Dr. Danielle Neal
UNK assistant professor of criminal justice, 308.865.8756
TOPIC: BLOOD SPLATTER, FORENSIC ENTOMOLOGY AMONG TOPICS FOR 21ST ANNUAL UNK CRIMINAL JUSTICE CONFERENCE WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14.
UNK– Blood spatter Investigation and forensic entomology will be among the presentation topics at the 21st annual University of Nebraska at Kearney Criminal Justice Conference on Wednesday, April 14.
“The presentations are geared to university students majoring in criminal justice, thus the presentations may be too graphic, and disturbing for some students and community members who are not interested in criminal justice,” said Dr. Danielle Neal, UNK assistant professor of criminal justice and conference organizer. The event, which is free and open to the public, will begin at 8 a.m. in the Nebraskan Student Union Ponderosa Room on the campus.
Speakers for the event will include Dr. Tim Huntington, a forensic entomologist from Concordia University; Detective Jess Scozzafava of the Somerset County, N.J., Prosecutor’s Office; and Nebraska Supreme Court Chief Justice Michael Heavican.
“For 20 years, Detective Scozzafava served as a trooper in the New Jersey State Police,” Dr. Neal said. “He retired as a detective sergeant in 2007. During his career, Detective Scozzafava has processed more than 1,000 crime scenes involving cases such as homicide, suicide, fraud, narcotics and terrorism.
“In addition, he has served as an expert witness in numerous cases and has taught classes in bloodstain pattern analysis, arson investigation, forensic photography, and dusting and lifting for fingerprint analysis,” Dr. Neal said.Detective Scozzafava will present “Blood Splatter Investigation” in two, one-hour morning sessions, one beginning at 8:15 a.m. and the second session, at 9:45 a.m.
Dr. Huntington, one of only 16 board-certified forensic entomologists in the nation, is an assistant professor of biology at Concordia University in Seward. He will give two, one-hour presentations, one beginning at 11 a.m. and the second at 1:30 p.m.
“His publications in the area of forensic entomology focus on the use of insects for the estimation of postmortem intervals,” Dr. Neal said. “Dr. Huntington consults for a variety of law enforcement agencies, and has consulted on more than 50 death investigations spanning nine states and four countries.”
Chief Justice Heavican will give the final conference presentation. He will speak from 2:40-4 p.m. Chief Justice Heavican was appointed from the state at large and assumed office as Nebraska’s Supreme Court Chief Justice in 2006. His undergraduate and law degrees are both from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. Chief Justice Heavican served as the Deputy of the Lancaster County Attorney from 1975-1980, as the Chief Deputy of the Lancaster County Attorney in 1981, as the Lancaster County Attorney from 1981-1991, as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Nebraska from 1991-2001 and finally as a United States Attorney for the District of Nebraska from 2001-2006.
A Career Fair will be taking place in intervals throughout the day. Among the agencies represented at the Career Fair will be: Boys and Girls Home, Dawson County Sheriff’s Office, Department of Homeland Security, Immigration & Customs Enforcement, Detention and Removal Operations, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Family Advocacy Network, Hastings Police Department, Nebraska Department of Correctional Services, Nebraska Game and Parks, Nebraska State Patrol, Norton Correctional Facility, UNK Army ROTC, U.S. District Court and the U.S. Marshal’s Service.
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The UNK Criminal Justice Conference schedule of events is as follows. All events will be held in the Ponderosa Room:
7-8 a.m.- Registration
8-8:15 a.m. Conference welcome by Dr. Charles Bicak, UNK senior vice chancellor of
Academic and Student Affairs.
8:15-9:15 a.m.- “Blood Spatter Investigation: Part I” by Detective Jeff Scozzafava.
9:15-9:45 a.m.- Career Fair
9:45-10:45 a.m.- “Blood Spatter Investigation: Part II” by Detective Jeff Scozzafava.
10:45-11 a.m.- Career Fair
11 a.m.-noon- “Forensic Entomology: Part I” by Dr. Tim Huntington.
Noon-12:30 p.m.- Career Fair
12:30-1:30 p.m.- Lunch
1:30-2:30 p.m.- “Forensic Entomology: Part II” by Dr. Tim Huntington.
2:30-2:40 p.m.- Break
2:40-4 p.m. Chief Justice Michael Heavican
4-4:15 p.m.- Closing Remarks
