TRACE

EVIDENCE
TRACE EVIDENCE
corroborates other evidence and testimony in an investigation

cannot definitely identify a suspect

examine for comparison

link between the suspect, victim and crime scene

 CONTENTS

A HAIRS B FIBERS

C PAINT D GLASS

E SOIL
 HAIRS
 an appendage of the skin that grows out of an organ
known as the hair follicle
A  presence of hair in a crime scene often suggests a
violent physical contact between the victim and the
suspect
MORPHOLOGY OF HAIR
 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

 the shaft is composed of three layers which is intensely examined

by the forensic examiner
a. cuticle
b. cortex
c. medulla
MORPHOLOGY OF HAIR
cuticle cortex
 resistance to chemical  the main body of the hair
decomposition shaft
 its major forensic
 ability to retain importance from the fact
structural features over that it is embedded with
a long period of time the pigment granules that
give hair its color
medulla
 vary from individual to
individual
 classified as being either
continuous, interrupted,
fragmented, or absent
MORPHOLOGY OF HAIR - ROOT

anagen catagen telogen

 the initial growth  last from two to three
phase weeks
 last up to six years  grow but at a decreasing
 follicular tag - rate
important for  roots typically take on an
individualizing hair elongated appearance as
the root bulb shrinks
 root takes on a club-
shaped appearance
 two to six months, the hair
is pushed out of the
follicle, causing the hair to
be naturally shed
IDENTIFICATION and COMPARISON
 establish whether the hair is human or animal in origin

 determine whether human hair retrieved at a crime scene compares

with hair from a particular individual

 microscopic examination of hair reveals morphological features

IDENTIFICATION and COMPARISON
 factors in comparison of hair
a. matching color, length, and diameter
b. presence or absence of a medulla
c. distribution, shape, and color intensity of the pigment granules
in the cortex

 microscopic examination of hair

a. comparison microscope is an invaluable tool that allows the
examiner to view the questioned and known hair together, side
by side
IDENTIFICATION and COMPARISON
a. comparison microscope is an invaluable tool that allows the
examiner to view the questioned and known hair together, side
by side
b. microscopic hair comparisons must be regarded by police and
courts as presumptive in nature
c. all positive microscopic hair comparisons must be confirmed by
DNA determinations
INFORMATIONS ABOUT HAIR
EXAMINATION
 origin of hair in the body
 racial origin
 age and sex
 removal of hair, by force or natural
 individualization of human hair
a. nuclear DNA
b. mitochondrial DNA
COLLECTION and
PRESERVATION
 accompanied by an adequate number of standard/reference samples
from the victim of the crime and from individuals suspected of
having deposited hair at the crime scene

 the questioned and standard/reference hairs must come from the

same area of the body
 FIBERS
 a natural or artificial substance that is significantly
longer than it is wide
B
 fibers that compose fabrics and garments
 involve personal contact
TYPES OF FIBERS
natural
 derived from animal or plant sources
 microscopic examination of color and
morphological characteristics
manufactured
 marketed under hundreds of trade names
 regenerated fibers are manufactured from
natural raw materials
 synthetic fibers are manufactured and
produced solely from synthetic chemicals
IDENTIFICATION and COMPARISON
 microscopic examination through comparison of color and diameter
using a comparison microscope

 lengthwise striations (lined markings) on the surface of some fibers

 the pitting of the fiber’s surface with delustering particles (usually

titanium dioxide) added in the manufacturing process to reduce
shine
IDENTIFICATION and COMPARISON
 analytical techniques using light in the ultraviolet, visible, and
infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum

 microspectrophotometer is the linking of microscope to a

computerized spectrophotometer

 visible-light microspectrophotometer compares the colors of fibers

through spectral patterns
IDENTIFICATION and COMPARISON
 chemical composition - the fibers in question have the same
chemical composition

 infrared absorption - like any organic substance, manufactured fiber

selectively absorb infrared light in a characteristic pattern

 identifies the generic class and in some cases the subclass

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
COLLECTION AND PRESERVATION
 clothing should be packaged carefully in separate 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
 PAINT
 composed of a binder, pigments and other additives, all
C dissolved or dispersed in a suitable solvent
 frequently encountered in hit-and-run and burglary cases
COMPOSITION OF PAINT

pigment binder additives

 impart color and  a polymeric substance that  spices and flavors of
hiding or opacity and provides the support coating
are usually mixtures of medium for the pigments
various inorganic and and additives
organic compounds
ORGANIC COATINGS
 electrocoat primer - first layer applied to the steel body of a car to
provide corrosion resistance

 primer surfacer - epoxy-modified polyesters or urethanes to

completely smooth out and hide any seams or imperfections
because the basecoat will be applied on this surface
ORGANIC COATINGS
 basecoat - provides the color and aesthetics of the finish and
represents the “eye appeal” of the finished automobile and this layer
depends on its ability to resist weather, UV radiation, and acid rain

 clearcoat - an unpigmented clearcoat is applied to improve gloss,

durability providing outstanding etch resistance and appearance
MICROSCOPIC EXAMINATION
 questioned and known specimens are best compared side by side
under a stereoscopic microscope for color, surface texture, and color
layer sequence

 paint specimens possess colored layers that match in number and

sequence of colors, the examiner can begin to relate the paints to a
common origin
MICROSCOPIC EXAMINATION
 most paint specimens do not have a layer structure of sufficient complexity to allow
them to be individualized to a single source

 the diverse chemical composition of modern paints provides additional points of

comparison between specimens

 a thorough comparison of paint must include a chemical analysis of the paint’s

pigments, its binder composition, or both
ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES
 associate a paint chip with one car as distinguished from the
thousands of similar models that have been produced in any one
year

