Bones: The Real World Of Forensic Science

Since the airing of the CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and the other televised series that followed have led jurors to compare fiction with reality. The shows have changed the view on the real world of forensic science as the series have a world of forensic science of their own. For this paper the televised series titled Bones by forensic anthropologist Kathy Reichs will be used as an example for comparison. In the series Bones Dr. Temperance Brenan arrives at the scene of the crime to examine the skeletal remains found in the scene of the crime equipped with one or more forensic kits. Upon momentarily examining the skeletal remains Dr. Brenan is able to determine the gender, ethnicity, and age. When this type of scenario is compared to nonfictional

forensic science the forensic must show at the scene of the crime with one or more forensic kits either a latent fingerprint kit or a police department mobile crime scene unit. The latent fingerprint kits are composed of “different colored powders, several types of brushes, scales, clear lifting tape, and cards to which the lifted prints are affixed”. The police department mobile crime scene unit or crime scene van is equipped with (Swanson, Chamelin, Territo, & Taylor, 2012).

Although both fiction and reality match in terms of the forensics using the kits determining the gender, age, and ethnicity of the victim is not as simple as the fictional show makes it seem. In reality, determining the gender, age, and ethnicity can take from weeks to months to gather all the information regarding the victim versus how on the show they are provided instantly. In the series, Dr. Brennan can be seen examining the remains by simply glancing at the remains and informing the agents of sex and gender occasionally in the series she will get somewhat closer to the remains to examine the teeth in order to obtain an age range while an intern documenting the remains by the means of photography. When compared to reality, photographic documentation is the only documentation presented to the public. When documenting the scene of the crime the forensic investigator assigned to the scene must not only photograph the scene but must also include a number of

documents. Some of the documents are the crime scene entry log which documents the agency involved in the recollection of the evidence as well which officers attended the scene who documented which piece and who arrived and left the scene while the recollection of evidence was in process (Swanson, et al., 2012). The administrative log corresponds to the coordinator at the crime scene and documents who was assigned to what assignment in the recollection of the evidence. The assignment sheets which are completed by the person assigned to the task such as collecting a blood sample from the scene.

The photographic logs details who took the photos of the scene, which light was used to take these pictures these pictures will later be used to construct a diagram. Finally, the evidence recovery log which lists what piece of evidence was recovered such as bone fragments, articles of clothing, or bullets from the crime scene (Swanson, et al., 2012) In this series, Dr. Brenan can be seen accompanying FBI agent Seeley Booth to interrogate both witnesses and possible suspects. Further, in the series, Dr. Brenan can be seen in possession of a weapon and join the hunt for the criminal. In reality, the forensic investigator is needed in the scene of the crime in order to collect evidence. This type of portrayal from the media is leading the public to believe that both the agent and the investigator or attorney will engage in the “exciting adventures” when the reality is it is just the way the media portrays these types of scenarios (Surette, 2015). The way the series portrays forensic science differs from the real world even though the author of the series is a forensic anthropologist

herself. The character portraying the forensic anthropology might use real-world techniques. However, the time required to obtain all these details regarding the crime and the details from the victim's remains stray far from reality as many times this information requires specific tests that range from 54 hours to months while in the show they are performed within thirty minutes to 5 hours.