TRACE

7 EVIDENCE
OVERVIEW

This module intends to provide basic information on the different kinds of trace
evidence and its significance in crime investigation. Trace evidence often corroborates
other evidence and testimony in an investigation.

OBJECTIVES

 To be able to identify the different kinds of trace evidence

 To be able to show the significance of trace evidence in crime investigation

SCOPE

A. Hairs
B. Fibers
C. Paint
D. Glass
E. Soil

INTRODUCTION
In most instances, trace evidence cannot definitely identify a suspect. However,
forensic examination may limit the possible origin of such evidence to a group that may
include the suspect through its class characteristics.

A. HAIRS

The presence of hair in a crime scene often suggests a violent physical contact
between the victim and the suspect. The collected hair at the crime scene with the
standard/reference sample submitted to the laboratory will be examined for its color
and structure, and, DNA, if possible.

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 1. MORPHOLOGY OF HAIR

Ø an appendage of the skin that grows out of an organ known

as the hair follicle
Ø the length of a hair extends from its root or bulb, which is
embedded in the follicle, continues into the shaft, and
terminates at the tip
Ø the shaft, which is composed of three layers: cuticle, cortex,
and medulla, is most intensely examined by the forensic scientist

a. Cuticle

Ø resistance to chemical decomposition and retain

structural features
Ø attributable to cuticle which is formed by
overlapping scales
Ø the scales are formed from specialized cells that
have hardened
Ø the three basic patterns of the cuticle: cornal, spinous and imbricate
Ø not a useful characteristic for individualizing human hair

b. Cortex

 main body of the hair shaft

 embedded with the pigment granules that give hair its color

c. Medulla

 a collection of cells that looks like a central canal running through a hair
 differentiates animal hair from human hair

human dog deer rabbit cat mouse

 medullary index - measures the diameter of the medulla relative to the

diameter of the hair shaft
 for humans: the index is generally less than one-third
 for animals: the index is one-half or greater

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  not all hairs have medul-
lae and classified either:
continuous, interrupted,
fragmented or absent
 human head hair generally doesn’t have medullae or are fragmented,
except for Mongoloid race which have usually continuous medullae
 another feature is its shape: cylindrical for humans, most animals have
patterned shape

d. Root

 human head hair grows in three developmental

stages or growth phase which includes the shape
and size: anagen, catagen and telogen
 follicular tag - this contains the DNA and may be
anagen phase
included when it is pulled from the root in the
anagen phase
 anagen phase - the initial growth phase that may
last up to six years giving the root bulb a flame- catagen phase
shaped appearance
 catagen phase - hair growth at a decreasing rate
lasting from two to three weeks and roots are typi-
telogen phase
cally on an elongated appearance as the root bulb shrinks and is pushed out
of the hair follicle
 telogen phase - hair growth end for two to six months and the root takes on
a club-shaped appearance, the hair is pushed out of the follicle and the hair
naturally shed

2. IDENTIFICATION AND COMPARISON OF HAIR

 purpose is to determine whether of human hair or animal hair or compare the hair
left at the crime scene to an individual
 important in hair identification: scale structure, medullary index and medullary
shape

a. Factors in Comparison of Hair

 match the color, length and diameter

 presence or absence of medulla
 distribution, shape and color intensity of the pigment granules in the
cortex
 microscopic examination also distinguishes dyed, bleached and natural
hair

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  dyed hair - color is often present in the cuticles as well as throughout
the cortex
 bleached hair - removes the pigment form the hair and gives it a
yellowish tint
 hair grows approximately 1 cm per month
 morphological abnormalities due to diseases or nutrient deficiencies
and the presence or fungal and nit infections

b. Microscopic Examination of Hair

 microscopic hair comparison is presumptive in nature

 positive microscopic hair examination must be confirmed by DNA

c. Questions About Hair Examination

 determination where from the area of the body originated

 race, age and sex
 natural or forcibly removed
 nuclear and mitochondrial DNA
 individualization of human hair

B. FIBERS

Fibers found at the crime scene involves personal contact between the suspect and
the victim.

1. TYPES OF FIBERS

 classification of fibers: natural and manufactured

a. Natural Fibers

 derived from animal or plant sources

 microscopic examination of color and
morphological
characteristics

b. Manufactured Fibers

 regenerated fibers - fibers manufactured from cotton fiber

natu-
ral raw materials or regenerated cellulose
 synthetic fibers - fibers produced from synthetic chemicals or long-
chained molecules called polymers

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2. IDENTIFICATION AND COMPARISON OF MANUFACTURED FIBERS
a. Microscopic Examination of Fibers

 compare color and diameter

 lengthwise striations (lined markings) and the pitting of the fiber’s
surface with delustering particles (usually titanium dioxide)
 cross-sectional shape of a fiber

b. Analytical Techniques

 ultraviolet and visible light and infrared

 microspectrophotometer - combination of microscope and
computerized spectrophotometer

c. Chemical Composition

 same chemical composition with different physical shape,

appearance and dyeability

d. Infrared Absorption

 rapid and reliable method for identifying the generic class

3. SIGNIFICANCE OF FIBER EVIDENCE

 no analytical technique permits the criminalist to link a fiber strand

definitively to any single garment
 no statistical databases are available for determining the probability of a
fiber’s origin
 forensic scientists compare not only the color of fibers but also their
size, shape, microscopic appearance, chemical composition, and dye
content
 as with most class evidence, the significance of a fiber comparison is
based on the circumstances of the case; by the location, number, and
nature of the fibers examined; and, most important, by the judgment of
an experienced examiner

4. COLLECTION AND PRESERVATION OF FIBER EVIDENCE

 separately packaged in paper bags

 fibers must be removed with a clean forceps and placed in a small sheet
of paper, which, after folding and labeling, should be placed inside
another container

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C. PAINT

Paint is composed of pigments, binders and additives all dissolved in a solvent.

