Guam is hosting the 3rd Annual Regional Forensic Science Symposium this week — a three-day event aimed at strengthening crime scene investigation and forensic capacity throughout the Pacific. It kicked-off this morning with remarks from local officials and an anecdote of how a brutal murder in the 80’s was solved with the help of DNA. 

At Day 1 of the symposium at the Guam Community College, Speaker Frank Blas, Jr., who was a former officer with the Guam Police Department, recalls how DNA analysis cracked a brutal murder case in 1986, in which Scott Pierce was stabbed 40 times and decapitated.  The veteran policymaker recalled "One of them was a case in regards to an individual who decapitated another individual and left his body in Mai Mai Road. One of the pieces of evidence we needed that helped us with the case was a single strand of hair that was found on the victim’s body."

He said lab results showed that hair belonged to someone of Portuguese descent and was ultimately enough for a jury to put Irvin Ibanez behind bars for life. "As a matter of fact, when he found out we had this strand of hair and said it was of Portuguese [descent], before he went to court and be ordered to give us a sample, he had shaved off every piece of hair, every strand of hair on his body. His head, his eyebrows, his private parts– his everything," Blas said.

The symposium underscores how cases like this shows the major role forensic science plays in solving crimes and finding justice for families.  Organized by friends of the Crime Lab, the regional event aims to build expertise and collaboration across island nations. Lieutenant Governor Josh Tenorio added, "This morning, we have an opportunity not only to offer training and focus with folks on Guam that are on our frontlines on different disciplines and aspects of dealing with the reality, but we also get to train alongside folks that are our neighbors, our brothers and sisters from afar that are united with us through this ocean."

Captain Timothy Santos with the Guam Police Department said, "All the expertise and the subject matter that you’re going to get in this symposium is to everyone’s benefit here, whether you’re local PD or you’re off island guests visiting."

Wednesday’s agenda included a virtual presentation from former Los Angeles Crime Lab director Barry Fisher on the advances of forensic science, among other critical discussions from veteran law enforcement and legal professionals. Blas said, "Many of the individuals that are going to be speaking today, they got some really good information that can help us create not only a safe community, but a community that says, ‘if you’re going to commit a crime, you will do the time.’"

The symposium continues through Friday, covering various topics from crime scene investigation and digital forensics to mass casualty investigation and a case study on the Golden State Killer.