Forensic specialists use microscopic particles left at a crime scene to identify suspects or victims. Hair, fibers, paint, dirt, and biological fluids are analyzed to narrow down unknowns and support other findings. The Locard’s Exchange Principle states that there is an exchange of evidence during a crime.
Tracing evidence usually consists of particles, mostly microscopic, left behind at a crime scene by a perpetrator. Examination of traces by forensic specialists often helps identify the source of a crime, suspect or victim. Most people unknowingly leave traces at a crime scene, and it is often difficult to remove them. There are various forms of minute evidence that forensic teams use to corroborate further findings. It is rare for this type of evidence to be used on its own to support a case in a court of law.
Hair and fibers can be key factors in identifying a suspect or victim and are often transferred between the two. There are a multitude of hair elements that can assist forensic engineers during the identification process. Fibers are important because they can be transferred from vehicles, clothing, carpeting and other fabric-based sources at a crime scene, or they can be pulled from the scene and found on a suspect. This portion of trail evidence can narrow a search based on already known facts.
Forensic teams use a complex system to determine the information needed from this evidence to narrow down the unknowns and support other findings. Paint and dirt are also vital discoveries at a crime scene. Forensic science can determine the make and model of a car used to commit a crime or the type of paint from a crime scene that could be discovered on a suspect’s possessions. Dirt also leaves a footprint at a crime scene and can be analyzed to determine where a suspect may live, work, or where they were prior to the crime.
The most essential category of trace evidence is biological, particularly fluids and blood. The fluids can include sweat, semen, and saliva, which are often analyzed for deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and matched to a suspect’s genetic code. Aside from its importance in DNA, blood is very valuable in recreating a crime scene and determining when the act took place. Forensic photography is used to capture blood spatter patterns, which allow investigators to view the specifics of a crime.
Edmond Locard, who studied and experimented with forensic law in the early 1900s, demonstrated that there was an exchange of evidence during a crime. This theory became Locard’s Exchange Principle, which is the basis for evidence trails and other forensic discoveries. The microscopic details found during a criminal investigation usually help tie the larger evidence together and provide additional insight into a suspect’s behavior and identity.
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