Published: March 14, 2007 02:53 pm      

FBI expert shares work with UCO

EDMOND — One might assume a person would lose his or her appetite while looking at slides of blood stains and perforated skulls shortly before lunch.

A crowd of about 100 people — forensic students and law enforcement agents from around the state — listened to a leading FBI bloodstain analyst from Virginia on Tuesday morning at the University of Central Oklahoma.

Tony Onorato, a seasoned forensic expert for the Department of Justice’s investigative branch, laid down for the audience the science of his career. He focused on the common bloodstain factors an investigator uses to determine whether a death is a suicide or murder.

Onorato included as example the deaths of two Capitol Police officers in 1998 when a gunman entered the Washington Capitol and opened fire. Even though investigators knew through video and witnesses that the deaths were murders, analyzing the evidence at the scene gives investigators one of many examples to understand patterns.

His conclusion centered on encouraging the audience to actively engage state investigators and the FBI with ideas and questions to develop, enhance and maintain their methods of solving crimes.

“What we’re trying to do is take what we’re all doing and get some kind of forum going,” Onorato said. “We need to make sure this isn’t affecting people adversely or precluding anyone from doing their work. There are avenues we can pursue from a global perspective to achieve this.”

Onorato’s visit is one of many since UCO’s Forensic Science Institute began in July. The speeches enhance the institute’s academic program and provide professionals with additional expertise, said Dwight Adams, the institute’s director and a former FBI forensic expert.

“Our main focus is continuing the education of professionals,” Adams said. “Bringing world-class experts to Oklahoma (and) UCO makes available their expertise to law enforcement, first responders and forensic scientists here locally.”

Chief Larry West for the Lonewolf Police Department said Onorato did an excellent job explaining his expertise.

Adams, who worked with Onorato while in the FBI, said UCO will begin construction on its forensic building classroom later this year.

“This program is just going to continue to grow as I hire more personnel, as we get our own facility,” Adams said.

The program leads the state in its field and competes in the region as the top forensic institute for graduate and undergraduate students, Adams said.

Dave Stritzke, a UCO forensics graduate student, said his emphasis is in the laboratory, while Onorato’s workshop focused on the investigative work, but it helped to understand the related field.

Stritzke, an Oklahoma State University alumnus, said he is considering after completing his master’s degree to apply for work at the Oklahoma State Bureau Investigation office on Second Street under construction, which overlooks UCO.