Part II Hair/ Fiber

History of Hair/Fiber Analysis:

In 1857 the first paper was written on hair analysis in France. One of the dirist scientific reports about Trichology, the study of hair, was written an introduced the idea of hair and fiber analysis. Professor John Glaister wrote "Hairs of Mammalia from the Medico-legal Aspect," which was published in 1931, it soon became a resource for hair analysis information and in 1977, John Hick's "Microscopy of Hairs: A Practical Guide and Manual" laid out the groundwork for the use of hair evidence by the forensic examiner.

Hair With Labeled Parts:

Major types of fibers (other than hairs), for instance, polyester, cotton, etc.  Include at least 5 fibers:

1. Cashmere

2. Silk

3. Cotton

4. Rayon

5. Wool

This is an image of Rayon under a microscope, the green image below is silk.

Hair/Fiber collection techniques:If the pieces are big enough they can be picked with fingers and placed into a paper bindle, then a coin envelope to be labeled. Fibers can also be picked up with tape if the laboratory allows it, you may also places pieces of clothing (fibers) on sheets of paper that can be rolled up and sent to labs. Hair can be collected with fingers or tweezers, if the hair is attached to an abject or blood it shouldn’t be removed from the object but both of these things should be taken together. In rape cases hair is generally taken by the person standing on a white piece of paper and coming through their hair in order to collect loose hairs.

Reliability of Hair/fiber crime scene:

Careful evaluation of hair and fibers found can place people at the scene of the crime and place the victim and suspect together, Although forensic hair analysis does serve as evidence in court, it does not necessarily serve as incontrovertible proof because in general, a hair comparison does not give complete recognition of an individual's identity.

Notable or famous case where hair/fibers were used to convict or exonerate a suspect.

Wayne Williams: From 1979-1981 someone was killing Atlanta’s youth, over 25 males and a few females were killed. The only real clue---which was valuable only if a suspect surfaced---was the presence on several of the bodies and their clothing of some kind of fiber threads.  A few also bore strands of what was determined to be hair from a dog. The predator seemed to favor the Chatahoochee River so the police begin to watch it. Soon Wayne Williams is cot throwing a body into the river, the police obtain a search warrant for his home and car, fibers from the carpet in his home mach that found on the victims and he is tried for murder.

Sources:

http://www.bxscience.edu/publications/forensics/articles/fingerprinting/f-fing03.htm

http://www.crime-scene-investigator.net/prints.html

www.odeca.ca