Acoustical Forensics

The Importance of Audio Forensics from JFK to Trayvon Martin

http://www.duq.edu/news/the-importance-of-audio-forensics-from-jfk-to-trayvon-martin

The relatively new but growing discipline of audio forensics, which involves the acquisition, analysis and evaluation of sound recordings was the focus of a September 9, 2016 Forensic Fridays seminar at the Cyril H. Wecht Institute of Forensic Science and Law.

The Audio Forensics from JFK to Trayvon Martin seminar was held at the Institute in Pittsburgh and was offered online.

"Are you sure that isn't Trayvon Martin heard screaming on the recording of George Zimmerman's 911 call? Are you curious what the missing audio from the Chicago Police dash-cam in the Laquan McDonald shooting reveals?" asks Ben Wecht, program coordinator for the institute. "How about the fully-restored Air Force One recordings of the real-time reaction of U.S. government officials to the news of JFK's assassination or, what a journalist's tape recording during the shooting of RFK reveals about the number of shots fired? These case studies and the field of audio forensics will be at the center of this week's seminar."

The seminar provided insight into the uses of acoustic evidence, including the importance of audio in a video recording, how that evidence is interpreted through scientific theories and subjective opinions, and the role of acoustic evidence in litigation.

Presenters at the seminar included:

Ed and Mike Primeau, national forensic experts

Don Maue, sound designer

Tom Kikta, audio forensic expert witness.

Audio Forensics from JFK to Trayvon Martin was approved by the Pennsylvania Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Board for 6 hours of substantive CLE credit and by the Pennsylvania Coroners Education Board for 6 hours of Coroners Continuing Education credit. Scholarships are also available.