Conference Schedule

Tuesday Evening

Time	Room	Session Title	Details
5:00-6:00 PM	Registration Hall	Registration Opens	On-site registration and badge pick-up.
5:30-7:00 PM	Hotel Colorado Restaurant	Board Meeting	Closed session for board members only.
7:00-9:00 PM	Colorado Room	Welcome Reception	Join us for light refreshments and networking.

Wednesday Morning

Time	Room	Session Title	Details
7:00-8:00 AM	Registration Hall	Registration Opens	On-site registration and badge pick-up.
8:00-8:45PM	Colorado Room	Opening Ceremony and Group Photo	Welcome and conference group photo
8:45-9:30 AM	Deveraux Room	Vendor Hall Grand Opening and Break	Visit with vendors and get some swag!
9:30-12:00PM	Colorado Room	Lost in the Woods: Gabby Petito Murder Investigation	Special Agent Kyle Michieli, Federal Bureau of Investigation

Wednesday Afternoon

Time	Room	Session Title	Details
1:15-3:15 PM & 3:35-5:30 PM	Colorado Room	Techniques for Better Close-Up and Macro Photography - Workshop IAI credit 4 Hours | 20 Seats	George Slack (Retired Certified Senior Crime Scene Analyst) and Dr. Michelle Podhirny (CFM-I, CLPE, CCSI, Weld County Sheriff's Office) Ever found yourself intimidated by a situation requiring close-up photos, or been disappointed or on forensic websites? This workshop is designed to help newly assigned crime scene investigators, criminal investigators, and students develop the essential skills and confidence necessary take high-quality, professional looking close-up and macro images when photographing crime scenes, as well as evidence in the processing room or in the lab. While the workshop is geared toward less experienced photographers, intermediate level photographers should also benefit from participating. Topics include: Survey of key close-up photography concepts Review of commonly used close-up photography equipment Forensic scales for close-up photography Proper scale placement why and how Camera alignment with the sensor plane parallel to the subject why and how Accessories for verifying camera alignment Lighting for close-up photography Ambient light and flash Controlling ambient light diffusers, flags and reflectors Controlling flash diffusion domes, reflectors and flash power output control Focusing for close-up photography auto vs. manual focus Close-up focusing techniques and accessories Camera stabilization tripods, and shutter release techniques and accessories Depth of field in close-up photography Context in close-up photography why and how Participants are encouraged to bring the camera, flash and tripod they use at work, as well as any close-up accessories they routinely use, to practice the techniques discussed during the lecture. A limited number of camera kits will be available for our guests traveling from out of state and for students who do not have personal camera kits.
1:15-3:15 PM	Roosevelt Room	Networking in Forensics Duration: 2 Hours	Cameron Stauffer (Broward Sheriff’s Office and Tritech Instructor) This session will provide attendees with networking skills as well as "tips" for getting hired in the forensics profession. This presentation will include information on internships, general education requirements, joining of professional memberships, business cards, forensic conferences, job applications, resume building, reference pages, interview/application process as well as general public speaking skills. This course will be ideally for those interested in finding a career in the forensics field, students looking towards a career in forensics or those that would like a refreshed in networking skills.
1:15-3:15 PM & 3:35-5:30 PM	Garden Room	Vehicle Processing: Getting from Point A to Point B Duration: 4 Hours | Seats: 20	Malaika Moore (Crime Scene Manager at Forsyth County Sheriff's Office (GA), GAIAI VP) and Scott Miller Vargas (Crime Scene Investigator III at Parker PD) Students will understand and apply the principles of crime scene vehicle processing, including the examination of latent prints, tire tracks, and exemplars, small particle reagent application, and recognition of processing defects and ricochet patterns.
1:15-3:15 PM & 3:35-5:30 PM	Taft Room	Collection of Footwear Impressions Duration: 4 Hours | Seats: 10	Elizabeth Anderson (Senior Criminalist at Westminster PD) and Sheri Shimamoto (Senior Crime Scene Analyst at Lakewood PD) This workshop is intended for entry-level crime scene investigators seeking foundational training in impression evidence recovery. Emphasis will be placed on the forensic value of footwear impressions, which are frequently underutilized despite their evidentiary potential. Participants will receive instruction in the proper documentation and recovery of three-dimensional impressions through photographic techniques and casting methods in substrates such as soil and mud, including dry-casting in aqueous environments. The course will also cover post-recovery procedures, including cleaning and photographing casts, as well as techniques for locating, enhancing, photographing, and lifting two-dimensional impressions from non-porous surfaces.
3:35-4:30 PM	Roosevelt	Testimony Made Easy/Public Speaking Duration: 1 Hour	Cameron Stauffer (Broward Sheriff’s Office and Tritech Instructor) This training will provide attendees with “tips” for getting over the fears of public speaking. It will also show how we are not alone in having the fear of speaking in public, and how court testimony is directly related to just that, public speaking. The material will also cover what the jury is expecting from us as experts in our field, as well as ways of eliminating stress in our everyday jobs.
4:35-5:30 PM	Roosevelt	Forensic Pathology Case Studies Duration: 1 Hour	Dr. Rob Kurtzman trained at the Office of the Medical Examiner of Wayne County in Detroit, Michigan Dr. Rob Kurtzman trained at the Office of the Medical Examiner of Wayne County in Detroit, Michigan under the direction of Dr. Werner Spitz, between 1983 and 1988 as a visiting resident and forensic fellow. He practiced in Michigan until relocating to Grand Junction, Colorado in 1992 where he served various counties and served as elected Mesa County Coroner from 1998 to 2006 at the conclusion of term limits He continued to serve many counties in Colorado until accepting a position with the Montana State Department of Justice - Forensic Science Division in November 2015. He was promoted and appointed Chief Medical Examiner by Montana Attorney General Tim Fox in September 2016 and was instrumental in significant changes to advance death investigation with coroners throughout the state. Dr. Kurtzman retired from full-time practice in Montana in 2022 and returned to Mesa County Colorado where he continues to practice part-time performing postmortem examinations for several counties. Besides various forensic subjects, Dr. Kurtzman has a special interest in conventional photography and alternate light photography for forensic documentation and detection.

