NCJ Number
47539
Date Published
1977
Length
17 pages
Annotation
THE RESULTS OF TEST ANALYSES OF HAIR SAMPLES PERFORMED BY 90 FORENSIC LABORATORIES ARE REPORTED IN ONE OF A SERIES OF LABORATORY PROFICIENCY SURVEYS.
Abstract
EACH LABORATORY RECEIVED FIVE HAIR SAMPLES REPRESENTING EVIDENCE IN A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION. THE LABORATORIES WERE ASKED TO PROVIDE SPECIES ORIGIN FOR EACH SAMPLE, TO EXPLAIN THEIR METHODS OF ANALYSIS, AND TO INDICATE WHETHER THEY OWNED A COLLECTION OF HAIRS. IN REALITY, SAMPLE A WAS FROM A DOG, B FROM A CAT, C FROM A DEER D FROM A COW, AND E FROM A MINK. SAMPLE A WAS IDENTIFIED AS DOG HAIR BY 44 LABORATORIES AND AS NONHUMAN BY 17; SAMPLE B WAS IDENTIFIED AS CAT HAIR BY 66 LABORATORIES AND AS NONHUMAN BY 13; SAMPLE C WAS IDENTIFIED AS DEER HAIR BY 41 LABORATORIES AND AS NONHUMAN BY 10; SAMPLE D WAS IDENTIFIED AS COW HAIR BY 31 LABORATORIES AND AS NONHUMAN BY 12; AND SAMPLE E WAS IDENTIFIED AS MINK BY 57 LABORATORIES AND AS NONHUMAN BY 12. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THREE LABORATORIES IDENTIFICATION OF THE COW HAIR SAMPLE AS HUMAN HAIR, ALL OTHER RESPONSES EITHER WERE INCONCLUSIVE OR IDENTIFIED THE WRONG NONHUMAN ANIMAL. EIGHTY-SIX OF THE LABORATORIES REPORTED HAVING EITHER IN-HOUSE OR COMMERCIAL COLLECTIONS OF HAIR. SUMMARY DATA AND DATA ON THE FINDINGS AND METHODS OF INDIVIDUAL LABORATORIES ARE PRESENTED IN TABLES. SURVEY METHODS ARE EXPLAINED, AND A COPY OF THE INSTRUMENT IS PROVIDED. OTHER PROFICIENCY TESTS ARE DOCUMENTED IN NCJ 47522-47538 AND 47540-47542. (LKM)