TRACE EVIDENCE

WHAT IS TRACE EVIDENCE

Trace evidence often refers to minute samples of a
substance, particularly fibres, hairs, glass fragments
and paint chips.
Crime scenes will commonly contain trace evidence,
often caused by the perpetrator unconsciously coming
into contact with surfaces and leaving behind or
picking up particulates
 LOCARD’S PRINCIPLE OF EXCHANGE
Edmond Locard, founder of the Institute of
Criminalistics at the University of Lyon, France,
developed what has become known as Locard’s
Exchange Principle.
This states that “every contact leaves a trace”,
implying that a criminal will leave trace and take away
trace evidence when at a crime scene.
 NATURE OF TRACE EVIDENCE
The presence of trace evidence is particularly dependent
on its persistence, as some particles and substances will
remain on a surface more readily and for a longer period of
time than others.
The amount of time evidence will persist for depends on
the size and shape of the particle, the amount deposited,
activity between deposition and recovery, the nature of
the environment, and the amount of time passed.
Small particles will persist for longer than larger particles,
as they are more likely to become lodged in the surface
material.
Advantages of trace evidence
Can not be hidden, erased or forged
Extremely useful in court cases
Preliminary analysis is easy to perform
Can relate the crime scene to culprit and victim
making a never ending loop of connection between
crime scene, culprit and victim.
TYPES OF TRACE EVIDENCE
It is the forms of trace evidence that are unusual or
unique to a particular environment or scene that will
be of the greatest importance to an investigation.
Some forms of trace may be especially unusual at a
scene, giving them particular significance.
It should be considered that the lack of trace evidence
may either indicate extensive cleaning by the
perpetrator or, perhaps more likely, the fact that the
event did not occur at that location.
TYPE OF TRACE EVIDENCE
HAIR
BLOOD STAIN
FIBRE
 Hair
Examination
INTRODUCTION
 Transfer of hairs ,due to contact ,is a classical example
of Locard’s principle of exchange.
 Hairs make good forensic evidence because they are
sturdy & can survive for many years .
 It is possible to exclude some persons as a possible
sources of questioned hair.
 In 1897-Rudolph Virchow became the first person to
do in depth study of hair.
 In 1906-Hugo Marx wrote a paper on the use of hair in
forensic investigation to determine identity
 FROM HAIR ONE CAN DETERMINE:
 Whether the source is human or animal.
 Race( sometimes).
 Origin of location on the source’s body.
 Whether the hair was forcibly removed.
 If the hair has been treated with chemicals .
 If drugs have been ingested.
 Napoleon died in exile in 1821. By analyzing his hair,
some investigators suggest he was poisoned by the
deliberate administration of arsenic.
Following questions can be asked to
forensic expert:
1. Is the given fibre a hair?
2. Is the hair of human or of animal origin ?
3. Does the hair come from a male or female?
4. From which part of the body the hair in question has
come?
5. What is the age of the individual to whom the hairs
belong ?
6. Do the given two sets of hair come from the
suspected common source?
 MORPHOLOGY OF HUMAN HAIR
 Hair grow from epidermis of the body.
 The follicle is a structure from which
the hair grows , it is roughly
cylindrical tube with a large pit at the
bottom.
 Hair is made of keratin , a tough
protein.
 Hair is dead from the moment it
peeks above the skin.
 The only place hair is alive is in the
base of the follicle.
 Hairs even have muscles ,called pili arrector muscles.
 Hairs goes through three phases of growth:
 Anagen phase :actively growing phase.
 Catagen phase : resting phase.
 Telogen phase : hair is dying and ready to fall out.
 If hair has a bulb root (telogen phase) then it cannot be
answered that hair removed forcibly or not.
 If tissue attached to the root ,then the hair was removed
during anagen or possibly catagen phase.
 As the actively growing hair is soft ,the root may torn out of
follicle .
 Therefore , if the root is stretched and has follicular tissue
attached ,the examiner may state that the hair was forcibly
removed.
MICROANOTOMY OF HAIRS
 On macro scale , a single hair
has a root , shaft , and a tip.
 The root is anchored in a
follicle.
 The shaft is the main portion
of the hair .
 The tip is the portion of hair
that is farthest from the
body.
CONT….
 Internally , hairs have a variable and complex
microanatomy.
 The three main structural elements of hair are:
1) Cuticle
2) Cortex
3) Medulla
CONT….
 Cuticle
 The cuticle of hair is a series of overlapping layers of scales
that form protective covering .
 Animal hairs have scale patterns that vary by species .
 Humans have a scale pattern called imbricate, but it is fairly
common among animals .
CONT………
 Cortex
 Cortex makes bulk of the hair & consists of spindle -
shaped cells called fusiform.
 Pigment granules are found in the cortex .
 The granules vary in size , shape , aggregation , and
distribution – all excellent characteristics for forensic
comparisons .
 Medulla
 A series of variably expressed hair cells along the central
axis of the hair.
To distinguish between animal &
human hair using a Medullary
Index:
Medullary Index = Max Diameter of hairs medulla
Max Diameter of the hair
M.I = <.3 ( human hair )
M.I=>.3 or more ( animal hair)
 General difference between human and non
human hair
Feature Human hair
Color Relatively consistent long shaft
Cortex Occupying most of the width
of shaft greater than medulla
Distribution of pigment Even slightly more towards
cuticle
Medulla Less than one-third width of
shaft . Amorphous ,mostly not
continuous when present
scales Imbricate, similar along shaft
from root to tip
Non human hair
Often showing profound color
changes and banding
Usually less than width of
medulla
Central or denser towards
medulla
Greater than one-third width
of shaft . Continuous ,often
varying in appearance along
shaft , defined structure .
Often showing variation in
structure along shaft from root
to tip
Hair Forensics: Which Hairs?
Head hairs and pubic hairs exhibit a greater range
of microscopic characteristics than other human
hairs; therefore, head and pubic hairs are routinely
forensically compared.
Twenty-five randomly selected head hairs are
generally considered adequate to represent the
range of hair characteristics of that individual.
It is recommended that the same number of hairs
be collected from the pubic region.
Forensic Identification
Human hairs can generally be identified by racial
origin, body area, and other comparison
characteristics.
Racial indicators apply primarily to head hairs.
 Glass-Cut or
Broken Hair
Tip

