Copyright: ©Ryan McNamara
“My job is to get to the truth, to speak for those who can't speak for themselves”.
Multiple cameras follow serious crime investigations in real time, revealing the crucial role cutting-edge forensic science now plays in bringing criminals to justice.
Forensics: The Real CSI returns to BBC2 for a second series and will first broadcast on Tuesday 9th Feb 2021 at 9PM. To find out more or to watch on iPlayer go to the BBC programme pages.
On a Monday afternoon in an affluent Birmingham suburb, a husband rings 999 to say he has killed his wife. The man is covered in blood when he is arrested outside his home but when he is brought to police custody and interviewed, he initially claims not to remember anything.
Both houses are sealed off and it’s the job of crime scene coordinator Jo Ward to lead the search for forensic clues that could prove or disprove the suspect’s account. Forensic scientist Phil Field goes to the scene to carry out Blood Pattern Analysis to help map out the sequence of events surrounding the attacks.
The investigation takes a significant turn when digital forensics experts manage to crack the suspect’s mobile and an insight into his motive is revealed.
When a 15-year-old teenager is fatally stabbed in a park in Coventry, the forensics team must identify the murderers through evidence left behind at the crime scene. But with the murder weapon nowhere to be found, the investigation relies on two key pieces of evidence: a mobile phone found a short distance from the body and the victim’s blood-soaked jacket.
Through fingerprint enhancement, DNA testing and a pioneering partnership between academic researchers and the forensic team, West Midlands Police utilise a wide range of expertise in an effort to identify the killers.
A 34-year-old man is fatally stabbed as he visits a group of friends who are socialising in one of the bedrooms of a multi-occupancy property in Birmingham.
With vital evidence compromised during the attempts by paramedics to save his life, detectives use CCTV and financial transactions to track their suspect and apprehend him just before he boards an international flight out of the country. The forensic team employ a mixture of traditional and digital methods to try to determine whether or not the witnesses are telling the truth.
In a quiet housing estate in Newcastle, shots are fired through a patio window in the dead of night. One of the residents is injured but neither her nor her boyfriend saw anything. With the neighbours too scared to talk, it's the job of Crime Scene Manager Alan Sayers to gather the vital pieces of forensic evidence which could catch the shooter "we call it the Harvest: if you don’t get the Harvest, you don’t get the results”.
One of the country’s leading ballistics experts, Andre Horne, shows us the inner workings of a gun cartridge as he attempts to find connections between the remnants at the scene and unspent cartridges found at the scene. On the other side of the city, a dad visiting his son finds him dead in his flat. Crime Scene Manager, Kathryn Bolam’s job is to help the detectives determine whether it's murder - or not. The position of the body and abundance of blood points towards foul play "you've got a blood-stained knife on a computer desk, you've got blood trailing outside, you've got blood in every room in this flat. My gut says that it's something sinister and that it is a murder".
At the crack of dawn in residential Newcastle, a man is violently assaulted and stabbed in his home by two unknown assailants. The suspects flee but it’s the job of newly-qualified Crime Scene Investigator Nicola Stark to examine the crime scene and surrounding areas to for clues that could lead her to identify the attackers. Footprints and a kitchen knife are all great finds, but it’s an eerie homemade balaclava that catches the attention of Nicola’s boss, Head of Forensics, Kirsty Potter; “Balaclavas are great in any offence. Something that’s removed quick-time from an offender could have hairs or saliva - and saliva will persist on fabric”.
In Sunderland, a twenty-seven-year-old woman reports she has been raped by two men in a block of flats. A manhunt begins to search for the two men responsible as Detective Cassie Hyland feels the weight of responsibility to get these dangerous men off the streets and get justice for her victim.
We all think we know about DNA - but what are the scientists looking for, how is it extracted from a semen sample, how is this analysed to provide a profile and what is the DNA database? As the forensic nurse who is involved in taking the original samples, the lab scientists who extract the DNA and the analysts who make sense of the findings all work together to identify the suspects and DNA-link them to the crime, it’s the role of the detectives to then catch the two men responsible and seek justice for the traumatised victim.
In central Newcastle, a seventeen-year-old girl has been raped by a stranger in a local park. It's the job of Northumbria Police's Head of Forensics, Kirsty Potter, and Senior Investigating Officer, Shelley Hudson, to find the unknown suspect and put him behind bars as quickly as possible - with forensics, every hour counts. Intimate samples taken from the victim are fast-tracked to the specialist lab to try and identify the suspect.
If he has offended before, his DNA profile may be on the national DNA database and could give them a name. Absence of semen on the samples forces the investigation to find a name through other means and the sex offenders register alerts them to a name of someone in the area. Local CCTV identifies a man wearing the same distinctive jacket as the victim describes. He is arrested and brought into custody but it's his clothing that the police are desperate to find as it could be the key to forensically linking the suspect to the crime. As Kirsty Potter states "Every contact leaves a trace - whether we find it or not, that's the power of forensics".
Copyright: ©BBC
What does it take to be a Forensic Scientist, specialising in forensic biology?
