Quiz 1_Fall 2025_Comm. Eng.

Imagine this: A mysterious cleaning cloth has been discovered near a shattered window in Anika's apartment, and it's not just any cloth—it's a treasure trove of mixed DNA profiles and low-template DNA! What do you think is the most justified conclusion we can draw from this intriguing find?

• A sneaky, unrelated intruder must have left the cloth behind.

• This cloth is a puzzle piece that can't reliably identify the assailant without some more detective work.

• The cloth is a smoking gun that proves the victim's acquaintance had a hand in it.

• Uh-oh! The cloth might be contaminated and should be tossed out.

In a thrilling twist of events, CCTV footage reveals a mysterious hooded figure whose gait suspiciously resembles that of the victim's roommate, Michael. What should our clever detective, Abigail, do next to unravel this mystery?

• Arrest Michael immediately and solve the case!

• Only compare the gait analysis; let's not complicate things with other evidence.

• Corroborate the gait with phone tower data, witness statements, and DNA evidence to ensure justice!

• Let Michael go; after all, gait alone isn't enough to pin anything on him.

In a thrilling police investigation, our forensic team stumbles upon some intriguing evidence: defensive wounds on the palms of the victim, Abigail. What does this fascinating clue most strongly suggest about the events that transpired?

• A mysterious pre-existing medical condition.

• A fierce struggle with close contact before the bleeding began.

• A chilling post-mortem injury.

• Wounds that Abigail might have inflicted upon herself.

At a lively party where Olivia and Benjamin were last seen sharing laughs, investigators stumble upon a half-full drink left behind. Which inference is the least warranted from this curious find?

• The drink belonged to the victim.

• The assailant was offered a drink.

• The drink implies familiarity between parties.

• The drink proves the assailant is known to the victim.

During a thrilling forensic investigation, our sharp-eyed detective Mason uncovers that a suspect's partial mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) aligns with the haplogroup commonly found in the local population. What does this intriguing finding imply?

• Highly discriminatory for individual ID.

• Useful for excluding individuals.

• Indicative only of maternal lineage frequency - low individual specificity.

• Equivalent to STR profiling.

Imagine you're a detective on a thrilling case! In a scene where forced entry is present but no property is missing, what do you think is the best interpretive hypothesis? Let's see if you can crack the case like Abigail, Nora, or Maya!

• Robbery motive confirmed.

• Either staged entry or confrontation between acquainted parties.

• Random burglary.

• Insurance fraud.

During a thrilling crime scene investigation, our sharp-eyed detective Hannah stumbles upon a knife with a mysterious partial blood smear hidden under a radiator in a dimly lit room. The forensic team, including the ever-curious Zoe and the meticulous James, must decide how to handle this crucial piece of evidence. What should they prioritize for this knife?

• Visual photography only.

• Immediate serology and STR extraction with contamination controls.

• Bagging and discarding as hazardous waste.

• Simple DNA test without controls.

Imagine a thrilling mystery where a prepaid number has called our friend Daniel not once, but twice, just before a shocking assault! What do you think is the best next step to unravel this enigma?

• Ignore prepaid numbers—they're just a dead end!

• Trace the ownership and tower pings to uncover the location and possible identity of the caller.

• Assume the number is harmless and move on.

• Release the phone data due to privacy concerns—better safe than sorry!

In the midst of a thrilling late-night investigation, Detective Aria, alongside her eager assistant William, reviews the intriguing CCTV footage from a convenience store captured between 03:33 and 03:50. They are on a mission to uncover the truth about a robbery case, but first, they must determine the reliability of this footage as evidence. What factor do you think most weakens the evidential value of the CCTV footage taken at that time?

• Low light and obscured facial features.

• Presence of gait signature.

• Time-stamp accuracy.

• Neighbor corroboration.

Imagine our brilliant investigator, Aiden, is on a thrilling case involving some mysterious degraded DNA found at a crime scene. He proposes using nested PCR to unravel the secrets hidden in the DNA. But wait! What’s the principal risk that could throw a wrench in his plans?

• Increased amplification of contaminant DNA.

• Immediate conclusive results.

• Elimination of all inhibitors.

• Lower sensitivity.