Question

Lab 2: Curtis Flowers Case Study

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For decades, forensic analysis has produced significant evidence that has resulted in the successful prosecution and conviction of suspects of murder and the same time exoneration of innocent suspects. Forensic analysis plays a critical role in criminal investigations especially in cases related to homicide to provide evidence of what transpired. It helps identify which tool was used to commit homicide as well as the person responsible for using the firearm to commit homicide. An example where lab forensics were used to gather evidence is the case against Curtis Flowers, which involved a thread of three forensic evidence; a gunshot residue found the suspects right hand, bullets found in the crime scene and the bloody shoeprint found next to the victim’s body (Zhu, Li, et al., n.d.). The forensic evidence helped the court to convict Curtis Flowers for murder.

Ballistics involved in the Curtis Flowers case performed a forensic analysis to determine which firearm was used to kill four employees at Tardy Furniture and the person behind the homicide. The investigators had not found the weapon that used for the murders at the crime scene. However. From the projectiles found in the crime scene, they could conclude that a 380-caliber handgun was used for the murder. At the same day of the homicide, Doyle Simpson, step uncle to Curtis Flowers reported to the police that his 380 handgun was missing from his unlocked car that morning (Zhu, Li, et al., n.d.). Ballistics in the Mississippi crime lab found that the bullets thy had recovered from a wooden post on the property of Simpson’s mother which he has used as a shooting range matched the bullet recovered from the crime scene.

Furthermore, a bloody shoeprint was used for forensic analysis to provide evidence. The shoe was determined to fila grant hill size 10 tennis shoes, which was consistent to the ones worn by the suspect. In addition, fila grant hill 11 mid shoe box was found at Flower’s girlfriend home (Zhu, Li, et al., n.d.). The last forensic analysis on Curtis Flowers case was on gunshot residue. Joe Andrews, a forensic scientific was tasked with gathering gunshot residue power. He testified that the gunshot residue on the back of Flower’s right hand matched the sample of the gun powder. However, Supreme Court found the evidence by Andrews to lack merit. However, Andrews supported his findings urging that the matching of gunshot residue does not necessarily mean that the person fired the gun, but he could have been in close proximity to the discharged weapon, he could have discharged the weapon, or could have handled an object that had traces of gunshot residue (Zhu, Li, et al., n.d.).

Forensic firearm examinations played a key role in this case to determine the person behind the homicide of four employees at Tardy Furniture. First, the bullets revealed that the same handgun that belonged to Doyle Simpson was the same firearm used in the shooting and murder of the four people. The evidence narrowed down to finding the person responsible for the murder. By finding the bullets and the gun, it become quite easier to match gunshot residue to the samples taken from the suspect. However, after being released from prison after spending 23 years, Flowers is suing the district attorney on the grounds that he was convicted without any strong evidence linking him to the homicide (Jimenez, 2021).

The case of Curtis Flowers demonstrates how forensic examination is important in uncovering evidence for the court to use in making ruling. Without the forensic examination, it can be hard to narrow down to the suspect responsible for homicide crime. However, after his release, he sued the district attorney for wrongful conviction and the court ordered for compensation. The case shows that forensic examination can at times be errored and result in wrong results.

References

Zhu, J., Li, L., et al., (n.d.). The Reliability of Forensic Evidence: The Case of Curtis Flowers. https://courses2.cit.cornell.edu/sociallaw/FlowersCase/forensicevidence.html

Jimenez, J. (2021). Curtis Flowers sues prosecutor who tried him six times. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/04/us/curtis-flowers-doug- evans.html#:~:text=Curtis%20Flowers%20was%20arrested%20in,who%20prosecuted%2 0him%20six%20times.