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Agency Information & Principals' CVs - Expert Analysis / Consultations
Current information on our primary agency website for services, forms, and CVs.
-- Your Investigators - www.DeathCaseReview.com/Principals-Bios
-- Dean's CV - http://dab-cv.DeathCaseReview.com (January 2023)
-- Karen's CV - http://ksb-cv.DeathCaseReview.com (January 2023)

We bridge the crime scene and autopsy with Expert Medicolegal Consultations in Civil, Criminal
and Insurance Interpleader litigation, as well as Family Questioned Deaths. Forensic and
Medicolegal Death Investigations reviewing and analyzing "the totality of the circumstances of
the fatal or non-fatal event and the competency of the official investigation, with respect to
death investigation protocol and standards."

Together We’re Better!

May Commentary: Evidentiary Photographs
Originals vs. Everything Else (including PDFs and PPTs)

We have previously highlighted the importance of knowing details of a
photographic image – EXIF data and file properties, and how deeper forensic
analysis can uncover false photographic evidence. Here we share why anything
other than original image files is not evidence, including for courtroom
demonstrative purposes. We will also share additional resources important to
image formats, what is ‘original’ and the importance of having the best
photographic evidence – not copies, prints, or other non-native formats of the original image files.

This isn’t a new topic for us, we have covered it before. We also refer to our April newsletter commentary, Photographic
Documentation to Presentation Images (Original, Scanned, b/w, Embedded, PDF and Converted).

Refresher - It’s all about the Hex, EXIF & Metadata
In litigation a non-law enforcement photograph a reported assault, with no chain of evidence to verify the image, may
be ‘fake’. One initial clue is the image’s native metadata has been erased, or otherwise manipulated, and as a result the
authenticity may be unconfirmed or further disputed.

Refresher – What is an Original and Best Evidence Image File
Sharing digital media files is still best by physical media – flashdrive most often, due to the size of files, or by CD / DVD.
Common, particularly since early 2020 events, are by online services – such as DropBox, OneDrive, and case
management software, etc. On the note of case management software – it is important to confirm no changes are made
to the files by the provider – such as compressing for space.

Tip – Federal Rules of Evidence
From our course, Basic Forensic Photography (www.InvestigativeCourses.com) we remind our clients and colleagues, the
Federal Rules of Evidence (adopted by most states) addresses digital photography, and states:
An “original” of a writing or recording is the writing or recording itself or any counterpart intended to have the same
effect by a person executing or issuing it. An “original” of a photograph includes the negative or any print therefrom. If
data are stored in a computer or similar device, any printout or other output readable by sight, shown to reflect the data
accurate, is an “original”.

These three important reminders tell us several things, as professional investigators, for our cases – whether reviewing
opposing party discovery and disclosure, conducting photographic assignments for cases, or having an expert
consultation. It is important to not delete any files, images, or portions – the file must be an exact duplicate of the
original. For this reason, images should not be sent via email or added to a PDF file (Adobe) or PowerPoint (PPT) for
review and analysis – or testimony. Why? These all compress the original file, which removes resolution and detail. The

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