CSI II: Test 5 Trace Evidence and Homicide Scenes

A. Locard Exchange Principle (Theory of Transfer) It is not possible to come into contact with an environment w/o changing it in some small way, whether by adding to it or taking something away. Edmond Locard; Lyon, France: Dir of 1st crime lab. 1. Primary Transfer: Most think of this as a triangle, with a trace evidence exchange between the crime scene, the suspect and the victim 2. Secondary Transfer: more can be exchanged, besides the suspect and their clothing and besides the victim and their clothing other evidence can be brought into the crime scene on the suspect and victim. 3. Collecting Knowns to be compared to the trace evidence: Trace evidence collected from the crime scene, suspects and victim only has value if you also collect standards and exemplars the trace evidence can be associated to! a. crime scene, suspect :hair, body fluids, etc; victim; suspects residence; victims residence; suspects car; victims car & Suspects and Victims last known environment 4. What did the suspect and victim bring into the crime scene that is more than their own hair and body fluids and is more than their own clothing? B. Hairs: mostly the protein, keratin, which is resistant to decomposition 1. Growth phases a. Anagen- actively growing hairs, still attached to the follicle. If pulled out during a struggle, there will be a freshly root which can enable nuclear DNA testing b. Catagen- transition between the growing and dormant phase. The pigment which colors the hair shaft is no longer produced so the segment closet to the root will be without color c. Telogen- Dormant and ready to fall out. The root will be dry and is said to be light bulb shaped 2. Human vs. Animal hairs a. cuticle scale patterns i. crown-like or coronal: resembling a stack of paper cups. Rarely human. ii. flattened, imbricate: overlapping scales. Human and some animals iii. petal-like, spinous: resembling the tip of asparagus. Not human. b. Medulla difference i. Medullary index: width A. Human: > 1/3 the diameter of the shaft B. Animal: the diameter of the shaft ii. Patterns A. Human: absent, fragmented or amorphous B. Animal: very patterned 3. Race: determined from cross-sections of head hairs a. Caucasoid- oval b. negroid- flat

c. monogoloid- round 4. Multiple trace elements have been detectable w/n a hair shaft and it was once believed this combination was unique to be individual. This is no longer believed. 5. W/O the actively growing root ball, enabling DNA tests, the most positive scientific statement that may presently be made is that it did not come from a specific individual. Known Hair Collection 6. First do combings, to collect hair transfers 7. Pull, do not cut a minimum of 25 hairs from the head and pubic area a. 5 from the front (head)/ top (pubic) b. 5 from the middle c. 5 from the back/ bottom d. 5 from the left e. 5 from the right f. these are an attempt to collect enough hair to show the natural variation of the subjects hairs. 8. Place each grouping into a druggist fold/ pharmacy fold or into a glassine envelope. 9. Searching for hairs a. use a light from an oblique flashlight b. UV light c. ALS- different colors d. hair/fiber roller e. post-its/ low-tact paper tape: most recent trace evidence left f. collect with tweezers or gloved fingers C. Fibers 1. categories a. Animal: wool, camels hair, alpaca, furs: mink, fox, chinchilla, rabbit, silk b. Vegetable: cotton, linen, manila, hemp, jute c. Synthetic: polyster, nylon, Dacron, rayon, urlon- Acotate d. Mineral: fiberglass/ glass wool, insulation, asbestos e. Blend of any of the above 2. Routine tests: a. physical: color, diameter, length, size, shapes, dyes & weave pattern b. Chemicals c. microscopic: cross-section, surface characteristics, refractive index, birefringence 3. Fracture matches/ edge matches: a. rope/ cord b. clothing/ fabric 4. Collection a. Proper i. tweezers/ gloves ii. post-its/ low-tact paper tape iii. hair-fiber roller iv. into a druggist- fold v. into a glassine envelope b. Improper