Thursday Morning

Time	Room	Session Title	Details
7:00-12:15 PM	Registration Hall	Registration Open	On-site registration and badge pick-up.
8:00-12:15 PM	Devereaux Room	Vendor Hall Open	Visit with Vendors and get some Swag
8:00-10:00 AM & 10:20 AM-12:15 PM	Colorado Room	Enhancing and Detecting Blood Evidence on Crime Scenes IAI BPA Certified 4 Hours | IAI LPA Certiffied 3 Hrs| 30 Seats	Sharon Plotkin (Certified Crime Scene Investigator, Associate Professor: Miami Dade College) This workshop will introduce attendees to the different chemicals used to enhance bloodstains and patterns that are visible on crime scenes and evidence and also to detect blood that is unseen because the amount of blood is too small or because the blood has been removed in the cleaning of the scene. The attendees will be introduced to the proper use of various chemicals for blood evidence on crime scenes both visible and invisible. The introduction of various substrates and surfaces while utilizing the most effective techniques and chemical use will be a vital component of the workshop. Attendees will utilize chemicals such as Amido Black, Coomassie Blue, Leucocrystal Violet, Bluestar, and other chemicals in locating blood evidence. This workshop will be taught by a certified crime scene expert. Approved for both Crime Scene and Latent Print credit.
8:00-10:00 AM & 10:20 AM-12:15 PM	Roosevelt Room	Examination of Bloodstain Patterns on Contoured Surfaces and Various Mediums IAI BPA Certified 8 Hours | 20 Seats	Heather Hatfield (Adam’s County Public Schools – Future Forward) and John Zakavec (Detective for Greeley PD) This workshop delves into the complexities of Bloodstain Pattern Analysis (BPA) when applied to contoured surfaces and various materials. It emphasizes the importance of BPA in forensic investigations, combining theoretical knowledge with practical application. Participants will engage with: Key Concepts: Understanding how bloodstains behave on different surfaces, including contoured, absorbent, non-absorbent, and textured materials. Practical Exercises: Hands-on experience in analyzing bloodstains across diverse scenarios, such as curved objects, porous fabrics, and environmental impacts. Methodology: Techniques such as visual inspections, photographic documentation, angle of impact calculations, and advanced pattern interpretation. Real-World Applications: Reconstructing events, corroborating statements, determining the sequence of actions, and improving crime scene integrity.
8:00-10:00 AM & 10:20 AM-12:15 PM	Garden Room	Crimson Clues: Working with Blood Prints Duration: 4 Hours | Seats: 20	Jessica Rader (Forensic Scientist IV - Latent Prints Technical Leader for CBI/ Northern Colorado Regional Forensic Laboratory) and Elaina Graff (Criminalist - Latent Prints for Northern Colorado Regional Forensic Laboratory) Intermediate to Advanced. In this workshop, attendees will learn about the different processing methods that can be used on blood impressions, when to use them in processing for the best outcome, and how to analyze blood distortion during latent print examinations. Attendees will participate in hands-on exercises that involve analysis and comparisons of blood impressions. This class is intended for latent examiners of intermediate to advanced skill levels and will include hands-on comparison exercises and group discussion. This workshop is designed for latent print examiners and attendees should have comparison experience.
8:00-10:00 AM & 10:20 AM-12:15 PM	Taft Room	Testimony for the Fingerprint Examiner IAI Certified 4 Hours | 25 Seats	Cameron Stauffer (Broward Sheriff’s Office and Tritech Instructor) This training will provide attendees with “tips” for getting over the fears of public speaking. It will also show how we are not alone in having the fear of speaking in public, and how court testimony is directly related to just that, public speaking. Material will also cover what the jury is expecting from us as experts in our field, as well as ways of eliminating stress in our everyday jobs. In this course students will gain the knowledge and practical experience necessary to successfully and confidently testify in a court of law as a latent print examiner or tenprint examiner. It will provide the students with the knowledge, confidence, and practical experience necessary to survive qualifying questioning (voir dire), direct, and cross-examination. Students will learn how to take control of their testimony by preparing themselves and the concerned attorney(s) for the voir dire as well as direct examination. The course will cover techniques the witness can employ to effectively explain fingerprint science, current reports and challenges in the field, and its application to the judge and jury.

