Forensics Expert Examines 20 Crime Scene Investigations from Film & TV | Technique Critique | WIRED

TL;DR

Key insights

Film and TV often prioritize entertainment over forensic accuracy.

• Many scenes depict unrealistic gun safety, evidence handling, and crime scene processing.
• The 'why' of a crime (motive) is often overemphasized, while the 'who,' 'what,' and 'where' are neglected.
• Dramatic portrayals frequently skip crucial, time-consuming steps in real forensic analysis.

Proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is consistently ignored in fictional crime scenes.

• Investigators are shown without gloves, masks, or protective suits, risking contamination of evidence and themselves.
• Touching evidence with bare hands or wiping brows while handling items is a common, unrealistic trope.
• The importance of maintaining the integrity of DNA and trace evidence is often overlooked.

Evidence collection and analysis techniques are frequently misrepresented.

• Simple items like pens are used to collect evidence, risking contamination.
• Shell casings are often mishandled or their absence is misinterpreted.
• Advanced techniques like luminol testing are sometimes shown with incorrect procedures or unnecessary equipment.

While often inaccurate, some films and shows do get certain aspects right.

• The use of Tyvek suits and proper PPE was correctly depicted in 'The Other Guys'.
• The concept of bloodstain pattern analysis, though sometimes simplified, is present in shows like 'Dexter'.
• The potential use of VR and AR in crime scene documentation and analysis is a realistic future development.

Key moments

• 00:00Introduction by crime scene analyst Matthew Steiner, setting the stage to critique forensic science in media.
• 00:35Critique of 'The Wire' focusing on unrealistic gun safety and trajectory analysis.
• 01:31Analysis of 'NCIS' and 'Zodiac', highlighting violations of PPE rules and improper evidence collection.
• 03:30Examination of 'The Flash' and 'Boondock Saints', discussing tire impressions and the focus on 'why' over 'what'.
• 06:07Critique of 'Heat' and 'Seven' regarding gunshot residue analysis and fingerprint recovery.
• 07:00Discussion on fingerprint analysis in 'Dark Knight' and 'Dexter', noting impossible scenarios and bloodstain pattern reconstruction.
• 10:00Review of 'How to Get Away with Murder' and 'CSI: Miami' concerning latent blood detection and luminol testing.
• 11:00Analysis of 'The Dark Knight' and 'Dexter' regarding ballistic and fingerprint analysis, and bloodstain pattern analysis.
• 12:00Critique of 'Insomnia' and 'True Detective' on autopsy procedures and crime scene assumptions.
• 13:30Examination of 'Bone Collector' and 'Criminal Minds' on evidence collection and investigator objectivity.
• 14:40Forensic anthropology and evidence recovery in 'Family Guy' and 'Iron Man 3', discussing VR and AR applications.
• 18:40Analysis of 'Minority Report' on predictive crime analysis and technology like ShotSpotter.
• 19:50Conclusion on the impact of media portrayals on public perception of forensic science.