NCJ Number
64830
Journal
Indian Journal of Criminology Volume: 8 Issue: 1 Dated: (JANUARY 1980) Pages: 66-80
Date Published
1980
Length
15 pages
Annotation
THE ROLE OF HAIR ANALYSIS AS A POSSIBLE MEANS OF IDENTIFYING CRIME SUSPECTS, OR OF CONTRIBUTING TO SUCH IDENTIFICATIONS, IS EVALUATED IN THIS STUDY BY INDIAN FORENSIC SCIENTISTS AND CRIMINALISTICS EXPERTS.
Abstract
SINCE HAIR IS AMONG THE ITEMS OF TRACE EVIDENCE MOST COMMONLY FOUND AT CRIME SCENES, FORENSIC SCIENTISTS AND CRIMINALISTICS EXPERTS ARE DEVOTING CONSIDERABLE ATTENTION TO THE ANALYSIS OF HAIR SAMPLES AS VIABLE MEANS OF SUSPECT IDENTIFICATION. HOWEVER, THE RELIABILITY OF HAIR SAMPLES AS ADMISSIBLE SUSPECT IDENTIFICATION ITEMS HAS NOT YET BEEN DEMONSTRATED. THIS STUDY REPORTS THE FINDINGS OF AN INVESTIGATION ON THE ELASTIC PROPERTIES OF HUMAN HAIR AS A BASIS FOR ITS OWNER'S IDENTIFICATION. SAMPLES OF HAIR, OBTAINED FROM BOTH MALE AND FEMALE SUBJECTS, WERE SUBJECTED TO LABORATORY ANALYSIS BY THE CRL (CONSTANT RATE OF LOADING) METHOD TO DISCOVER WHETHER THEIR ELASTIC PROPERTIES WERE INDIVIDUALIZED ENOUGH TO IDENTIFY THE ORIGINAL SOURCE OF HAIR. CONSIDERABLE VARIATIONS WERE FOUND TO EXIST BETWEEN HAIR SAMPLES TAKEN FROM THE SAME INDIVIDUAL, AND THE SEX OF THE DONOR WAS ALSO NOT EASILY ASCERTAINABLE FROM THE HAIR SAMPLES. A MATHEMATICAL MODEL OF THIS METHOD OF HAIR ANALYSIS, A SERIES OF ANALYTICAL TABLES, AND A LIST OF BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES ARE APPENDED. (LGR)