NCJ Number
214129
Date Published
2006
Length
25 pages
Annotation
This chapter is an introduction to the potential value of trace evidence; general methods of recognizing and collecting it; and its use by medicolegal investigators to determine the deceased's identity, the cause and manner of death, and the identity of the killer in the case of homicide.
Abstract
In defining "trace evidence," the author indicates that it "might be anything that can be described as small bits of solid material used as associative evidence in a forensic investigation, like particles of dust creating a footwear impression, torn scraps of paper from a threatening note, crusts of blood, gunshot residue particles, clothing fibers, paint chips, pubic hairs, or microscopic algae." Trace evidence usually results from the transfer of material from one object to another in accordance with the exchange principle attributed to Locard. Trace evidence originates from any of the following groups: impressions such as from shoes or tools; fractured fragments such as torn paper; genetic markers found in blood and semen; material from the body such as hairs; manufactured materials such as fibers, paints, and glass; or soil and other natural material. One section of the paper discusses the analysis of trace evidence, followed by a discussion of how trace evidence is used in the identification of human remains, weapons, and foreign bodies; gunshot wounds; and vehicle crashes. Another section of the chapter discusses where trace evidence is found on the body. A discussion of crime-scene investigation addresses the protection of trace evidence at the crimes scene, the crime scene search, gunshot residues, and moving the body and clothing. A section on the collection of trace evidence discusses the collection and documentation of trace evidence and exemplars (e.g., hair and blood). The chapter concludes with some examples of how trace evidence can be used. 17 figures, 11 tables, and 18 references