Thursday Afternoon

Time	Room	Session Title	Details
3:15-05:30 PM	Devereaux Room	Vendor Hall Open	Visit with Vendors and get some Swag.
1:30-3:30 PM & 3:50-5:30 PM	Colorado Room	Enhancing and Modifying Light for Evidentiary Photography IAI Certified 4 Hours | 20 Seats	George Slack (Retired Certified Senior Crime Scene Analyst) and Dr. Michelle Podhirny (CFM-I, CLPE, CCSI, Weld County Sheriff's Office) Most crime scene photographers are familiar with bounce and fill flash for improving scene photography. But there are number of simple techniques beyond bounce and fill that will allow you to better light your scene, especially when taking mid-range (evidence locating) and close-up (evidence identifying) photos. This workshop will help you develop a more comprehensive understanding of light, with an emphasis on how to better control light to produce an image that is pleasingly lit while preserving all of the details needed for a probative evidentiary image. While the workshop is aimed at the intermediate photographer with a working knowledge of camera handling and electronic flash techniques, photographers of all experience levels should benefit from this workshop. Participants will learn how lighting influences the final image, and how to better control the intensity, quality and direction of light. Hands-on activities will reinforce lecture topics and provide practical experience controlling light to capture the highest quality professional evidentiary images. Topics include: Seeing and understanding light Adding light electronic flash Adding light - reflectors Removing light - Flags Removing light black reflectors Controlling light intensity flash power compensation Controlling light intensity manual flash settings Controlling light intensity neutral density filters Controlling light quality diffusion (diffusion domes, soft boxes and diffusers) Controlling light direction off-camera flash with sync cords Controlling light direction wireless off-camera flash with radio triggers Controlling the polarization of light circular polarizing filters Participants are encouraged to bring the camera, flash and tripod they use at work to practice the techniques discussed during the lecture. A limited number of camera kits will be available for our guests traveling from out of state and for students who do not have personal camera kits.
1:30-3:30 PM & 3:50-5:30 PM	Roosevelt Room	Examination of Bloodstain Patterns on Contoured Surfaces and Various Mediums IAI BPA Certified 8 Hours | 20 Seats	Heather Hatfield (Adam’s County Public Schools – Future Forward) and John Zakavec (Detective for Greeley PD) This workshop delves into the complexities of Bloodstain Pattern Analysis (BPA) when applied to contoured surfaces and various materials. It emphasizes the importance of BPA in forensic investigations, combining theoretical knowledge with practical application. Participants will engage with: Key Concepts: Understanding how bloodstains behave on different surfaces, including contoured, absorbent, non-absorbent, and textured materials. Practical Exercises: Hands-on experience in analyzing bloodstains across diverse scenarios, such as curved objects, porous fabrics, and environmental impacts. Methodology: Techniques such as visual inspections, photographic documentation, angle of impact calculations, and advanced pattern interpretation. Real-World Applications: Reconstructing events, corroborating statements, determining the sequence of actions, and improving crime scene integrity.
1:30-3:30 PM & 3:50-5:30 PM	Garden Room	Biological Stability of Friction Ridge and Distortion in Friction Ridge Impressions IAI Certified 4 Hours | 20 Seats	Mallory McCormick (CLPE – Firinne Forensic Services) This workshop introduces students to the biological factors behind the stability of friction ridge skin. Students will discover how these influences play a role in the distortion found in friction ridge skin. Through hands-on exercises, students will enhance their ability to identify and analyze distortion, moving beyond the outdated explanation of “it’s just distortion”. By the end of the workshop, students will be better equipped to tackle distortion in their casework images.
1:30-3:30 PM & 3:50-5:30 PM	Taft Room	Digital Imaging Workflow for Fingerprint Comparison using CSIPix IAI Certified 4 Hours | Seats: 20	Rod Hale – CSIpix (VP Product Development, iSYS Corporation) Enhance your quality control processes by integrating CSIpix Comparator Pro. Agencies utilize Comparator Pro to prevent erroneous exclusions and missed identifications caused by incorrect latent orientation during comparisons. Attendees should bring a Windows bases PC that can have software installed so they can participate in exercises. Free trial software for this workshop can be found on our website https://csipix.com/free-trial/. Students will need a license as well and it’s best to have this installed prior to the workshop.

