Original Release Date: November 29, 2024
In episode three of our Case Studies season, Just Science sat down with Dr. Michael Nirenberg, a clinical and forensic podiatrist and current President of the American Society of Forensic Podiatry, to discuss how analyzing a perpetrator’s gait and footprint evidence located at a crime scene can help advance investigations and resolve cases.
While locomotive characteristics, like the way our hips swing when we walk, are not as individualizing as fingerprints or DNA, forensic podiatrists can analyze and compare video footage of a perpetrator’s gait to a person of interest’s gait to develop supplemental forensic evidence. This additional information can be used to support a conviction or the exoneration of a falsely accused individual. Listen along as Dr. Nirenberg describes the role digital evidence plays in gait analysis, how forensic podiatrists analyze and compare the gait of a perpetrator to a person of interest, and several cases where the analysis of gait or footprint evidence were key to supporting investigations.
This episode is funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (Award No. 15PNIJ-21-GK-02192-MUMU).
Some content in this podcast may be considered sensitive and may evoke emotional responses or may not be appropriate for younger audiences.
View or download the episode transcript here:
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Episode Citation
Martin, M. & Nirenberg, M. (2024, November 29). Just Science. Just Forensic Podiatry Supporting Investigations. [Audio podcast episode]. The Forensic Technology Center of Excellence. https://forensiccoe.org/podcast-2024-case-studies-ep3/
Guest Biography
Michael S. Nirenberg, DPM, BSc, BA, FAENS is a clinical and forensic podiatrist who has assisted law enforcement in the analysis of footprints, footwear, and gait. He has worked on criminal cases in the United States and Canada. He has published research papers on footprints, footwear, and forensic gait analysis and is a co-editor of the textbook Forensic Gait Analysis: Principles and Practice. He currently serves as president of the American Society of Forensic Podiatry, is on the editorial board of the forensic journal Science & Justice, and Chair’s the Exploratory Task Group on Gait Analysis within the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Organization of Scientific Area Committees for Forensic Science. He resides in Northwest Indiana, where he has practiced podiatric medicine for over 32 years.
The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this podcast episode are those of the presenter(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Department of Justice.
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