Forensic Crime Scene Investigation Expert Witness

Award winning forensic scientist with 40+ years aiding in thousands of criminal and civil investigations, art investigations and art fraud cases. Advised or joined thousands of prosecutor and defense attorney death investigations, and has given civil or criminal court expert testimony in over 500 trials. Expert in paint pigments, binders, resins and finishes, glass, synthetic and natural fibers, human and animal hair, and diverse other materials of interest. Sought after speaker and media personality.

Cases of note:
Authentication of the Lost 9-11 WTC Flag.
Authentication of the Miracle on Ice Flag.
Authentication of the Last Jackson Pollock Painting.
Other: Numerous works of art and historic preservation projects, i.e. 1983 Restoration of the Statue of Liberty for the Nation Park Service, Napoleon Bonaparte’s Dress Uniform Pocket Dust, Son of Sam, John Lennon, Metropolitan Opera, FALN Bombings, BLA Shootings, SDL Bombings, World Trade Center (1993 & 2001), Statue of Liberty Bombing, Columbine, Terrorist Bombings, Angela Davis, Lufthansa Robbery, Brinks Robbery, Pizza Connection, Casey Anthony, Columbin

AWARDS:

Jan. 2020 – State Microscopical Society of Illinois Recipient of the 2020 August Köhler Award for contributions to
the field of Microscopy and forensic sciences, Jan. 2020
Feb. 2018 – American Academy of Forensic Sciences Criminalistics Section Recipient of the Dr. Paul L. Kirk award for excellence in work and research in criminalistics, February 2018
Feb. 2014 – American Society of Trace Evidence Examiners Recipient of the Dr. Edmond Locard award for excellence in trace evidence work and research in trace evidence, February 2014
American Library Association for Life Sciences 2004 for book “Color Atlas and Manual of Microscopy for Criminalists, Chemists, and Conservators”
National Law Enforcement Association Award, 1989
New York City Police Academy Distinguish Lecture’s Award in Criminalistics, 1987 Nikon Small World Contest Award Recipient, 1983
Dean Hawley’s Award for Scholarship, John Jay College, 1979

EDUCATION AND SPECIALIZED TRAINING

John Jay College of Criminal Justice (JJCCJ), M.S. in Forensic Sciences, (Terminal Degree), 1979, B.S. in Analytical Chemistry, 1974
Additional Undergraduate Majors in: Criminal Justice at NYC Police Academy and John Jay College, CUNY; Secondary Education in Science & Technology Education Stony Brook University, and John Jay College, Over 80 Credit Hours in Fine Arts and Art History at FIT SUNY.
Additional Specialized Training Courses in Forensic Science & Identification, over 2000 hours:

• General Chemical Unknowns
• Examination & Comparison in Footwear and Tire Tread
• Forensic Glass Examination
• Gunshot Residue Analysis
• Ballistics Examination
• Tool Mark Examination
• Fingerprint Development, Examination and Comparison
• Hair, Fiber and Textile Analysis
• Photography-Film and Digital
• Controlled Substance Analysis
• Crime Scene Examination and Reconstruction
• Forensic Paint Analysis
• Forensic Hair, Fiber and Textile Analysis & Comparison
• Gemstone Identification
• Post Blasts Analysis
• Forensic Paint and Pigment Identification
• Light and Electron Microscopy
• Firearms Training: Hand Guns, Rifles, Shot Guns

Numerous Education and Test Question Preparation Courses; New York City Police Academy Recruit Training Program, November 1968; New York City Detective Bureau Homicide Course, 1980; New York City Police Academy Detective Criminal Investigation Course, 1982

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

PRIVATE CONSULTING, Principal and Consultant, April 1990 to Present
Founded and lead consulting business in Forensic Science & Criminalistics. Provide services as Forensic Consultant, Forensic Microscopist and Instructor in Forensic Sciences and Crime Scene Investigation for the following agencies and institutions as well as hundreds of private clients.

