Experiment On Collection and Packing of Hair and Textile Fiber Evidence
Experiment On Collection and Packing of Hair and Textile Fiber Evidence
I. OBJECTIVE: To be able to learn the proper technique of packing and collecting hair and textile
fiber evidence.
II. MATERIALS/REAGENTS:
tweezers or forceps white mailing envelopes
scotch tape cellophane or paper wrapper
hair samples
III. DISCUSSION:
The value of hair as evidence in criminal cases has been well recognized. Like fiber, it is
most likely involved in contact between the victim and the perpetrator. Most crimes causes
contact between one person to another and this result in the transfer of fibers and hairs from
the victim to the perpetrator or vice versa. Perpetrator’s hair or the victims hair may fall out
under condition and are not aware of and unable to guard against it.
The successful investigation of crimes of violence such as rape, murder, assault,
kidnapping, as well as hit and run, among others, are frequently assisted by the result of the
examination of hairs and fibers.
It is therefore very important to collect and preserve hair and textile fibers properly.
IV. PROCEDURE:
1. With the use of tweezer or forceps, gather hair samples from the different regions of the
Body(scalp, armpit, beard, mustache, limb hair, pubic, eyebrow, etc).
2. Do not mix hairs found at different places.
2. Place separately in a folded paper or in a white mailing envelope. Seal the corners of the
envelope with scotch tape and do not secure hair samples to a piece of paper with scotch
tape as this will cause damage especially on the roots of the hair.
3. Write on the envelope the date and time of collection, signature of the investigator, and the
location of the specimens.
4. Where hair are found attached to an object such as hammer, wrench wrap with cellophane
or paper wrapper secured with tape. Forward the object to the laboratory without detaching
the hair.
5. Obtain representative samples of hair from the victim as well as the suspect and pack as in
number 3 procedure.
V. OBSERVATIONS:
1. Why are hair specimens found in different locations at the scene placed separately in sealed
mailing envelope?
- To be able to identify completely which part of body the hair came from and who is the
owner or the source of the hair, and to be completely sealed and secure the hair
because it is really easy to be misplaced and can be a loose of evidence in the court.
2. Why is it not advisable to secure hair samples to a piece of paper with scotch tape?
- Because it might break the texture of hair samples when it was stick by the scotch tape
and it will damage the main components of the hair
VI. CONCLUSION:
1. Why should the investigators always get samples of hair from the victim and suspect?
- The importance of hair as evidence has been well known in criminal cases. It is most
likely, like thread, involved in communication between the victim and the attacker.
Many offenses cause interaction between one person and another. As such, the
movement of fibers and hair from the victim to the attacker or vice versa results in the
transfer. The hair of the suspect or the hair of the victims may fall out of condition and
are unaware of it and unable to protect against it.
2. To be a representative head hair sample, how many strands of hair should be collected from
The suspect and the victim?
- It is important to collect at least a dozen hair strands from different areas of the scalp
and ideally full-length hair from a specific person to be a representative from different
parts of his/her body.