 characterization of paint binders - pyrolysis gas chromatography or

the pyrolyzed material can then be characterized by the pattern
produced by its chromatogram, or pyrogram
ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES
 materials such can be heated to high temperatures (500°C –
1000°C), or pyrolyzed, so that they will decompose into numerous
gaseous products

 infrared spectrophotometry provides information about the binder

composition of paint wherein the binders selectively absorb infrared
radiation to yield a spectrum that is highly characteristic of a paint
specimen
SIGNIFICANCE OF PAINT EVIDENCE
 paint layers beneath a surface layer offer valuable points of
comparison

 forensic analysts can detect subtle differences in paint binder

formulations, as well as major or minor differences in the elemental
composition of paint
COLLECTION and PRESERVATION
 may be picked up with tweezers or scooped up with a piece of paper

 a cross-transfer of paint occurs between two vehicles, all of the

layers, including the foreign as well as the underlying original
paints, must be removed from each vehicle
COLLECTION and PRESERVATION
 a standard/reference sample from an adjacent undamaged area of
each vehicle must also be taken in such cases

 before collecting each sample, an investigator must use a new

disposable scalpel in order to prevent cross-contamination of paints
 GLASS
 a hard, brittle, amorphous substance composed of sand
(specifically, silicon oxides) mixed with various metal
D oxides
 sand is mixed with metal oxides, melted at high
temperatures, and then cooled to a rigid condition
without crystallization
COMPOSITION OF GLASS
 soda (or sodium carbonate) is normally added to the sand to lower
its melting point and make it easier to work with

 lime (or calcium oxide), which is added to prevent the glass, known
as “soda-lime” glass, from dissolving in water

 flat glass - typically used for windows or float glass

COMPOSITION OF GLASS
 analysis of soda-lime glass, which is used for manufacturing most
windows and glass bottles

 the common metal oxides found in soda-lime glass are sodium,

calcium, magnesium, and aluminum

 heat-resistant glass, such as Pyrex, are manufactured with boron

oxide added to the oxide mix and are therefore known as
borosilicates
COMPOSITION OF GLASS
 tempered glass is made stronger than ordinary window glass by
introducing stress through rapid heating and cooling of the glass
surfaces

 when tempered glass breaks, it does not shatter but rather fragments
into small squares, or “dices,” with little splintering

 because of this safety feature, tempered glass is used in the side and
rear windows of automobiles
COMPOSITION OF GLASS
 the windshields of all cars manufactured in the US are constructed
from laminated glass

 this glass is given strength by sandwiching one layer of plastic

between two pieces of ordinary window glass
COMPARING GLASS FRAGMENTS
 comparing glass consists of finding and measuring the properties
that will associate one glass fragment with another while
minimizing or eliminating the possible existence of other sources

 this requires piecing together irregular edges of broken glass as well

as matching all irregularities and striations on the broken surfaces
COMPARING GLASS FRAGMENTS
 physical properties of density and refractive index are used most
successfully for characterizing glass particles

 these properties are class characteristics

 distinction between tempered and nontempered glass particles can

be made by slowly heating and then cooling the glass (a process
known as annealing)
GLASS FRACTURES
 glass bends in response to any force that is exerted on any one of its
surfaces; when the limit of its elasticity is reached, the glass
fractures

 fractured window glass reveals information about the force and

direction of an impact

 penetration of ordinary window glass by a projectile, whether a

bullet or a stone, produces a fracture pattern
GLASS FRACTURES
 radial fractures - radiating lines

 concentric fractures - circular lines

 when it penetrates glass, a high-velocity projectile such as a bullet

often leaves a round, crater-shaped hole surrounded by a nearly
symmetrical pattern of radial and concentric cracks
GLASS FRACTURES
 the hole is inevitably wider on the exit side and examining it is an
important step in determining the direction of impact

 as the velocity of the penetrating projectile decreases, the

irregularity of the shape of the hole and of its surrounding cracks
increases
COLLECTION and PRESERVATION
 the evidence collector must submit all glass evidence found in the
possession of the suspect along with a sample of broken glass
remaining at the crime scene

 glass fragments should be packaged in solid containers to avoid

further breakage
 SOIL
E  any disintegrated material, natural and/or artificial, that
lies on or near the earth’s surface
CHARACTERISTIC OF SOIL
 forensic examination of soil is not only concerned with the analysis
of naturally occurring rocks, minerals, vegetation, and animal
matter

 it also encompasses the detection of such manufactured objects as

glass, paint chips, asphalt, brick fragments, and cinders, whose
presence may impart soil with characteristics that make it unique to
a particular location
SIGNIFICANCE OF SOIL EVIDENCE
 soil or dried mud found adhering to a suspect’s clothing or shoes or
to an automobile, when compared to soil samples collected at the
crime site, may link a suspect or object to the crime scene
FORENSIC EXAMINATION OF SOIL
 differentiated by their gross appearance

 a side-by-side visual comparison of the color and texture of soil specimens

provides a sensitive property for distinguishing soils that originate from
different locations

 soil is darker when it is wet

 color comparisons must always be made when all the samples are dried under
identical laboratory conditions
COLLECTION and PRESERVATION
 standard/reference soils should be collected at various intervals within a
100-yard radius of the crime scene and the site of the crime for
comparison to the questioned soil

 soil specimens also should be collected at all possible alibi locations that
the suspect may have claimed

 all specimens collected should be packaged in individual containers,

such as plastic vials
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