Thursday Evening

Time	Room	Session Title	Details
6:00-7:00 PM	Colorado Room	Social Hour	Socialize and Grab a drink if you choose, one drink coupon provided with Banquet Registration .
7:00-8:30 PM	Colorado Room	Banquet	Dinner and Award Ceremony
8:30-9:30 PM	Colorado Room	Danny H Magic & Comedy Show	Professional entertainment by an award-winning magician, bringing a unforgettable fusion of mind-boggling tricks, interactive illusions, and wonder

Friday Morning

Time	Room	Session Title	Details
7:00-08:00 AM	Registration Hall	Registration	On-site registration and badge pick-up.
8:00-10:00 AM & 10:15 AM-12:15 PM	Colorado Room	Distortion and ACE-V Duration: 4 Hours | Seats: 25	Cameron Stauffer (Broward Sheriff’s Office and Tritech Instructor) This course will introduce the attendee to the scientific method currently followed in the Latent Print community, ACE-V (Analysis, Comparison, Evaluation, and Verification.) The intricacies of the Analysis stage will be broken down and particular attention to the levels of detail, ridge flow, pattern type, ridge counts, minutiae, and minutiae formations, ridgeoscopy and poroscopy will be covered. Types of impressions commonly found at crime scenes will be discussed as will the meanings of the terms “of value” and “no value.” Discussions will also include the numerical system vs a holistic approach, as well as other topics currently being discussed in the field. Instruction will also be focused on distortion and the how, what, why and when, behind an impression appearing as it does.
8:00-10:00 AM	Roosevelt Room	Forensic Entomology: The Workshop Duration: 2 Hours | Seats: 20	Tom Nissen (Retired Chief of Police in Ault, CO) Insects have existed on this planet long before mammals, including humans. When humans and animals, dinosaurs included, began to die, the first to arrive on scene were insects. That continues to this day. There is a specific order to the arrival of insects at a death scene which can assist in the determination of the time of death (TOD). This workshop builds on the lecture that was presented at last year’s conference – except now it will be “hands on.” The purpose of this workshop will be to allow students – those investigating a death scene – the opportunity to see, feel and determine the insects that arrive on scene and through identification, will be able to determine a simple time of death of the deceased.
10:15-12:15 PM	Roosevelt Room	Are you an AFIS Master? How to Get the Best Results from Your Fingerprint Database Searches. Duration: 2 Hours	Laura Berryhill (Certified Latent Print Analyst for Arapahoe County Sheriffs Office/Unified Forensic Laboratory) Searching prints through AFIS can be challenging. Between system upgrades and the ability to search multiple databases, many people don’t feel confident when using systems that can have significant effect on their cases. By analyzing recent research and case studies, we will discuss the benefits and challenges AFIS databases bring to a laboratory. Additionally, this lecture will share best practices, techniques, and tricks to getting the best results possible from your searches.
8:00-10:00 AM & 10:15 AM-12:15 PM	Garden Room	Navigating Complex Latent Print Analysis Duration: 4 Hours | Seats: 20	Mallory McCormick (CLPE – Firinne Forensic Services) The instructor will demonstrate their analyses of complex latent prints. They will discuss the variability in analysis between examiners and identify key decision points where conflict can arise. Attendees will be given practical exercises to analyze complex prints. Discussion following the practical exercises will highlight how training and experience influence expected (and unexpected) differences between examiners. We will focus on methods for understanding and resolving conflict, with an emphasis on the importance of documentation.
8:00-10:00 AM & 10:15 AM-12:15 PM	Taft Room	Bullet Path Documentation and Trajectory Analysis with Laser Scan Data Duration: 4 Hours | Seats: 24	Collision & Crime Forensic Solutions– Jamie Selves & William Henningsen This workshop is a 4-hour “field to finish” training during which participants will learn the basics of hands-on 3-D laser scanning, diagram creation and bullet trajectory report writing. Students will use 3-D scanners to acquire data from bullet defects in simulated walls that were created prior to the workshop. While the instructors will have Leica scanners available for student use, the workshop is not Leica specific, and students are encouraged to bring the laser scanner they use at work regardless of brand or model. After acquiring the data students will be required to convert the data points into a usable format for investigative and courtroom presentation. 12 laptops with preloaded software will be provided for student use during the workshop, but students are again encouraged to bring and use the computers and software they use on the job.

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