Completed "Introduction to Forensic Science" from Nanyang Technological University (via Coursera)

Author: Shane Lambert

I am happy to announce that I recently completed "Introduction to Forensic Science," a course that was offered by Nanyang Technological University and offered through Coursera.



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Jerry Strickland, Melissa (Missy) Munday -- What Happened After the "Unsolved Mysteries" Episode 2

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By: Shane Lambert Time of writing : December 5th, 2020 If you are a fan of the old "Unsolved Mysteries" episodes that Robert Stack hosted in the 1980s and 1990s, then you might remember Episode 2 of Season 1. That program opened with a murder case, one that saw Elmer DeBoer brutally killed, allegedly at the hands of one Jerry Strickland. Wed, Feb 19, 1992 – Page 22 · Detroit Free Press (Detroit, Michigan) · Newspapers.com The story of Strickland, his girlfriend Missy Munday, and the murdered DeBoer ended with viewers learning about the arrest of Strickland after the episode aired. For those wondering what happened next, here's a rundown. According to an article in the Detroit Free Press from August 17th, 1988, Munday testified against Strickland and named him as the murderer of DeBoer. She claimed that Strickland confessed to the murder. Charges against her were dropped because of this. Wed, Aug 17, 1988 – Page 4 · Detroit Free Press (Detroit, Michigan)...
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Missing Kids and Their Bicycles - Cases of Dario Cicolecchia, Janice Pockett, and Others

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By: Shane Lambert Season 2 of the hit TV show Forensic Files included an episode (Episode 12) that contained information that those who work on missing person cases should note. The episode tells of the missing person's case of Dario Cicolecchia, a boy in Switzerland who went missing in 1993. Importantly, this boy was found, his murderer was apprehended, and this murderer also made statements to the police about how he operated. I think there's a nugget of information that's worth extracting from this case and using it as food for thought in similar cases. Dario Goes Missing: Secluded Area, Unwittingly Leaves Trail for Pedophile to Follow Dario went missing after departing his home on a bicycle to go fishing. He was later found dead and mutilated in a Swiss cornfield. As described in the episode, forensic Medicine, the branch of forensics that deals with the body, was used in this case and it was discovered that the boy had been drowned. Investigators found diato...
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The Mystery of Beverly Sharpman's Disappearance: The 1947 Philadelphia Missing Person Case

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By: Shane Lambert Original time of writing: February 18th, 2018 Tonight I looked at the mysterious case of Beverly Sharpman, an individual who was last seen on September 11th, 1947 in Philadelphia. NamUs has her listed as 16 years old at the time of her disappearance. However, all the newspaper articles I looked at indicated that she was 17 years old at the time. Generally, she is reported as 17 years old, which has always meant that she is a missing child. Exploring the Enigma of Beverly Sharpman’s Disappearance The case stands out to me because of the huge effort that individuals in Beverly's family made, especially her mother Nettie, in attempting to find her. Furthermore, I'm not convinced that Beverly Sharpman died at a time close to her disappearance. Lastly, I'm not convinced that the love that Beverly's family felt for her was entirely reciprocal. My opinion in this cloudy case is that Beverly disappeared voluntarily. Have a look at t...
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Dorothy Jean Vaillancourt: A Jane Doe Cold Case Finally Solved After 59 Years

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The Unsolved Mystery of Dorothy Jean Vaillancourt: A Cold Case Finally Identified After 59 Years By: Shane Lambert Original time of writing: March 21st, 2025 This article is part of a short-term series where I am doing deep dives at some solved cases to see what the circumstances were. Click on the label "Deep Dive at a Solved Case" to see other similar articles. Discover how a 59-year-old cold case was finally solved and explore the modern forensic techniques that cracked this decades-long mystery. Uncover the haunting details of Dorothy’s final days in 1966 and delve into the investigation that struggled to name her. Learn why Dorothy remained unidentified for so long and why no one reported her missing. Investigators solved a nearly 60-year-old mystery recently. The remains of a woman found in Tiburon, California, were identified as Dorothy Jean Vaillancourt (née Williams). Known as "Marin County Jane Doe," her case had baffled investigators since her decompo...
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James Hugh Wilson -- Missing Since Plane Crash in 1970

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Missing Person : James Hugh Wilson Last-contact date : January 28th, 1970 Area MP was last seen : Cleveland, Ohio Link to government source : NamUs #MP62284 Ethnicity : White Sex : Male Age at time of disappearance : 48 years old Hair details : gray or graying Eye details : blue Height/weight : 6-foot to 6-foot-1 and 180 to 220 pounds Details from NamUs : this individual was on a plane that crashed into Lake Erie on the day of his disappearance. Note: this article is not about the musician, James Hugh Wilson, who plays the cello. James Hugh Wilson, a missing person, was last heard from on January 28th, 1970 when he was 48 years old. When James disappeared, he was of the Cleveland, Ohio area. What stands out in this case, is the elephant in the room: James was on a plane that crashed. They recovered most of the bodies, however, James was not among those recovered. Someone lost in a plane crash might be lost for all time. However, his remains might turn up someday. From what I read, the ...
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The Rahway Jane Doe from March 25, 1887 (New Jersey)

