Case Notes - Drug Chem and Tox-1

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Pennsylvania State University *

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100

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Chemistry

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Jun 5, 2024

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Initials: AK Date: 19-MAR-2024 P ENN S TATE U NIVERSITY C RIME L AB 1313 Shaler Way University Park, PA 16802 Case Number: PSUCL-01 Criminalist: Allie Kellogg Date: 19-MAR-2024 Drug Chemistry On 19-MAR-2024 at 1219 , I received the following items of evidence for examination: Item Item Description 1(b) Lisa W. Sexual Assault Kit – toxicology blood sample 1(i) Lisa W. Sexual Assault Kit – urine sample 2 Richard S’s autopsy samples: blood, gastric, vitreous, liver, urine 29(a) Richard’s body tape lift: white crystalline powder 29(b) Richard’s body tape lift: greenish plant fragments Some of the above items were sub-itemized as follows: Item Item Description 2(a) Richard S. autopsy sample: blood 2(b) Richard S. autopsy sample: gastric 2(c) Richard S. autopsy sample: vitreous 2(d) Richard S. autopsy sample: liver 2(e) Richard S. autopsy sample: urine Item 29(a) – white crystalline powder: Color tests were performed on a small sample of the crystals recovered from the tape lifts of Richard S. The results of those color tests are as follows: Test Reaction (over 2 minutes) + or - Marquis No reaction - Mecke No reaction - Leibermann’s No reaction - Chen’s No reaction - Cobalt thiocyanate Color change. Blue, flaky crystals form in pink solution + This is a presumptive positive for cocaine. A small sample of the remaining powder was then extracted and allowed to dry. A small scraping of the extracted sample was placed on a slide and mixed with platinic chloride . The resulting crystals appear to have a flat molar shape, confirming the presence of cocaine in the sample. To determine the percent of the drug within the sample obtained, a small amount of the sample was run on the GC/MS. The GC/MS test confirms the white crystalline powder sample tape-lifted form Richard contains cocaine that is eighty-five % pure. 1 FRNSC 100

Initials: AK Date: 19-MAR-2024 P ENN S TATE U NIVERSITY C RIME L AB 1313 Shaler Way University Park, PA 16802 Item 29(b) – green plant material: The fragments were examined with the stereo light microscope. Several fragments contain stiff, hook- like hairs called cystoliths – which indicate the plant material might be marijuana . To confirm, the Duquenois-Levine color test was performed to confirm the presence of THC – the active ingredient. The test is positive. This confirms the fragments tape-lifted from Richard S. were marijuana . Toxicology Items 1(b) and 2(a): Blood alcohol tests were performed on the blood sample provided with Lisa’s sexual assault kit and Richard’s heart blood sample provided by the medical examiner. Gas chromatography results: Item Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) Item 1(b) – Lisa’s blood 0.11 percent Item 2(a) – Richard blood 0.07 percent A BAC of 0.08% or higher is considered illegally impaired (drunk) in this jurisdiction. Note: a person may be legally impaired by alcohol with any amount of alcohol in their system; this occurs when one’s BAC is below the legal level for impairment but is acting in an impaired manner due to alcohol in their system. Items 1(i) and 2(e): Urinalysis was performed using GC/MS to test for the presence of cocaine or any of its metabolites in the urine of either Lisa or Richard. Blood analysis was also performed using GC/MS to test for the presence of cocaine. GC/MS results: Item Results Item 1(b) – Lisa’s blood Positive for cocaine Item 1(i) – Lisa’s urine Positive for benzoylecgonine – a cocaine metabolite Item 2(a) – Richard blood Negative for cocaine Item 2(e) – Richard’s urine Positive for benzoylecgonine – a cocaine metabolite The presence of benzoylecgonine in Richard’s urine, but not his blood, suggests that the cocaine was ingested several hours before his death. The presence of benzoylecgonine in Lisa’s urine and the cocaine in her blood suggest that the cocaine was ingested a few hours before Richard was killed. Conclusions 2 FRNSC 100

Initials: AK Date: 19-MAR-2024 P ENN S TATE U NIVERSITY C RIME L AB 1313 Shaler Way University Park, PA 16802 Based on the drug chemistry and toxicology tests run on the samples from Lisa and Richard, we can conclude: - Lisa did have cocaine in her bloodstream at the time the crime occurred. She did have alcohol in her bloodstream; therefore, she [may have been been impaired by alcohol at the time. - Richard did not have cocaine in his bloodstream at the time the crime occurred; however, the presence of a cocaine metabolite in his urine indicates he did use cocaine the day of the crime before it occurred. His blood alcohol level shows he could not have been impaired by alcohol at the time. Biological material has been placed in a secured freezer and will remain indefinitely until authorized removal. Non-transferred items have been returned to the property clerk for secure storage indefinitely until authorized removal. 3 FRNSC 100

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