• Innocence Project Cases in: New York, Tenn., Texas, New Jersey
• UN Legal Team Attorneys Forensic Science Training, NYU Law School Ethiopia Federal Police at the Federal Police Facility
• Dominican Republic Federal Police Institution Dominican Republic Legal Department UASD Uruguay National Police and Department of Justice NYPD Forensic Investigation Division
• NYPD Crime Scene Unit Exxon Corporation Nissan Corporation NYPD Ballistics Unit
• U. S. Assistant Federal Attorney’s Prosecutor Offices
• U.S. Federal Public Defender’s Offices New York State Capital Defender’s Office New York City Prosecutor’s Office
• New York City Legal Aid Offices FBI Academy
• NYPD Forensic Investigation Division
• The State of Florida Capital Defender’s Office
• The State of New Jersey’s Capital Defender’s Office
• The State of New Hampshire Public’s Defender Office
• The State of Illinois Capital Defender’s Office
• The State of Delaware Attorney General Capital Prosecutor
• The County of Suffolk, NY District Attorney’s Office for Capital Cases
• The Smithsonian Institution
• The Metropolitan Museum of Art
• Saint John the Divine Textile Laboratory
• John Jay College School of International Studies National Law Enforcement Association
• Virgin Island US Federal Public Defender
• Numerous Private and Public Defense and Prosecuting Attorneys Offices
• Cardozo Law School, Innocence Project New Jersey State Police Ballistics Unit
• Chief of Materials Sciences and R & D, Shape Operating Systems Industries (SOSI), New Startup Technology Company with three newly Issued U.S. Patents, Jan, 1, 2017 to present.

NYPD FORENSIC LABORATORY, Contracted Forensic Consultant to New York City Police Department, January 1999 to April 1st, 2016
Technical Leader/Supervisor for Criminalistics Trace Evidence and Hair and Fiber Sections, Instructor Forensic Investigation Division, NYPD Crime Scene Personnel. Forensic Laboratory Assignments.
Technical Leader in Criminalistics and Trace Evidence Section
Preparation of SOP for Trace Evidence Analysis and Criminalistics
Training of new personnel in criminalistics, microscopy and Hair/Fiber Analysis
Involved in the Preparation of Training Manuals and SOP’s for Crime Scene, Footwear, Tool Mark Examination, Paint, Glass
Analysis, Soil Analysis, Digital Photography, Hair and Fiber Analysis, Glass Examination, and Evidence Collection
Training of new personnel in Footwear and Tool Mark Analysis
Preparing and conducting Mock Trial Training Sessions
Preparation of Digital Photography SOP and training personnel in digital photography
Training Ballistics personnel in basic Microscopy and Tool Mark Examination
Training new Crime Scene Unit personnel in collection and preservation of Physical Evidence
Casework in trace evidence, hair and fiber analysis, textiles, tool marks and footwear examinations, explosive residues, soils, and comparisons
Given expert witness testimony at trials
Given lectures to outside groups, and agencies i.e., NYC Chief Medical Examiners

NEW YORK CITY POLICE DEPT. CRIME LABORATORY/DETECTIVE BUREAU, Detective/Forensic Scientist, July 1974 to April 1982,
Senior Forensic Examiner, April 1982 to April 1990
Worked on thousands of criminal/civil investigations and testified as an expert witness over 500 times in State and Federal Courts