Cut Hair Tip

Worn Razor-
Cut Tip
Dyed hairs possess an unnatural cast or color. In addition,
the cuticle will take on the color of the dye
Scissor Cut

Razor Cut

Broken Hair

Burned Hair
Classify the racial origin of hair
as:
 Negroid , mongoloid & caucasoid , typically using
head hairs.
Negroid hairs:
 Curly .
 Dense pigment distributed unevenly.
 Variations in the diameter of shaft.
Fragmented or absent medullae.
The cross section is flattened .
CONT…..
Mongoloid hairs
 Coarse & straight shaft , with little variation.
 Dense pigment distributed unevenly.
 Presence of continuous medulla.
 The cross –section is round
CONT…..
Caucasion hairs

 Straight & wavy

 Fairly evenly distributed, fine pigment.
 Moderate shaft diameter , with little variation.
 The cross section is oval.

Caucasian

African-
American

Mongoloid
 Mangloid Caucasian Negroid

Cross-section area of hair of different species

COLLECTION OF HAIR
 Hair collection techniques include:
 Tape lifting
 Vacuuming
 Individual collection of hair
 HAIR EXAMINATION
Visual examination :
 It is useful to determine the color , length character and
contamination of the hair.
 It is supplemented by hand lens & stereomicroscope.
Microscopy:
 Make a temporary mount of the hair sample on a clean
slide with the distilled water or glycerin . Cover with the
cover slip.
Scale Casting:
 Nail polish Method:

