Anna Garcia

On August 14, 2017 emergency dispatchers received a call to the house of Anna Garcia from her neighbor who says that she never opened the door when he went to check on her yet her dog has been barking for 2 hours. At 9:56 am the police and the EMT arrived at the scene and found her lying face down in the entry to her house. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Anna’s house temperature was 73 degrees Fahrenheit, and the temperature outside was 92 degrees Fahrenheit yet she was found wearing a sweatshirt. Surrounding Anna was muddy footprints, a knocked over lamp that contained a hair, three unidentified pills, an empty glass that contained fingerprints, a syringe, a knocked over coffee table with a blood trail leading to the floor, a trail

of blood on the floor, a small pool of blood by Anna’s head, and a pile of vomit next to Anna’s mouth. All of these pieces of evidence were collected and sent to the lab to be analyzed. A list of suspects was formed which included Alex Garcia, Anna’s ex-husband, Doug Greene, Anna’s next door neighbor, Erica Piedmont, Alex’s new wife, Lucy Leffingwell, Anna’s friend and business partner.
Near the door a pair of muddy footprints were found. After comparing the footprints to the bottom of all of the shoes of the suspects including Anna. It was concluded that the muddy footprints belonged to Anna Garcia, because the marks on the toes of her shoes matched the marks left at the crime scene.
As for the figure prints that were found on the glass just out of reach of the victim’s hand, all of the figure prints for every person on the suspect list as well as Anna were analyzed and placed into one of three ridge patterns categories: loop, whirl, and arch.

After the analyzing was complete the print found at the crime scene was determined to have a loop ridge pattern. To other figure prints, Alex Garcia’s and Lucy Leffingwell, were also identified as having a loop ridge pattern. The investigation then turned to identifying ten minutiae on all three fingerprints. It was then concluded that Alex Garcia’s figure print matched in ridge pattern and minutiae to the print found at the crime

scene.
In order to identify whose blood was found at the crime scene it was first analyzed for blood type.

As well as the blood from the crime, we tested samples from all suspects and the victim. Each sample was divided into two. A drop of Anti serum A was placed into one half while a drop of Anti serum B was placed into the other half. The samples were then analyzed for any clotting in either half. After testing all samples of blood the crime scene blood was determined to be blood type B. However both Anna Garcia and Erica Piedmont also have blood type B. Thus concluding that the blood found at the crime scene could either belong to Erica or Anna.
A DNA sample was then taken from the crime scene, Anna, and Erica to officially identify whose blood was found using gel electrophoresis. The restriction enzyme HaeIII, which cuts the DNA strand at the sequence GGCC, was placed into the samples of DNA and then ran through the gel. When the process was complete the crime scene DNA profile matched identically to Anna’s DNA profile with lines showing up at lengths 12, 23, 11, 33, and 24. After the conclusion of this experiment it was concluded that the blood found at the crime scene belonged to Anna

Garcia.
Two trails of blood were found at the crime scene. In order to determine the height that the blood fell from, an experiment was put in place where drops of blood where dropped from heights ranging from 20 centimeters to 220 centimeters off the ground. After each drop the diameter of the blood spatter was measured and recorded in millimeters. The diameters of the blood drops that were found at the crime scene were also measured and recorded in millimeters. After comparing the results to the measurements found at the crime scene, it was concluded that the blood must have fallen from the height of 40 to 60 centimeters. Thus meaning that there is a good chance that Anna might have fallen and fit her head on the coffee table, hence the trail on the table, as she continued to fall the blood trail formed from the table to her head.
Next a sample of hair was taken from all the suspects and Anna to be analyzed and matched to the hair found on the lamp at the crime scene. Just based on appearance the hair found at the crime scene matched in color, length, and style to Anna’s hair. The hairs were then placed under the microscope to officially determine they matched and both hairs appeared to contain no minutiae. Thus concluding that the hair found on the lamp at the crime scene belonged to Anna Garcia.
The last piece of unidentified evidence found at the crime scene were the three white unmarked pills found on the floor. Samples of cocaine, acetaminophen, acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin), methamphetamine, ecstasy, along with the ground up unknown substance, were all analyzed based on their appearance, texture, and their reactions to indicators 1, 2, and 3. The unknown substance, along with the aspirin, both appeared to have the same appearance and texture (white, fine, powdery substance) as well as react to the indicators the same way (1: fizzed and stayed white, 2: fizzed and turned black, 3: fizzed and stayed white). This proved that the unidentified pills found at the crime scene were actually over the counter aspirin.
One of the experiments was helpful but showed limitations. The blood typing experiment allowed us to rule out anyone without type B blood. However, both Erica and Anna have blood type B. Although it limited us in finding out who the blood belonged to it helped by narrowing down who we would have had to run the DNA test on and rule out any possible theories of how Anna Garcia died. As well as limitations, inconsistences showed up during the analysis. The data that was collected for the blood spatter analysis was all over the place and made it difficult to match the diameter of the blood spatters to the height the blood fell from based upon our trails.
After the conclusion of testing, all evidence it was found that the muddy shoeprints, the hair; and the blood belonged to Anna, the unknown substance was aspirin, the blood fell from the height of 40-60 cm, and the fingerprints belonged to Alex Garcia. Based on these pieces of evidence we have ruled out homicide as her manner of death considering everything but the fingerprints belong to her. They make sense to be on the empty glass considering he was over at the house the night before her death. I believe that the manner of her is natural since nothing seemed unusual about what was found at the crime scene.