• Duties
• Instrumentation & Criminalist Trace Evidence Section General Instrumentation & Criminalistics Analysis
• Trace Evidence: Paint, Hairs, Fibers, Glass, Soil, Minerals, Dust
• Gunshot Residue Analysis: Shooter’s Hand and Muzzle to Target Distance
• Principal Operator SEM/EDXA-used in GSR, paints, soils and tool mark cases
• Explosive Residues
• Footwear Examiner and Tire Tread Examiner Tool Mark Examiner – Physical Matches
• Latent and Patent Fingerprint Development: Used all methods including laser
• Forensic Photography Macroscopic
• Crime Scene Investigation and Reconstruction’s
• Trained unit personnel – assigned, supervised and oversaw casework, signed reports
• Trained Outside Agency Personnel in: Hair/Fiber, Trace Evidence, Footwear, etc.
• Prepared: Hair Manual, Analytical Protocols Research and Development
• Prepared NIJ Grants
• Expert Areas
• Art Fraud Casework
• Trace Evidence: Glass, Soils, Paint, Dust, Minerals Hair Examinations
• Natural fibers, Synthetic Fibers, Textiles, Paper, Ropes and Cordage
• General Criminalistics, Evidence Collection and Crime Scene Procedures
• Light and Electron Microscopy Tool Mark Examination
• Footwear & Tire Tread Examination
• Gunshot Residue Examinations Muzzle to Target Distance Gunshot Primer Residue Examinations
• Narcotics Analysis Explosive Analysis
• Wet Chemical & Instrumental Methods of Analysis Inorganic Salts, Volatile Organics & General Unknown Bullet Trajectory
• Crime Scene Reconstruction
• Ordered Capital Equipment and Trace Evidence Unit Supplies

 

NEW YORK CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT, Police Officer on precinct uniform patrol, November 1968 to July 1974; Police Trainee– Fingerprint Technician for Firearms Control Board, February 1968 to November 1968

Art and Architectural Conservation and Preservation Institutional Clients
The Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C.
National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT), National Park Service, U. S. Dept. of Interior The Metropolitan Museum of Art (MOMA), NYC
Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University, Cambridge. MA The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH), NYC
The Museum of Fine Arts Houston (MFA H) Columbia University, NYC

MEDIA EXPERIENCE

Movie Consultant
Mystery Writer Consultant
Newspapers & Magazines: New York Times, McCall’s Magazine, People Magazine
Television: Court TV, History Channel, NBS, CBS, ABC, Discovery Channel, Histories Mysteries, CSI New York Two on the Town, Nova

CERTIFICATIONS

Certified Criminalist, Diplomat of American Board of Criminalistics – Certificate #101, April 1993
Certified NYS Science Teacher in Biology, Chemistry and General Science, February 1991
C14 Certificate to be in charge of Chemical Laboratory issued January 1997 by NYCFD

TEACHING EXPERIENCE / ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS

Appointed to John Jay College Science Dept. – Assistant Professor – Life Equivalent Background and Experience to PhD. – CUNY Committee on Staff and Administration – March 26, 2007 – Minutes page 4 (J.) Appointment with a Waiver of Section 11.11 of the Bylaws Lack of Ph.D.
Appointed to the PhD. Forensic Science Faculty Committee, CUNY Graduate Center, NY, NY, 2004. Invited Lecture, FBI Academy, Quantico Virginia, Forensic Examination on various Occasions
Sir Winston Churchill Fellowship Preceptor for Ms. Debra Croft, University of London
Associate Professor at St. John’s University, Queens, NY, in Forensic Science for Criminal Justice Majors, January 1990
Assistant Professor Forensic Science, Criminalistics Laboratory, Instrumental Laboratory, Microscopy and Trace Evidence, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY, taught following courses from Sept. 1982 to Present
Lecture and Laboratory Instructor Undergraduate Lecture and Laboratory Instructor Graduate
Natural SCI 107 – Natural Science FOS 108 – Forensic Science
FOS 320 – Instrumental Analysis
FOS 721 – Advanced Instrumental Analysis FOS 321 – Instrumental Analysis
FOS 720 – Advanced Instrumental Analysis
FOS 410 – Criminalistics Microscopy & Trace Evidence FOS 411 – Criminalistics Serology FOS 710 – Advanced Criminalistics PLM/Trace Evidence FOS 711 – Advance Criminalistics Serology
Instructor FOS 313 Impression Evidence
Instructor for FOS 790 – Trace Evidence Analysis, PLM Instructor FOS 800 (Ph.D. Level) – Impression Evidence

