Bloodstain Pattern Analysis Training - Burnet PD

When I lost my little brother to suicide under questionable circumstances, we were left with many questions – questions we believed the police had the answers to. Unfortunately, the official investigation left glaring gaps in procedure that raised more questions than it effectively answered. Protocols weren’t followed, conflicting accounts were overlooked, and evidence was not documented at all or never explained.

The hell of not knowing at times felt almost as rough as the day we got the message about his death.

I had no idea where to turn, but I looked up experts in the forensics field and found Pinnacle Forensics. The website was impressive and professional, so…. what the heck? The worst they could say was no.

Only, John did not.

Pretty much immediately, he stepped in and offered his expertise pro bono, a full review of everything physical I had been able to obtain regarding my brother’s death. I still don’t know why he did, but it has meant the world to our family.

His assessment was not only technically precise but also profoundly humane. He reviewed the case materials with care, outlining inconsistencies, explaining findings, noting issues in the original investigation while also explaining complex forensic processes and analyses in language we could understand. His analysis was meticulous and methodical and fully objective, granting my brother the respect in death he had not been granted at the time of his passing.

This meant more to us than just a professional report, it meant closure on the big questions. It’s a testament to how, despite the technical nature of forensics and the exacting standards required to become an expert, it is, at the end of the day, still a field a deeply human field, one about finding truths, however hard they may be to hear, for those who need them.

John’s commitment restored a measure of dignity to my little brother’s memory and helped our family move forward. He didn’t have to do any of that, but I’ve come to realize that’s the type of amazing person he is.

We are deeply grateful for his generosity, both in giving his time and in lending his expertise to ensure that the truth was not relegated to obscurity.

And for that, our family will always be thankful.

John, I know you had to see difficult things just to bring us closure, so I’m sharing this photo for you to see my brother as he was – and as I choose to remember him, smiling.

Thank you for all you did for us. I will never forget it.

Brittni Smyers Hill

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