i. with fingerprint tape A. adhesive to strong B. stretch and break ii. Vacuuming A. too much irrelevant material collected. B. Difficult to determine specifically where the fibers came from C. plastic bags 1. static jump D. Gunshot Residue (GSR) 1. Where does it come from? From the primer material in the cartridge: a. Centerfire cartridges b. federal .22 caliber rimfire cartridges 2. Composition a. Barium Nitrate (Ba) b. Antimony Sulphide (Sb) c. Lead Styphnate (Pb) 3. The FBI does not do GSR testing anymore because of the many false positive and false negatives. And, because many primers no longer bave the classic three compounds. a. GSR testing on hands b. Standard compounds not being used all the time E. Building Materials 1. Areas to search: a. Tools and gloves b. Clothes and shoes of suspect c. Vehicles- where evidence was placed i. tank, bed of pick-up/ rear of station wagon, flooring d. Hair of suspects 2. Al burglaries, ensure samples are collected of each layer of the structure gone through 3. Although usually only class characteristics are present with any one layer, w/ a preponderance of unexplained evidence, a conviction can still be obtained F. Safe Insulation 1. used fireproof safes to protect documents/ currency from scorching during fires. Normally, paper will scorch at 451F. Insulation will protect to 1200-1400F. 2. A unique combination not found in nature of : a. Vermiculite: a corky, synthetic silicate, often used in germinating seedlings b. Diatoms: microscopic, unicellular exoskeleton water creatures 3. Variances can distinguish different safe manufactures 4. Has a texture, and looks like cement, easily ingrains into the weave of cloth F. Paint 1. Two most probative aspects of paint are: a. fracture matches b. multiple paint layers 2. Fracture matches a. critical to package to avoid damaging the edges. i. wrap in tissue ii. place in a rigid container

b. Do not collect with, pad in or package in i. adhesive tape ii. cotton balls, small envelops, in plastic bags 3. Paint layers a. do not collect by scrapping just the top surface i. chip down to substrate or cut ii. with each additional layer, paint becomes stronger evidence 4. Hit and Runs a. victim vehicle: collect known samples from the damaged area; collect suspect paint that has transferred there b. Suspect vehicle: collect known sample from the damaged area; collect victim paint that has transferred there. 5. Also report the color, year, make and model of each vehicle 6. Collect a sample about the size of a nickel from each area damaged, unless a fracture match exists G. Rope, twine, cord 1. Never untie a knot!! It can sometimes provide a lead about the suspect a. to remove a noose/ligature, remember to wear gloves b. cut the material at a site which is the farthest away from the knot. c. before each strand is cut, tie each side of the proposed cut site with string or floss to prevent unraveling d. once cut, ensure each end can be associated back to its severed end by tying a string between the two cuts ends 2. Ends of rope/cord may be matched back to material still in the possession of the suspect by fracture matches, die striations on cord or latents. a. cords can have dye lines or striations i. partial fingerprints b. rope- skin cells H. Homicide vs. Suicide hangings 1. Before the body is cut down, check the top of the door, tree limb or whatever they are hanging from a. mark the top of the rope that is on the top of the door to know what is left and right side b. with gloved hands, grasp both side of the rope, and raise both sides at the same time, preventing the rope from further abrading on the suspension surface on either direction i. abrasion on the body (toward)- suicide ii. abrasion on the top of the forcurm- homicide 2. During a homicide when the body is pulled up or off the ground, abrasions in the area of the suspension point (tree bark, wooden door top, etc) may show directionality away from the side of the body is on 3. When looking at the rope/cord, in a homicide the abrasions on rope should be on the opposite side of suspension point 4. Suicide- the abrasion should be on the rope/cord on the side of the body I. Tobacco Products 1. Ash, can be distinguished a. cigarette

b. cigar c. pipe tobacco 2. Cigarette butts have the potential for: a. latents, saliva & DNA testing, Lip prints: might be unique, shoeprint patterns from being stepped on 3. Class characteristics a. brand, filter/non-filter, styles w/n each brand, tobacco types: methanol, reduced tar, etc, paper colors & design, lipstick color, how put out?, package in rigid containers to avoid damage during storage 4. Packaging: a. latents b. tax stamps can be traced, &/or fracture matched 5. Matches and Matchbooks a. latents b. matchbooks are often written on i. handwriting samples ii. names and phone numbers can be leads c. the sourch of a matchbook can be a lead if not too common: an exclusive hotel vs. 7-11 d. matches can be associated to the matchbook they came from. Fracture matches & inclusions e. matches are sometimes used as toothpicks, DNA J. Burning paper/ Tobacco products 1. Preserve from further destruction by placing a cup, glass or jar over the item to smother the flames K. Soil 1. Crime scene soil a. cup collected from areas disturbed but no deeper than was originally disturbed b. then from 10 away (N, S, E, W) to show variation c. then from 100 away (N, S, E,W) 2. collect alibi soil samples, to prove these soils do not match the soil recovered from the suspects tires and foot wear.