After its application, the solvent evaporates leaving a hard polymeric binder and
pigments suspended in it. As physical evidence, it is frequently encountered in
vehicular and robbery incidents. The paint chip recovered can help identify the color,
make and model of a vehicle.

1. COMPOSITION OF PAINT

 pigments - impart color and hiding or opacity to paint and are usually
mixtures of various inorganic and organic compounds
 binder - a polymeric substance that provides the support medium for
the pigments and additives
 vehicle finishing system consists of four organic coatings: electrocoat
primer, primer surfacer, basecoat and clearcoat

a. Electrocoat Primer

 first layer consisting of epoxy-based resins

 electroplated to provide corrosion resistance
 coating is uniform in appearance and thickness
 color ranges from black to gray

b. Primer Surfacer

 epoxy-modified polyesters or urethanes responsible for corrosion

control
 highly pigmented that completely smooth out and hide any seams
or imperfections

c. Basecoat or Colorcoat

 provides the color and aesthetics of the finish

 ability to resist weather, UV radiation and acid rain

d. Clearcoat

 acrylic based but polyurethane unpigmented clearcoat applied to

improve and provide gloss, durability, etch resistance and
appearance

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 2. MICROSCOPIC EXAMINATION OF PAINT

 unknown and known specimens are compared

for its color, surface texture and color layer
sequence
 red paint chips peeling off a wall revealing un-
derlying layers
3. ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES

 the wide variation in binder formulations is the consideration for

forensic examination wherein the batch formulation varies and depends
on the availability and cost of basic ingredients
 pyrolysis gas chromatography - materials are heated to high
temperatures (500°C –1000°C) so that they will decompose into
numerous gaseous products and analyzed
 infrared spectrophotometry - binders selectively absorb infrared
radiation to yield a spectrum that is highly characteristic of a paint
specimen

4. SIGNIFICANCE OF PAINT EVIDENCE

 paint analysis is by comparing the color, layer structure and infrared

spectroscopy for determination of the make, model and year of a car

D. GLASS

Glass is a hard, brittle, amorphous substance made up of sand mixed with various
metal oxides melted at high temperatures and then cooled to a rigid condition without
crystallization.

1. COMPOSITION OF GLASS

 soda or sodium carbonate is added to the sand to lower its melting

point
 soda-lime glass - lime or calcium oxide is added to prevent the glass
from dissolving in water
 molten glass - cooled on top of a bath of molten tin producing flat glass
used for windows
 float glass - type of glass that is analyzed in the laboratory such as soda-
lime glass used in producing windows and glass bottles
 sodium, calcium, magnesium and aluminum are the common metal
oxides found in soda-lime glass
 silica, sodium and calcium ate used as substitutes for metal oxides

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  Pyrex - heat-resistant glass manufactured with boron oxide added to
the oxide mix and known as borosilicates
 tempered glass - made stronger than ordinary
window glass by introducing stress through rapid
heating and cooling of the glass surfaces; it does not
shatter but rather fragments into small squares or
dices, with little splintering upon breakage; used in
the side and rear windows
 laminated glass - given strength by sandwiching one layer of plastic
between two pieces of ordinary glass window and used in windshields

2. COMPARING GLASS FRAGMENTS

 fragments are assembled and physically fitting together

irregular edges of broken glass
 class characteristic used for comparison are the physical
properties of density and refractive index

3. CLASSIFICATION OF GLASS SAMPLES

 annealing - slow heating and then cooling the glass used to distinguish
tempered and non-tempered glass

4. GLASS FRACTURES
 glass fractures when the limit of elasticity is
reached
 fractured window gives information about the
force and direction of an impact
 radial fractures - radiating line patterns
 concentric fractures - circular line patterns
 hole is wider on the exit side
 as the velocity of the penetrating projectile decreases, the irregularity of
the shape of the hole and of its surrounding cracks increases
 Wallner lines - stress markings shaped like arches that are perpendicular
to one glass surface and curve to nearly parallel the opposite surface

E. SOIL

Soil is any disintegrated material, natural and/or artificial that lies on or near the
earth’s surface. In forensic analysis, naturally occurring rocks, minerals, vegetation and
animal matter, including manufacture objects like glass, paint chips, asphalt, brick
fragments and cinders may impart soil characteristic making it unique to a particular
location.

1. SIGNIFICANCE OF SOIL EVIDENCE

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  links a suspect to the crime scene

2. FORENSIC EXAMINATION OF SOIL

 differentiated by gross appearance comparing the color and texture

 color comparison must be dried because soil is darker when it is wet

REFERENCES
Fisher, Barry A. J., Tilstone, William J., Woytowicz, Catherine. 2009. Introduction to Criminalistics.
Elsevier Academic Press. MA, USA

Houck, Max M., Siegel, Jay A. 2010. Fundamentals of Forensic Science. Second Edition. Elsevier. MA,
USA

Saferstein, Richard. 2013. Forensic Science. Pearson Education, Inc. New Jersey, USA

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0379073820302115

https://www.google.com.ph/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fbigen-usa.com%2Fpages%2Fall-about-
hair&psig=AOvVaw3gMaQ324Cnv0EDRPf0RnBq&ust=1670330209057000&source=images&cd=vf
e&ved=0CA0QjRxqFwoTCMiAhZm_4vsCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

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