This episode five of the Identification season of the National Institute of Justice's (NIJ's) Just Science podcast series consists of an interview with Erin Sims, Lab Manager of the Forensic Identification Unit for the Lincoln (Nebraska) Police Department, who discusses the use of wound and bloodstain pattern analysis to link a suspect to a crime that involved methamphetamine use and a double homicide.
The interview involves a case study of a crime-filled spree by Brandon Crago, who was arrested for methamphetamine drug dealing and placed in an insecure drug rehabilitation center, from which he escaped to mount a frantic, crime-filled escape effort that lasted 19 hours and covered approximately 300 miles in Nebraska. The crimes described in this spree included home invasions to obtain money and multiple vehicles. including an ATV (all-terrain vehicle). Among his crimes was a double homicide at one of the homes where he sought resources for his escape from police. His spree ended with his attempted suicide, which led to his arrest by police.. The law enforcement investigative techniques discussed involved the complexities of identifying him and linking him to the various crimes he committed that were being investigated by multiple jurisdictions.