KINGSTON, R.I. — October 20, 2004 — Successfully prosecuting and convicting a mail bomber requires a great deal of investigation and analysis from forensic scientists. Raymond “Skip” Voorhees of the U.S. Postal Service will speak on “The Role of Forensic Science in Support of Mail Bomb Investigations” at this week’s Forensic Science Seminar presented by the University of Rhode Island.

The discussion will take place Friday, Oct. 22, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in Room 124 of Pastore Hall on the Kingston campus. The lecture is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served prior to the start of the lecture.

Voorhees is the manager of the Physical Science Unit of the Postal Inspection Service National Forensic Laboratory in Dulles, Va. The unit is responsible for processing physical examinations of mail bomb crime scenes and analyzing chemical traits through liquid chromatography and mass spectrophotometry.

With more than 34 years of municipal and federal law enforcement experience, he is considered an expert in the field. He was featured in the Discovery Channel’s 2002 documentary “The Feds: U.S. Postal Inspectors” and as a member of the Technical Working Group for Bombing Scene Investigation, he helped to develop its Guide for Explosion and Bombing Scene Investigation.

The Forensic Science Seminar Series is a semester-long program offered by the University of Rhode Island Forensic Science Partnership. The series, which is in its fifth year, lasts through Dec. 10.