim's blood, fingernail, buccal, breast, hip, vulvar, vaginal, cervical samples, panty, and brassiere. As conflicting profiles were found, a detailed medical history was collected, and hair follicle analysis was performed to confirm the origin of the STR profiles. Blood STR profiling revealed a single female genotype, while multiple swabs, including vaginal and cervical samples, showed a second female STR profile alongside the first. Notably, the consistency and distribution of the mixed profile across samples reduced the likelihood of laboratory contamination. The medical history of the victim revealed a prior history of allogeneic bone marrow transplant. Hair follicle analysis identified the recipient's original genotype, confirming that the secondary STR profile originated from the donor. Bone marrow transplantation may result in a mixed STR profile, potentially leading to misidentification or misinterpretation of forensic evidence. Awareness of transplant history is crucial during forensic evaluations. However, such clinical history is currently not included in standard sexual-assault evidence forms, underscoring the need for procedural updates.

With the recent surge of commercially available 3D printing technologies, untraceable firearm components are being created with ease. As these firearms become more popular, there is a need for viable methods of source identification for these 3D printed objects. Both the printer hot end nozzles and print bed surfaces leave distinct characteristics that are observable upon surfaces of the 3D printed objects. Few studies focus on toolmark analysis of 3D printed evidence, and fewer utilize algorithms to determine the similarity of these toolmarks. The goal of this research was to determine if toolmarks found on 3D printed objects are distinct and reliable enough to be used for source conclusions. To test this, 150 printed objects were created with 10 different print beds and 10 different nozzles, with 15 prints for each bed-nozzle pair. 3D scans of the top and bottom surfaces of each object were made using the Cadre Forensics TopMatch-GS system. Cadre's pattern-matching algorithms were then applied to the 3D scans, giving each comparison a score between 0.0 and 1.0 depending on the similarity of the surfaces. All print bed surface and nozzle surface scans were intercompared, resulting in 11,175 comparisons for each top and bottom surface. Data were analyzed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and area under curve (AUC) scores. AUC scores demonstrated that the algorithm was able to consistently differentiate between same and different-source printed objects. This study demonstrates that source identification of 3D printed objects using toolmarks may be viable for forensic examination.

Drug intoxication deaths increasingly fall under medicolegal jurisdiction, yet national trends in death-certificate-recorded autopsy utilization for community intoxication deaths are not well characterized. Using CDC WONDER MCOD tabulations (2003-2023), we performed a retrospective cross-sectional analysis. Primary analyses were restricted to a community/emergency department (Community/ED) subset (home; dead on arrival; outpatient/ER; other; or unknown). The outcome was intoxication autopsy utilization among deaths with known autopsy status (Yes/[Yes+No]), modeled with Joinpoint regression. We also described Community/ED autopsy workload proxy and intoxication share, estimated a national historical-baseline gap in intoxication autopsies under a 2006-2011 baseline utilization rate, and compared state changes between 2018-2019 and 2022-2023. Total all-place intoxication deaths increased from 348,082 (2003-2012) to 411,446 (2020-2023). In the Community/ED subset, autopsy utilization declined from 84.74% (2003) to 69.78% (2023), with a joinpoint in 2018 and a steeper decline during 2018-2023 (annual percent change, -3.09%/year); the largest year-to-year decrease was 2019-2020 (-5.01 percentage points). The homicide autopsy benchmark (all places) remained 98.06%-98.82%. All-cause Community/ED autopsies increased from 128,494 (2003) to 216,842 (2023), and the intoxication deaths share rose from 12.56% to 30.15%. The historical-baseline gap reached 13,867 fewer intoxication autopsies than expected in 2023. From 2018-2019 to 2022-2023, age-adjusted intoxication mortality increased in 49 states while Community/ED autopsy utilization declined in 33. Death-certificate-recorded community intoxication autopsy utilization declined amid rising intoxication burden, with substantial state heterogeneity and widening historical-baseline gaps, highlighting implications for medicolegal capacity and death-certificate autopsy documentation.

The aging of the global workforce has led to an increasing number of individuals remaining occupationally active at older ages. However, forensic autopsy-based data on workplace deaths in this population remain limited. This study aimed to evaluate the causes and manners of workplace-related deaths among individuals aged 65 years and older based on forensic autopsy findings. This retrospective study included individuals aged ≥65 years who died at the workplace and underwent forensic autopsy between 2020 and 2024. Demographic characteristics, manner and cause of death, comorbidities, autopsy findings, and toxicological results were analyzed. A total of 126 cases were evaluated. Natural deaths accounted for 67.5% (n = 85) of cases and were primarily attributed to cardiovascular diseases, most commonly ischemic heart disease and severe coronary atherosclerosis (60.3%, n = 76). Non-natural deaths comprised 32.5% (n = 41) and included both accidental and suicidal deaths. Accidental deaths were most frequently associated with blunt force trauma (19.8%, n = 25), while suicidal deaths were mainly related to hanging (4.8%, n = 6) and drug intoxication (4.0%, n = 5). Toxicological analyses were negative in the majority of cases (91.3%, n = 115), and no substances were identified as contributory to death. Workplace-related deaths among older workers reflect a combination of natural disease processes and external causes. Forensic autopsy provides essential information for accurate determination of cause and manner of death and for distinguishing accidental occupational fatalities from intentional self-harm.