John Barnes, M.S. Assistant Professor of Practice - Forensic Science

Lab News

EDUCATION:

B.S. Criminal Justice Administration, Park University

M.A. Criminal Justice, New Mexico State University

Research

Trace evidence, trajectory analysis, blood spatter analysis, and interview and interrogation techniques. Focusing on blood spatter analysis and scene reconstruction.

Classes:

FSCI 5259 Victimology

FSCI 5260 Courtroom Testimony for Scientists

FSCI 6310 BPA Crime Scene Reconstruction

FSCI 5308 Fundamentals of Forensic Science

FSCI 5258 Profiling and Forensic Science Investigation

Bio:

I am a retired New Mexico State Police Criminal Agent with 33 years of law enforcement experience. The last half of my career was spent in Criminal Investigations. I handled white collar crime, sexual assaults, death investigations, officer involved shootings and crime scene (forensics) processing. I also taught classes at the New Mexico State Police and Basic Law Enforcement Academy in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I am currently a TCOLE certified Police Officer, and I have taught at the South Plains College Law Enforcement Academy here in Texas.

 I have a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice administration from Park University. I also have a Master of Arts degree in criminal justice from New Mexico State University. I am currently working on my Doctorate in Forensic Science at Oklahoma State University. 

I began teaching criminal justice and criminal investigations/crime scene investigation courses at New Mexico State University January 1, 2012, until the Fall of 2016. I started teaching full time at South Plains College in the Spring of 2017 and in the Law Enforcement Academy up until the summer of 2024. 

I continued my academic journey as I started teaching for Texas Tech University, August of 2024 in the Master of Forensic Science program. I am currently a Licensed (TCOLE) Police Officer in Texas. 

My research interests are Bloodstain Pattern Analysis, Firearms and Tools Marks, and Crime Scene Reconstruction.
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