The Forensic Science Geek of the Week

This week’s “www.TheTruthAboutForensicScience.com Forensic Science Geek of the Week” honors goes to:

CHRISTINE FUNK

CHRISTINE FUNK, www.TheTruthAboutForensicScience.com Forensic Science Geek of the Week!
Congratulations to our winner!  All hail the www.TheTruthAboutForensicScience.com Forensic Science Geek of the Week!!!

About our winner:

It is fitting that Christine Funk won this week’s challenge.

Christine Funk is the host of Crime, Science and Information of the Woman’s Information Network.  [Blogger’s note:  She does some truly wonderful podcasts on some really timely topics.]  She is a member of the Trial Team in the Office of the Public Defender for the State of Minnesota. She has been with the Public Defender’s Office since 1994. Christine got her first DNA case in 1995. Not being a scientist by training, she struggled to understand the DNA evidence in that and subsequent cases. Eventually, she managed to translate the scientific language into something she could understand. Since then, she has worked towards making scientific evidence understandable to lawyers and lay people everywhere. Christine is a frequent lecturer on DNA evidence as well as the impact of science on criminal lawyers. She serves on the Technical Working Group for DNA for Defense Attorneys, is a member of the Forensic Laboratory Advisory Board in Minnesota, and is on the Board of the Minnesota Innocence Project. Christine is also an adjunct professor at William Mitchell College of Law, where she teaches Criminal Law, Advanced Trial Advocacy, and Wrongful Convictions.

CHRISTINE FUNK is Week 7’s www.TheTruthAboutForensicScience.com Forensic Science Geek of the Week!

Congratulations to our winner!  All hail the www.TheTruthAboutForensicScience.com Forensic Science Geek of the Week!!!

See the challenge question that our winner correctly answered.

Our winner answered the question correctly.  Please visit the www.TheTruthAboutForensicScience.com FaceBook fan page.
Our Geek of the Week answered:

1.  Who is this?

Cameron Todd Willingham

2.  During his life, what of significance was he noted for?

I guess that depends on who you ask.  Todd dropped out of school in the 10th grade.  He had minor brushes with the law.  He had a fairly spectacular tattoo and a love of heavy metal music.  He was the father of three girls:  Amber, Kameron, and Karmen.  Two days before Christmas, as his wife was out paying bills and shopping at the Salvation Army for Christmas gifts, the Willingham house caught fire.  Todd awoke to Amber crying, “Daddy! Daddy!”  Due to the heat and smoke, Todd could not get to the girls’ room to save them.

Based on ‘science,’ including his own lawyer’s flawed experiment, Todd was convicted of killing his three girls in an Arson fire.  Prosecutors said that the girls interfered with Todd’s desire to drink and shoot pool.  Of course, the jailhouse snitch’s testimony didn’t help, either.

3.  After his death, what is he now best known for?

Cameron Todd Willingham was put to death by the state of Texas without one shred of actual scientific proof that the fire that killed his girls was anything other than an accident.  That fire in Corisicana is quite possibly the most well investigated fire of our time.  Notables such as John Lentini, Gerald Hurst, and Craig Beyler all agree there is no evidence of arson.

The Hall of Fame for the www.TheTruthAboutForensicScience.com Forensic Science Geek of the Week:
Week 1:  Chuck Ramsay, Esquire

Week 2:  Rick McIndoe, PhD

Week 3:  Christine Funk, Esquire

Week 4:  Stephen Daniels

Week 5:  Stephen Daniels

Week 6:  Richard Middlebrook, Esquire

Week 7:  Christine Funk, Esquire

[Special recognition should go to Mary Catherine McMurray who also answered this week’s challenge correctly just after Christine Funk.]

Next week’s challenge will be posted on Sunday morning at 10 am EST.

BLOGGER’S NOTE ON TUESDAY WE WILL HAVE A BLOG ON ARSON INVESTIGATION