If the Shoe Fits: CSAFE Study Improves Shoe Print Forensics

A new model improves how uncertainty is calculated when matching shoe print evidence, strengthening the validity of this forensics technique Detectives in a fictional TV series investigate a crime scene. They call over to the forensic tech to take shoe imprints. This will be the evidence that could crack the case. You have seen this scenario play out in numerous television shows, films and books. The premise is rooted in forensic science, the application of scientific or technical practices in criminal or civil law or regulatory issues. Unfortunately, most forensic techniques outside of DNA evidence lack scientific rigor. Neil Spencer, a Ph.D., a student in the joint Statistics and Machine Learning doctoral program at Carnegie Mellon University, sought to add clarity to one commonly used forensic technique, shoe print identification.