Watch now ❯Phil Field - Forensic Scientist
Copyright: ©BBC
What does it take to be a Crime Scene Coordinator?
Watch now ❯Jo Ward - Crime Scene Coordinator
Copyright: ©BBC
What does it take to be a Forensic Scientist, specialising in interpreting DNA profiling results?
Watch now ❯Lucy Bryan - Forensic ScientistFive ways to develop a more scientific approach to problems.
Read now ❯How to think more scientificallyAs a scientist, you need to be certain you can trust your observations as an unbiased and accurate record of the evidence or results. Is this as simple as it seems though?
Read now ❯Can you always believe your eyes? Minimising bias in scientific inquiry
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Put yourself in a crime scene officer's shoes and try to solve a suspected murder when time and resources are tight. Can you link the suspects to the forensic evidence?
Take part now ❯Crime Scene Officer
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Dr Martin Bootman explains what DNA profiling is, how it works and how it can be used to catch a killer.
Read now ❯DNA Profiling
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What do you really know about crime? Try our interactive 'Finding the Truth' to dig way beyond the surface of forensic psychology, corporate crime and the prison system.
Take part now ❯Finding the Truth
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What makes people do harm to others? What is a psychopath? How do you conduct an intervention with someone convicted of a violent crime, or help someone who has been the victim of crime? This degree explores these and many other important psychological questions relating to crime and justice. You'll examine how forensic psychologists use evidence derived from research to contribute to debates and policy on crime, policing, criminal justice and rehabilitation; and how psychology is critical to understanding education, employment, mental health, and relationships.
Learn more ❯BSc (Honours) Forensic Psychology
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Our biology degree is for those inspired by the natural world. Studying with the OU will enable you to gain a deeper understanding of the foundations of life and biological processes involved. Explore diverse subject areas from the cellular and molecular levels to whole organism survival. Biology encompasses all living species, explaining their diversity via evolutionary origins. It defines their anatomy and structure, describes their physiology and behaviour, and provides scientific rationales for their habitat requirements and ecosystem interactions.
Learn more ❯BSc (Honours) Biology
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Learn about the structure, properties and reactivity of molecules. This fundamental knowledge plays an integral role in our understanding of the world. Chemistry is a broad subject ? including organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, physical chemistry and analytical chemistry. And it can include other fields such as biological chemistry and environmental chemistry. You'll gain a thorough understanding of the subject while developing your investigative, practical and scientific literacy skills.
Learn more ❯BSc (Honours) Chemistry
This introductory science module encompasses astronomy and planetary science; biology; chemistry; earth and environmental sciences; and physics. A series of questions, starting with 'Can you make a hole in water? and 'How do you know what is alive?', teaches scientific thinking. You will undertake a number of practical experiments, both 'hands-on' in your own home and online. This module is the entry point for the natural sciences degree, and develops generic study skills, maths skills and investigative skills alongside key concepts in science.
Learn more ❯Questions in science
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Chemistry is fundamental to our modern world, touching all aspects of our lives; food, health, materials, energy and our environment. Indeed, the solutions for many of the challenges facing the world will require Chemistry as a key facilitating science. This highly interactive module provides a broad foundation in organic, inorganic, and physical chemistry. It explores organic compounds and their synthesis, spectroscopic analysis, the Periodic Table and the reactivity of metals and non-metals, bonding and molecular shape, thermodynamics and kinetics. The practical nature of chemistry will be emphasised throughout. There will be an optional, laboratory-based residential school. The cost of accommodation, meals and travel for the optional residential school is not included in the module fee.
Learn more ❯Chemistry: essential concepts
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This module draws on recent theoretical debates and research to critically explore the fascinating relationship between counselling and forensic psychology. You'll learn about media representations of crime and therapy and the role of sociocultural issues in both forensic and therapeutic work. You'll be introduced to the most common and effective therapeutic approaches for working with offenders/victims of crime, and explore therapeutic and forensic aspects around sex and sexuality. You'll develop an understanding of the dichotomies and emerging themes in this area and the challenges of providing therapy in a forensic setting.
Learn more ❯Counselling and forensic psychology: investigating crime and therapy
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In this free course, Forensic psychology, you will discover how psychology can help obtain evidence from eyewitnesses in police investigations and prevent miscarriages of justice.
Learn more ❯Forensic psychology
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This free course, Forensic science and fingerprints, covers how science can make fingerprints easier to study, how they are used in court and some of the questions about the extent to which fingerprint identification is sound and scientific. Students will learn the principles used in classifying and matching fingerprints (often called marks).
Learn more ❯Forensic science and fingerprints
Illustration of The Mary Rose (circa 1546) as depicted in The Anthony Roll of Henry VIII's Navy.
This free course, Analytical science: Secrets of the Mary Rose, teaches you about the analytical techniques that are used in the research and investigation of historical objects using the case study of the Mary Rose. It covers the use of sonar to locate shipwrecks, and the analysis of the artefacts found on the ship, and the crew and their remains.