Developed numerous instructional and training courses designed and given for NYC Police Department’s: Detective Bureau, Crime Scene Unit, Forensic Investigation Division and Police Academy in criminalistics, forensic criminal investigation and crime scene investigation for:
NY State University at Albany, Trace Evidence Graduate Instructor, 2008
NY State University at Albany, NERFI Forensic Science/Crime Scene Series, 2007
State Education Dept. BOCES at NY State University at Albany, NERFI, 2006
Dominican Republic National Police for John Jay College at John Jay College, NYCPD Forensic Investigation Division Facility and National Police in Dominican Republic, 2006
Training of DNA Analysts in Hair and Fiber Evaluation Penn State Police 2004, and New York State Police 2006
Training Instructor in Footwear Examination for NYPD Criminalistics Unit, Sept. 2001 to present
Training Instructor in Digital Photography for NYPD Trace Evidence Unit, Sept.2001 to 2016
Training Instructor in Tool Mark Analysis for NYPD Firearms Section, Oct. 1997 to 2016
Training Instructor in Microscopy for NYPD Ballistics Unit, Sept. 1997 to 2016
Instructor in Forensic Sciences for Criminal Investigation Course given by the NYPD Detective Bureau, January 1983 to retirement
Instructor in Forensic Sciences for Homicide Investigation Course given by the NYPD Detective Bureau, January 1985 to retirement
Instructor in Forensic Sciences Crime Scene Techniques for NYC Crime Scene January 1982 to 2016
January 1981 to retirement – Instructor in Forensic Sciences for NYC Police Academy, Distinguished Lecture, NYC Police Recruit Training Academy

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

Diplomate of American Board of Criminalistics (ABC) – Prepare Test questions for ABC Trace Evidence General and Specialty Criminalistics Certification Examination on test national writing committee from 1985 to present
Fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences – Criminalistics Section, 1984
Fellow of the New York Microscopical Society – Past Board Member, 1979 – 1985
Member of the NEAFS, Board Director in 1980’s

MISCELLANEOUS

Member of PhD Forensic Science Committee, CUNY Graduate Center
Chairperson SWGMAT Subgroup Hair- National Forensic Methods Standards Committee sponsored by the Dept. of Justice, FBI. Jan. 1996 to Jan. 2001
Committee Member 1st Forensic Hair Group, FBI, Oct. 1983 to 1986
Technical Advisor for “American at Home” an educational television documentary series created by Dr. Hugh R. Crean, Chairman Restoration Dept. FIT, and Don W. Walters, Project Director
Section Chairperson (Microscopic Analysis) Eastern Analytical Symposium, Summerset, NJ, Fall 1993
American Board of Criminalistics (ABC) Specialty Examination – Content Specialist for the Certification Proficiency Test – Prepare Protocol & Test Questions for National Certification Examination.
NEAFS Chairperson for Hair and Fiber Peer Group ABC Certification Test Committee – Prepared
Member of ad hoc committee on Forensic Hair Comparison formed by the FBI to standardize Forensic Hair Examination
Guest Reviewer for the Journal of Forensic Science
Reviewer of Research Proposals for the Forensic Science Research and Training Center, FBI Academy
Reviewed Research Grant Proposal for CUNY Graduate Research Center.
Member of Forensic Science Journal Editorial Board, Department of Forensic Science, Central Police University, Taiwan ROC

PUBLICATION

Presented 100’s of papers, poster at scientific meetings, workshops, symposia and courses for the following organization’s:
New York University
NYPD Detective Bureau
NYPD Crime Scene Unit
NERFI
NYC Office of Chief Medical Examiner
National Park Service
SUNY Albany
Columbia University
Fordham University
United Nations
St. John’s University
Department of Interior
Houston Museum of Fine Ares
American Bar Association
National Center for Preservation Technology and Training
American Institute of Conservation Federal Bureau of Investigation Academy
New Jersey State Police Laboratory

 

 

PUBLISHED TEXT BOOKS AUTHORED AND CO-AUTHORED
Available on full CV