“In a place denied access to basic forensic technology—and where people disappear into Israeli detention—the fate of thousands remains unknown. One of them is an autistic teenager.”
forensics
Posted inEditor's Pick
Inside the Glitter Lab
“How the tiniest trace of red shimmer helped solve one of California’s most brutal crimes.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
She Was a Quiet Bird Expert. Then She Was Called to Investigate a Murder in Maine.
“How a mild-mannered scientist named Roxie Laybourne created the field of forensic ornithology.”
Posted inTop 5
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
This week we are featuring stories from Fletcher Reveley, Susan Freinkel, Nick Paumgarten, Dana Salvador, and Kathryn Hughes.
Posted inEditor's Pick
Grave Mistakes: The History and Future of Chile’s ‘Disappeared’
“A brutal regime hid hundreds of people’s remains. Can new forensic science help find them—and regain public trust?”
Posted inEditor's Pick
How to Build a Human
“A forensics company tells cops it can use DNA to predict a suspect’s face. Scientists worry the tool will deepen racial bias.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
Can a Comma Solve a Crime?
“How forensic linguists use grammar, syntax and vocabulary to help crack cold cases.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
Inside the Texas Crime Lab That’s Cracked Hundreds of Cold Cases
“The killing of Catherine Edwards, in Beaumont, long remained unsolved. Then came Othram, a start-up whose breakthroughs in DNA technology are helping identify bodies and solve decades-old murders and rapes.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
The Fascinating History Behind a Set of Miniature Murder Scenes
“Forensics pioneer and miniaturist Frances Glessner Lee crafted tiny dioramas in the 1940s to teach investigators to search for clues and assess a scene.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
Identity Crisis
“In a checklist of responses to a large-scale disaster, victim identification comes low down the pecking order.”