Learn more ❯Analytical science: Secrets of the Mary Rose
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Meet Dr Jim Turner and Dr Claire Kotecki, the academic consultants on the series.
Copyright: The Open University
Dr Jim Turner, Senior Lecturer in Forensic PsychologyJim was The Open University's academic consultant on Series 1 and 2 of Forensics: The Real CSI.
Jim has been researching and teaching in applied cognitive and forensic psychology since 1997, first at the University of Westminster where he completed his Ph.D. and then, since 2006, at The Open University. Jim’s research focuses on a range of forensic topics, including eyewitness identification, facial compositing, the ‘CSI Effect’, and jury decision-making.
He has worked on a number of OU modules across the psychology curriculum, including producing ‘Living psychology: from the every day to the extraordinary’ (DD210), ‘Forensic psychology: crime, offenders and policing’ (D872) and ‘Investigating forensic psychology’ (DD802).
Find out more about Dr Jim Turner
Dr Claire Kotecki | The Open University under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0 license
Dr Claire Kotecki, Lecturer in BiologyClaire was The Open University's academic consultant on Series 2 of Forensics: The Real CSI.
Claire has been working in biological and genetic research at The Open University since 2000. Her PhD focused on using genetic manipulation in fruit flies to study human ageing. She has written and contributed to a number of modules across the Biology and Health Science curriculum, including producing and teaching on ‘S111 Questions in Science’, the entry-level module on the Biology, Chemistry and Natural Sciences pathways. She also designs and presents live lab broadcasts bringing interactive lab science to students off-campus and is STEM Open Media Fellow.
Find out more about Dr Claire Kotecki
Copyright: The Open University
Prof. Claire Turner, Professor of Analytical ScienceClaire was The Open University's academic consultant on Series 1 of Forensics: The Real CSI.
Claire is an analytical scientist with almost 30 years’ experience. Her research has been applied to analysing biological systems to infer information about the state of those systems and focused on things that cannot be seen with the naked eye, e.g. bacteria, viruses, or molecules. Most recently, her research has been predominantly on biomarker discovery for the diagnosis of disease. The techniques and methods used in her research in analytical science are also used in forensic science, which is a subset of analytical science.
Claire's formal education has been interdisciplinary, with undergraduate degrees in chemistry and biochemistry and a PhD in biochemical engineering, and further studies around computing, maths and physics. With this background, it may not be surprising that she is very interested in the teaching of interdisciplinary science, believing that many applications require a wider education. She is also interested in helping unconfident learners access higher education, particularly in STEM disciplines. She has taught at all higher education study stages from access to postgraduate around topics including analytical science, health science, introductory science as well as forensic science
Claire has been involved in BBC TV and radio programmes, and also has delivered public lectures, mostly around her research but also more generally on interdisciplinary science. She has also produced some popular science articles and videos, for example:
In addition to this, Claire authored the free course Forensic Science and Fingerprints.
Find out more about Professor Claire Turner
Copyright: The Open University
Dr Maria Velasco-Garcia, Senior Lecturer in Analytical SciencesMaria was The Open University's academic consultant on Series 1 of Forensics: The Real CSI.
Maria's main research interest is in new and emerging bio-analytical and bio-diagnostic techniques, particularly chemical sensors and biosensors and their exploitation at the point-of care in medical and veterinary diagnostics.
Before joining the OU, Maria worked for a BBSRC-sponsored institute focused on agricultural and biosystems engineering, designing a wide range of bio-sensing prototypes for solving issues in animal welfare and health and production efficiency. Currently, diseases are controlled with vaccines and drugs but emergence of antibiotic- and drug-resistant pathogens means that diseases will continue to be a problem and moreover the use of antibiotics is becoming more severely restricted. Her work offered an alternative to promote animal health and welfare through disease prevention rather than cure.
At The Open University Maria led a project funded by the World Cancer Research Fund developing new methods for the non-invasive measurements of urinary biomarkers of DNA that are related to diet and the risk of colorectal cancer
Maria has worked in the production and delivery of work-based learning modules in Analytical Sciences, working with employers and regulators to identify needs and skill gaps. These modules developed practical skills and understanding of the science underpinning analytical work in the laboratory. She recently been appointed as the Qualification Lead for the new Laboratory Scientist Degree Apprenticeships.
As well as developing a range of online and remote access experiments for science modules, she has dynamically support students in the virtual laboratory environment.OU Live events
Working with other chemists in the School, Maria lead the level 1 chemistry live web broadcasts from our teaching labs in Milton Keynes. These successful labcasts provide an opportunity to demonstrate live experiments, discuss cutting-edge research and provide links to the OU's chemistry curriculum. Aiming at building a science community early on in OU students’ studies, Maria has been heavily involved in the running of level 1 live science debates.
Maria has been master of ceremonies for the Christmas Chemistry School Lecture at Walton Hall. And in the past she also participated in the Big Nature Day at the Natural History Museum, showcasing the OpenScience Laboratory and iSpot.
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