July 10, 2015
Kate Schwenke, a recent graduate of UNL’s Forensic Science Program, along with faculty members Sgt. Larry Barksdale and Dr. Ashley Hall, published their research on the International Association for Identification (IAI) website. Their study, “A Protocol for Discovery of Latent Bloodstains on Dark and Patterned Clothing” was sponsored in part by a scholarship awarded to Schwenke through the IAI Johnson-White Memorial Fund.
The project highlights best practices for discovering and identifying bloodstains on clothing where blood may not be visible to the naked eye. It is important for investigators to be able to identify bloodstains on clothing without damaging any DNA evidence. Different light sources and chemicals were used to determine the most effective combination of detection procedures.
After graduating, Schwenke worked as a DNA analyst at GeneSeek/Neogen and is now starting a career in law enforcement with the Lincoln Police Department.