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By: Shane Lambert Updated: February 16th, 2021 The Rahway Jane Doe is an individual who was murdered in the town of Rahway, New Jersey on March 25th, 1887. The mystery of the murder victim's identity stands out, because it is the oldest unsolved mystery listed at DoeNetwork.org.  I researched this mystery using online newspaper databases for a good two hours on February 5th, 2017. In my opinion, there is very little chance of conclusively solving this mystery for websleuths even with modern technology, like searchable newspaper databases, that wasn't available in 1887. The "clews" in this case (that's the 1887 spelling of "clues") are 99% red herrings if you ask me. Perhaps the best chance in identifying her is through DNA and the family-tree method.  Why bother with this case? If you are interested in this case then it's not so much about justice or helping surviving relatives learn where a loved one went, is it? After all, the perpetrator ...
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Dottie Caylor's Disappearance - What Happened After the "Unsolved Mysteries" Episode

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By: Shane Lambert 03 Apr 1998, Fri The News Journal (Wilmington, Delaware) Newspapers.com Dottie Caylor's disappearance was featured in one of the opening episodes of the "Unsolved Mysteries" television program. According to a Youtube video I watched , it was in the pilot episode. From Wikipedia, it was a special program that was aired before the series became the series that fans grew to love. According to a newspaper article I consulted (The Leaf-Chronicle out of Clarksville, Tennessee), the show aired on November 29th, 1987. If you watched the "Unsolved Mysteries" program and wondered what happened with this case, then this article is for you. 29 Nov 1987, Sun The Leaf-Chronicle (Clarksville, Tennessee) Newspapers.com Firstly, this individual, as of the time of writing (December 17th, 2021), still has an active missing person's profile with NamUs, America's national database of missing people. Dorothy May Caylor is case number #MP14589 . H...
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NamUs #MP8602 - Notes on Ashley Fuller Reed

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By: Shane Lambert The Original Time of Writing : October 1st, 2018 Updates : February 25th, 2025 On October 1st, 2018 I took a look at the missing person's case of Ashley Fuller Reed ( NamUs #MP8602 ). I read over her case at NamUs and then used an online-newspaper database to look at the reporting from 1990 that covered her case. I feel that anyone websleuthing this case should know about details that I came across during this research. It's my opinion that NamUs doesn't provide enough information. Furthermore, I took a look at the greater region and the large time frame associated with this case. I've noted numerous cases of white females going missing from Texas after experiencing car troubles between 1988 and 1994. These cases may or may not be related. NamUs says that Reed was last heard from on January 15th, 1990, a Monday holiday (Martin Luther King Jr. Day). One newspaper article (El Paso Times/March 24th, 1990/page 13) contradicted that and said that she ...
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Reba Dawn McCoy (Attempt to Match) -- Missing Since March 28th, 1999 (Sunday)

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Missing Person : Reba Dawn McCoy Details from a government source (might be paraphrased) : Family last saw Reba in March 1999 in Columbus, Ohio. She had a possible destination for travel, being New York (note: presumptively NYC as opposed to New York state). Last contact : March 28th, 1999 (Sunday) Last location : Columbus, Ohio (one source said the Southfield area of Ohio) Age when Reba Dawn McCoy disappeared : 32 Sex : Female Height in inches : 62 (which is 5'2") Weight in pounds (lbs) : 110 Ethnicity : White/Caucasian Hair color : Brown, long Eye Color : Green Scar or distinctive characteristic : Tattoo on upper left arm (in the picture, it looks like the tattoo is of a word that starts with a "D" and maybe "Da". Link to Government Source : MP137310 (right click to open) Websleuths discussion page : Reba Dawn McCoy (right click to open) BMI means body mass index. It is meant to describe someone's healthy body weight relative to the i...
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Patricia Patterson Leventhal -- Missing Since August 1991 From Florida

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Tag : "Car Found Person Missing" is a popular tag for this site. It describes a missing person who either owned or was using a vehicle at the time of his/her disappearance. The vehicle is found but the person is not. Click the hashtag at the bottom of the link to see just how many times this pattern is present in missing person cases.  Details from NamUs** :  Note : I don't think the description below is adequate, however, I include it as a source as it is from NamUs. "Leventhal was last seen by her husband at 23:30 on August 21, 1991, driving her 1991 blue 4 door Volvo, VIN number: YV2JA894OMA029773, Louisiana Tag 955X356. A possible direction of travel could be Louisiana where she possesses an RN License. She grew up in Ruston, after attending A.E. Phillips School, Ruston High School, and Louisiana Tech University, she had married a successful doctor and moved to Naples, FL. with her two children from her previous marriage. The family was doing well and Patty, a re...
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