An 18-year cold case from Flint, Michigan gets revived when new DNA methods bypass indigo-dye interference on a suspect’s jean jacket. Forensic expert Eric Spekin walks through why a single, tiny blood spot testing positive for both victims is a massive red flag, how siloed lab workflows can mislead prosecutors, and the cross-examination strategy that helped a jury reach “not guilty.” If you’re into true crime, forensic science, or legal strategy, this episode breaks down the science—and the storytelling—behind cold case prosecutions. Stick around to the end and don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe! 

Chapters

00:00 - Cold open: “Both DNAs in one spot?”

00:17 - Welcome & guest intro (Eric Spekin)

00:40 - Case setup: 1991 Flint shooting; 2009 prosecution

01:06 - Dice game, $937 motive, suspect & van murders

02:05 - Evidence seized: the indigo jean jacket

03:39 - Cold case team finds a blood spot

04:34 - Why indigo dye blocks DNA; buffers fix it

06:07 - Lab result: both victims on one tiny spot

07:15 - Defense brings in an outside expert

08:37 - Only one sample from one location—why that matters

09:09 - Building the cross & challenging the narrative

11:07 - Verdict: not guilty; key lesson learned

12:03 - How court-appointed defense experts work

14:31 - Trial tactics: using prosecution witnesses

16:47 - Takeaways on scientific honesty

17:31 - Outro & CTA

Links

SunlitStudios.com

Hashtags

#ColdCase #TrueCrime #ForensicScience #DNAEvidence #BloodstainPattern #PCRInhibitors #ExpertWitness #CrossExamination #CriminalJustice #IndigentDefense #FlintMichigan #LegalStrategy #ColdCaseReview

A forensic document examiner walks through a fresh Detroit case tied to new affidavits that allegedly claim prosecutors and police took bribes to frame Derek Smith—then shows why the paperwork itself doesn’t add up. You’ll learn how examiners spot red flags like mismatched fonts, cloned jurat blocks, and near-identical signatures that suggest tracing or digital copy-paste, plus what next steps (known-signature collection, fingerprinting) could definitively confirm or debunk the claims. The episode ends with a narrow conclusion about this case: the evidence here points to “Diddy didn’t do it,” while underscoring how neutral science protects both sides.

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Chapters

00:00 - Cold open: Can science clear a case?

00:23 - Welcome & show setup

00:32 - Why Diddy is back in headlines

00:41 - Detroit affidavits: what they allege

01:12 - Claims of bribes and collusion

01:51 - The underlying CSC case (Derek Smith)

02:56 - Step one: obtain and inspect affidavits

03:55 - Handwriting analysis 101

05:12 - Red flags: fonts, jurats, white-outs

06:19 - Two signatures that look “too perfect”

07:38 - Tracing: how forgers actually do it

09:42 - Photocopy & Photoshop forgeries

11:11 - Will AI change handwriting forensics?

12:21 - Beyond handwriting: more anomalies

13:17 - Next steps: collect known signatures

14:31 - Why the science matters for real lives

17:28 - Where the case stands now

17:51 - Narrow conclusion: “Diddy didn’t do it”

18:01 - Outro & what’s next

Links

SunlitStudios.com

Hashtags

#Forensics #TrueCrime #DocumentExamination #HandwritingAnalysis #ForgeryDetection #Affidavits #Notary #WrongfulConviction #DetroitCase #LegalScience #AIandForensics #CrimeLab #Diddy #CourtroomScience #EvidenceMatters

A Silicon Valley patent fight spirals from suspicious “stolen” lab notebooks into a masterclass in forensic document analysis—and a jailhouse murder-for-hire twist. We follow Amr Mosin’s 1988–89 notebooks, the selective car theft, and the day planner entries written with ink that didn’t even exist yet. You’ll see how experts used ink chemistry (date tags), drying tests, and VSC imaging to expose altered pages, plus the late reveal of original-notebook copies and the Aptex v. QuickTurn link. Stick around for the wild endgame involving an FBI informant. Like, comment, and subscribe for more real-world forensics!       

Chapters

00:00 - Cold open: lawsuits, wiretaps, and a hit plot

00:15 - Welcome + case tease: notebook fraud to murder-for-hire

00:32 - “Craziest patent case” overview and timeline

00:57 - Northern California, Amr Mosin, and the leased patent

01:45 - Notebooks “stolen” the night before exam

02:46 - Patent basics: scope and first to invent

03:33 - 1988 notebook dates altered (9→8)

04:29 - 1989 pages don’t match attorney submissions

04:55 - Two murder-for-hire targets emerge

06:17 - Day planner ink “not yet invented” problem

08:10 - Anonymous “FL” fragments arrive—more red flags

11:21 - Aptex v. QuickTurn + discovery of original-notebook copies

12:11 - Arrest on bond; alleged hit on opposing expert

19:16 - FormulaBs, no date tag, and VSC ink reveals

21:56 - Ink-drying test for age estimation

25:50 - TLC demo in court; judge concludes forgery

Links

SunlitStudios.com

Hashtags

#ForensicDocumentExamination #PatentFraud #InkAnalysis #VSC #ThinLayerChromatography #MurderForHire #FBIInformant #SiliconValley #AptexVsQuickTurn #ChainOfCustody #LabNotebooks #ForensicScience #CourtroomDemo #EvidenceTampering