HAir ANd FIbeR

EVidENce
ANGELOU CABATUANDO
TAbLe OF coNtENtS
01 Crime Witnesses
You can describe the topic of the section here

02 Fingerprints
You can describe the topic of the section here

03 Crime Suspects
You can describe the topic of the section here

04 Conclusions
You can describe the topic of the section here
 QUesTIon!
IN WHAT WAY WE CAN
USE HAIR AS EVIDENCE?
HOW CAN IT HELP IN
CRIMINAL
INVESTIGATION?
HAir
 “Crime scene processing is a one way
street”

—SOmeONe fAMoUs
HOmiCI
de
01 HaIr
Any of the fine threadlike strands growing
from the skin of humans, mammals, and
some other animals.

CrIMe
 ImPorTAnCe Of HaIr eVIdeNcE
The importance of hair as physical evidence
cannot be overemphasized. Its removal from
the body often denotes physical contact
between a victim and perpetrator and hence a
crime of a serious or violent nature. When
hair is properly collected at the crime scene
and submitted to the laboratory along with
enough standard/reference samples, it can
provide strong corroborative evidence for
placing an individual at a crime site.
 ImPorTAnCe Of HaIr eVIdeNcE
Most often the prime purpose for examining
hair evidence in a crime labora_x0002_tory is
either to establish whether the hair is human
or animal in origin or to determine whether
human hair retrieved at a crime scene
compares with hair from a particular
individual.
MorPhOLogY Of HaIr
Hair is an appendage of the skin that grows out of
an organ known as the hair
follicle. 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.

The shaft, which is composed of three

layers—the cuticle, cortex, and medulla—is
most intensely examined by the forensic
scientist.
 HaIr MorPhOLogY
Cuticle Cortex Jupiter
Contained within the protective layer Contained within the protective
The cuticle is formed by
of the cuticle is the cortex, the layer of the cuticle is the cortex,
overlapping scales that
main body of the hair shaft. The the
always point to
cortex is made up of spindle-shaped main body of the hair shaft. The
ward the tip end of each
cortical cortex is made up of
hair. The scales form from
cells aligned in a regular array, spindle-shaped cortical
specialized cells that have
parallel to the length of the hair. The cells aligned in a regular array,
hardened (i.e., keratinized)
cortex parallel to the length of the hair.
and flattened in
derives its major forensic importance The cortex
progressing from the
from the fact that it is embedded with derives its major forensic
follicle.
the pigment granules that give hair its importance from the fact that it is
color embedded with
the pigment granules that give
hair its color
 haIR moRpHOloGy
Cuticle Cortex Medulla
ClUe!
 RoOtS anD haIR gRowTh PhaSE
The root and other surrounding cells within the hair
follicle provide the tools necessary to produce hair and
continue its growth. Human head hair grows in three
developmental stages, and the shape and size of the
hair root is determined by the hair’s current growth
phase. The three phases of hair growth are the anagen,
catagen, and telogen phases.
 RoOtS anD haIR gRowTh PhaSE
In the anagen phase (the initial growth phase), which
may last up to six
years, the root is attached to the follicle for continued
growth, giving the root
bulb a flame-shaped appearance. When pulled from the
root, some hairs in the anagen phase have a follicular
tag. With the advent of DNA
analysis, this follicular tag is important for individualizing
hair.
 RoOtS anD haIR gRowTh PhaSE
Hair continues to grow, but at a decreasing rate, during
the catagen phase, which can last anywhere from two
to three weeks. In the catagen phase,
roots typically take on an elongated appearance as the
root bulb shrinks and is pushed out of the hair follicle.
Once hair growth ends, the telogen phase begins and
the root takes on a club-shaped appearance. Over two
to six months, the hair is pushed out of the follicle,
causing the hair to be naturally shed.
 quEStiONs aBOut HAir EXamINatIoNs kNifE

Can the body area from

Can the racial origin of Can the age and sex can
which a hair originated
hair can be determined? be determined from a
be determined?
hair sample

Is it possible to determine if
the hair was forcibly
removed from the body?
ForCIbLy RemOVed HEad HAir WItH foLlICulAR tiSsUe
●
 ColLEcTiOn oF hAiR sPecIMen HomICidE

• Hair evidence
Search for and • Collection should should be packaged • Control samples
collection of hair be done by: into paper packets need to be collected
evidence should o Hand if the • If sticky tape or a from the victim,
begin as soon as location of the hair lint roller are used, suspect, and other
possible. is important the entire surface individuals.
o Hair evidence is o Sticky tape and used should be
easily transferred Lint rollers packed into a
to and from the o Special filtered polyethylene
crime scene. Vacuum Cleaner storage bag
 ColLEcTiOn oF hAiR sPecIMen HomICidE

• Take from all • Get samples from • Best way of

pertinent regions of • Hair evidence
should be looked both victim and collecting hair is by
the body: suspect Combing
o 30 head hairs for in the following:
Clothing, Combs, o For dead body:
o 24 pubic hairs hair must be
▪ Root still intact is Weapons, Pockets,
Fingers collected from the
preferable. head and the pubic
and Hat
area
 pResERvaTIon ANd eXAmiNAtiON of HAir
●
 miCrOScoPE exAMinATiOn oF hAiR sPecIMen
●
 BodY AreA deTErMinATiOn
●
 raCIal DEteRmINatIoN
●