1. Each hair sample should be cleaned before examination

with suitable detergent to remove dust and debris hair is with
root, care should be taken not to disturb the root in the above
process.
2. On a clean microscope slide, place a thin layer of nail polish
or Cellulose Acetate paste with low viscosity.
3. With fine forceps, place hair onto the nail polish (cutex) or
Cellulose Acetate paste and press with another clean slide.
4. Allow it to dry for 2-5 minutes.
5. With fine forceps, gently peel the hair from the slide and
observe the scale impressions left on the cast microscopically.
CONT..
Cellulose Acetate test:
Put a cellulose acetate paper on the slide and put hair on it
and then apply acetone on hair with the help a brush.
Then remove the hair from slide .
Now we can observe the pattern of scales clearly on slide
with the help of microscope.
CONT..
Permanent Mount
If the item is a hair, it may also be cleaned in xylene and
mounted on a microscopic slide as follows:
1. Place hair on slide in a drop of xylene and add permanent
mounting medium.
2. Place a cover slip on the hair allowing the medium to
spread under cover slip-encasing hair.
3. Label the slide appropriately and allow it to dry for 48
hours.
Following permanent mounting of the hair, it can be
examined for different morphological characteristics and
micrometry.
Forensic significance of hair
Species
Racial identification
DNA profiling
Age
Male & female
Cut ,pulled or fallen
Bleached or dyed
Part of the body
Slow poisoning
Contamination
Individualization
Types of Fibers
Natural fibers are derived in
whole from animal or plant
sources.
 Examples: Wool, mohair, cashmere,
furs, and cotton.
Types of Fibers
Man-made fibers are
manufactured.
 Regenerated fibers are manufactured
from natural raw materials and
include rayon, acetate, and triacetate.
 Synthetic fibers are produced solely
from synthetic chemicals and include
nylons, polyesters, and acrylics.
Types of Fibers
Polymers, or macromolecules, are synthetic fibers
composed of a large number of atoms arranged in
repeating units known as monomers.
Fiber Evidence
The quality of the fiber evidence depends on
the ability of the criminalist to identify the
origin of the fiber or at least be able to
narrow the possibilities to a limited number
of sources.
Obviously, if the examiner is presented with
fabrics that can be exactly fitted together at
their torn edges, it is a virtual certainty that
the fabrics were of common origin.
Fiber Evidence
Microscopic comparisons between
questioned and standard/reference
fibers are initially undertaken for
color and diameter characteristics,
using a comparison microscope.
Fiber Evidence
Other morphological features
that could be important in
comparing fibers are:
 Lengthwise striations on the surface of
the fiber.
 The presence of delustering particles
that reduce shine.
 The cross-sectional shape of the fiber.
Fiber Evidence
Compositional differences may
exist in the dyes that were applied
to the fibers during the
manufacturing process.
Methods for Fiber Comparison
The visible light
microspectrophotometer is a
convenient way for analysts to compare
the colors of fibers through spectral
patterns.
A more detailed analysis of the fiber’s
dye composition can be obtained
through a chromatographic
separation.
Methods for Fiber Comparison
Infrared spectrophotometry is a
rapid and reliable method for
identifying the generic class of fibers,
as does the polarizing microscope.
Depending on the class of fiber, each
polarized plane of light will have a
characteristic index of refraction.
Collection and Preservation
The investigator’s task of looking for
minute strands of fibers often becomes
one of identifying and preserving
potential “carriers” of fiber evidence.
Relevant articles of clothing should be
packaged carefully in separate paper
bags.
Collection and Preservation
If it is necessary to remove a fiber
from an object, the investigator
must use clean forceps, place it in a
small sheet of paper, fold and label
the paper, and place the paper
packet inside another container.
The Atlanta Child Murders
1979-1981, 29 black males were murdered (ages 7-16 except
for last 7 who were 17-27)
 Strangled, beaten, asphyxiated
Only common evidence were fibers and presence of dog
hair
Two artificial fibers ID’ed
 After info. leaked to press, M.O. changed and bodies were dumped
in river
PD staked out Chatahoochee River
 PD heard a loud splash and stopped a suspect (Wayne Williams)
Claimed it was garbage
Suspect released but body later found nearby w/ single
carpet fiber in hair
The Atlanta Child Murders
Warrant obtained for Williams’ house and found
matching carpet and dog hair/fibers
Expert assistance obtained from DuPont corporation
Exhaustive use of statistical likelihood of
particular carpet being found in a single Atlanta
home 1:7792
Additional fiber matches w/ victims’ found from
Williams’ car
Chevrolet assisted in this part of investigation
Statistical possibility 1:3828
The Atlanta Child Murders
Combined, 1:30 million
chance of both matches
being achieved
In total, 29 fiber type matches
Wayne Williams at his
found between Williams’ arraignment in February 1982.
possessions and victims