Photo by Louis Reed on Unsplash What is Electrophoresis, and How Does it Work? Electrophoresis is a process used to manipulate and analyze nucleic acids. This is a quick process in that nucleic acids can be separated within minutes or hours through the use of an electrical field and charged molecules. The charged molecules cause the nucleic acids to migrate through the gel matrix toward the positive electrode while stained with a dye. Image Credit: ThermoFisher Scientific   To determine the size of the DNA or RNA samples, their mobility will be determined by analyzing the gel after th ..read more

Last updated: August, 2021 We’re sharing 10 of the strangest true crime documentaries that you can stream on Youtube! Tinder date killers? … A killer who underwent plastic surgery to avoid being caught? … Killer mothers? This collection has enough creepy, fascinating stories to keep you watching all night. Get ready to binge… 1. Stranger than Fiction: Murdering the Nanny     In 2017, a couple killed Sophie Lionnet, their 21-year-old nanny who cared for their two children. After murdering her, they threw her body on a bonfire in the garden in their backyard to burn her remains and t ..read more

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash While there are many rock stars in the criminal profiling world (too many to list), FBI profilers are the pioneers and “gold standard” in the field. In the past, many criminal cases turned cold due to a lack of physical evidence. As law enforcement began to look at the psychology behind the crimes (something they thought was a waste of time, historically), patterns of behavior emerged that helped solve these difficult cases. What is an FBI Profiler? Criminal profilers analyze the crime scene as well as the evidence that is available to determine the persona ..read more

It’s always fun to learn new things in more creative ways and setting up a crime scene classroom is an effective way to reach your students’ interests. Crime scene investigation is said to be an English language activity that targets collaborative work development and critical thinking skills. Although, there are various activities such as language writing, performing plays, and the like. Setting up a classroom crime scene is another way to encourage students to enjoy and create a memorable experience as well. Here are a few guidelines to have a thriving classroom crime scene. Deciding where ..read more

LISK Podcast: Season Two Now Released If you’re a true crime-enthusiast, you’ve probably heard of the Long Island Serial Killer, otherwise known as LISK. The LISK case is one of the most notorious cold cases in the United States, as investigators are baffled by the case and still trying to determine over a decade later who killed ten-plus women in Gilgo Beach, Long Island. While there are books, movies, and documentaries about the LISK, the most notable way to consume information about this case is the LISK: Long Island Serial Killer podcast. Before we dive into the podcast, let’s review what ..read more

The true crime genre is not going anywhere, and documentary-style films are at no shortage. These movies and shows appearing on Amazon Prime Video will shock you and tell stories you may have never heard of.  Here are 10 true crime hidden gems found now on Amazon Prime: 1. Kidnapped: Natasha Kampusch  This chilling documentary details the events that took place during Natasha Kampusch’s kidnapping in 1998. Eight and a half years of captivity are outlined by Natasha herself, sharing her thoughts while trapped in her captor’s basement, alone and scared.  This documentary sheds ..read more

Given the fast-paced and tech-savvy world we’re living in, it does come at no surprise that with progress, comes a new form of darkness. Yes, true crime in digital form. How scary can this be?  Photo Credit: Pixabay.com Contemporary Tech Crimes Perhaps one of the most common forms of tech crimes we’re encountering today are those that deal with identity theft. Most - if not all - forms of data can readily be sourced online. From social media networks to banking sites, we’re all connected in one form or another. And yet with convenience, new forms of abuse to take place. In fact, last 20 ..read more

When people hear the term “cold case,” most think about an old, unsolved murder. While this definition is partly true, the term “cold case” deals with more than just murder. These include missing persons, unidentified deceased persons, undetermined deaths and criminal sexual assaults.  According to the Cambridge Dictionary, “a cold case is a series of events investigated by the police that has not been solved”.  Officially, a  case becomes “cold” when all investigative leads are exhausted and the case remains open and unsolved after a period of three years. Why Cases Go Uns ..read more

Image credit: aspca.org Pet DNA is helping solve hundreds of crimes around the world. Who knew that something as common as shedding, feces, and drool have actually provided enough DNA to track criminals down and put them behind bars? Transferred animal hairs are frequently found on clothing, vehicles, bodies, weapons, and bedding. Pet DNA Database One forensic tool that has been developed in several countries is the establishment of a pet DNA database. Like the human version, these DNA banks help to establish the hard science behind the pet evidence found at crime scenes. The home test kit ..read more

There’s something about true crime that makes people obsess over it, sometimes to the point of becoming unhealthy themselves. In this clip from the Netflix series Mindhunter, "Colton" (real life John Douglas' character) has a psychotic break from all the stress. This scene was based on the real life account of his breakdown in his autobiography Mindhunter, on which the series was based. In this fictionalized scene, he was trapped in a room with a serial killer he had to "befriend" in order to learn more about his psychology. Obviously, it's a combination of factors that makes true crime i ..read more