Episode
Carol Ritter, Cedar Crest College - A Solution to a Frustrating Dilemma for Crime-Scene Investigators
- Podcast
- The Academic Minute
- Published
- Jun 8, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 150
- Processing state
not_requested
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Summary
Choosing between collecting fingerprints or the DNA is often a decision crime-scene investigators must make; but why can they not get both? Carol Ritter , senior instructor in the Forensic Science Program at Cedar Crest College , says a new method may help fix this problem. Faculty Bio: Carol Ritter is a full-time senior instructor in Forensic Science Program in the Chemical, Physical, and Forensic Sciences Department at Cedar Crest College in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where she also serves as the assistant director of the college’s Joni Berner Expert Witness Training Center and Crime Scene Lab. Ritter teaches undergraduate and graduate-level courses in pattern evidence, DNA analysis, forensic biology, bloodstain pattern reconstruction and crime scene reconstruction. She began her career in 1997 with the Pennsylvania State Police Crime Laboratory, analyzing controlled substances, sexual assault, homicide cases, and bloodstain patterns. Certified by the American Board of Criminalistics, Ritter has testified over 50 times at the state and federal levels. She previously served as technical coordinator for the PSP serology section, auditing state labs and training law enforcement personnel. Since joining the Berner Center, she as mentored students and taught courses in forensic pattern analysis, DNA analysis, and crime scene reconstruction. Her applied research focuses on bloodstain patterns, firearm-related patterns, and DNA analysis, bridging laboratory science with real-world forensic practice.Cedar Crest College’s Joni Berner, Esq. ’75 Expert Witness Training Center and Crime Scene Lab provides real-world environments where first responders, legal professionals, and community partners can strengthen their skills in evidence preservation, courtroom testimony, and crime-s…