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With twenty-five-plus years in the field of Criminal Justice, Francine has invested the past fifteen becoming an expert in her field of Crime Scene Investigation and Forensics, educating the next generation of investigators, helping solve cold cases, discovering and implementing a superior tool for collecting DNA and giving a voice to silent victims.
Education Her educational experience includes but is not limited to, two Bachelor’s Degrees and certification in Criminology and Corrections from the University of Utah. She is currently working toward her Master’s Degree in Forensic Serology and DNA from the University of Florida. In addition she was the first person from Utah to receive a Certificate of Completion from the National Forensic Academy University of Tennessee. |
Background
After spending most her career working with the criminal side of investigations, Francine wanted to better serve the victims by understanding the other side of her profession. She began by working as a Crime Scene Technician for West Jordan City Police Department where she was able to observe firsthand what victims and the family of victims went through when a crime was committed. She later studied at The National Forensics Academy, also known as Body Farm, in Knoxville Tennessee under the sponsorship of Patricia Cornwall, a renowned Contemporary Crime Writer who paved the way for forensic thrillers in literature and cinema. There, Francine received intensive hands-on training in various aspects of crime scene investigation. She studied death investigation and body decomposition by collecting, identifying and preserving evidence, interpreting wounds and blood spatter, learning the autopsy process and providing a criminal investigation analyses.
Francine has since specialized in the field of Forensic Serology and DNA because she felt having a better understanding of them would prove to be an asset when working with law enforcement at crime scenes and determining probative evidence.
She has passed some of her knowledge and training down to the younger generation of crime scene investigators and technicians. For several years she served as an adjunct instructor in the field of Criminal Justice; teaching college students the basics of forensic science in crime scene investigation, evidence, photography, documentation, fingerprints, firearms, biology and toxicology.
While working serology, Francine noticed the methods often used to obtain touch DNA have not changed over the years. She grew frustrated with some of these old techniques still being implemented and felt they were not appropriate for the item or substrate on which she was working. Often these older techniques were somewhat ineffective, leaving many cases unsolved and without any investigational leads. In search of new techniques, Francine took notice of the Microbial Vacuum System, also known as the M-Vac, which was being utilized by an esteemed private laboratory. She eventually became the first Crime Scene Investigator to recognize its use as a highly effective forensics tool in extracting DNA. Later, she obtained the support of her department to purchase the M-Vac for forensic use. Since then, Francine has been able to extract DNA profiles from spent shell casings as well as minute to large items of evidence with the M-Vac where touch DNA is the only alternative. Currently, the use of
M-Vac has successfully eliminated suspects as well as helps identify suspects where other methods have failed. Francine continues to raise awareness of the M-Vac system and assist other agencies all over the United States in solving cold cases.
After spending most her career working with the criminal side of investigations, Francine wanted to better serve the victims by understanding the other side of her profession. She began by working as a Crime Scene Technician for West Jordan City Police Department where she was able to observe firsthand what victims and the family of victims went through when a crime was committed. She later studied at The National Forensics Academy, also known as Body Farm, in Knoxville Tennessee under the sponsorship of Patricia Cornwall, a renowned Contemporary Crime Writer who paved the way for forensic thrillers in literature and cinema. There, Francine received intensive hands-on training in various aspects of crime scene investigation. She studied death investigation and body decomposition by collecting, identifying and preserving evidence, interpreting wounds and blood spatter, learning the autopsy process and providing a criminal investigation analyses.
Francine has since specialized in the field of Forensic Serology and DNA because she felt having a better understanding of them would prove to be an asset when working with law enforcement at crime scenes and determining probative evidence.
She has passed some of her knowledge and training down to the younger generation of crime scene investigators and technicians. For several years she served as an adjunct instructor in the field of Criminal Justice; teaching college students the basics of forensic science in crime scene investigation, evidence, photography, documentation, fingerprints, firearms, biology and toxicology.
While working serology, Francine noticed the methods often used to obtain touch DNA have not changed over the years. She grew frustrated with some of these old techniques still being implemented and felt they were not appropriate for the item or substrate on which she was working. Often these older techniques were somewhat ineffective, leaving many cases unsolved and without any investigational leads. In search of new techniques, Francine took notice of the Microbial Vacuum System, also known as the M-Vac, which was being utilized by an esteemed private laboratory. She eventually became the first Crime Scene Investigator to recognize its use as a highly effective forensics tool in extracting DNA. Later, she obtained the support of her department to purchase the M-Vac for forensic use. Since then, Francine has been able to extract DNA profiles from spent shell casings as well as minute to large items of evidence with the M-Vac where touch DNA is the only alternative. Currently, the use of
M-Vac has successfully eliminated suspects as well as helps identify suspects where other methods have failed. Francine continues to raise awareness of the M-Vac system and assist other agencies all over the United States in solving cold cases.
Career
Prior to her interest and training in forensics, Francine worked as screener and court liaison at the old Salt Lake County Metro Jail where she interacted with defendants and obtained information to determine their possible release from jail. She then moved on to writing presentence investigation reports for district courts where she gave recommendations and helped determine criminal sentencing. While interviewing those convicted of various Person Crimes, Francine realized the importance of obtaining the victim’s side of the story and how the criminal action affected their life. She found many victims to be angry, frustrated and disillusioned after waiting so long for closure or justice. It was at this point Francine decided to take on a part-time job working as a Crime Scene Technician, in addition to her job of providing PSI reports, so she could better understand the victim's side first hand. She was soon offered a full time position as a Crime Scene Technician which she accepted. After years of experience she worked her way up to Senior Crime Scene Investigator and Forensic Analyst for her department.
Her training and experience in the field of forensic investigations includes but is not limited to:
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- Autopsy
- Blood Stain Patten Analysis - Child Fatality Investigations - Sudden Unexplained Infant Death Investigation - Criminal Investigative Analysis - Death and Homicide Investigations - Recovery of Buried Remains - Forensic Anthropology and Odontology - Comparative Bone Identification - Wound Pattern Interpretation - Officer Involved Shootings - Forensic Serology - DNA Evidence Identification Collection and Preservation - Forensic Response to Missing and Abducted Children |
Achievements
Francine is currently the Vice President of the first Utah State Lodge Fraternal Order of Police Associates and former President of the Utah Division of the International Association for Identification.
She continues to be an active member of the International Association for Identification.
Francine has received a Meritorious Service Medal from the West Jordan City Police Department for being Civilian Employee of the Year and has also received a Chief’s Certificate of Exceptional Performance for her efficiency and professionalism on major crime scenes and her teamwork within the Major Crimes Unit on major cases.
She has assisted and consulted with numerous law enforcement agencies on cold cases throughout the United States and has become exceptional at determining which items of evidence will be the most probative for touch DNA and which types of DNA testing offer the best results. Using the M-Vac and M-Vac filtering device, Francine has produced successful results helping identify possible suspects through full or comparable DNA profiles.