Hair and Fiber Analysis

History of Hair/Fiber:

• The scientific study of hair was introduced when one of the first scientific reports was published in 1857 in France.  In the early 20th century, the study of hair expanded.  Professor John Glaister's published "Hairs of Mammalia from the Medico-legal Aspect" in 1931 which was a source for information on hair analysis.  Then "Microscopy of Hairs: A Practical Guide and Manual" was published by John Hick which showed groundwork for hair evidence analysis.

Complete Hair:

Major Types of Fibers:

Cotton:  Cotton grows around seeds of cotton plants and is used to make many things because of it's softness.  It has a high absorbency which makes it easy to dye.  Also, it can still be used in high temperatures.

Silk:  is made in a silkworm cocoon.  Silk is known to be the strongest fiber although its weaknesses are perspiration and sunlight. 

Wool:  is made from the fleece of sheep and there are many of them in different climate areas which makes different types of wool.  An example is Merino.  Merino wool is very soft and has the ability to quickly absorb moisture from your body which makes it cool in warmer temperatures.   

 Nylon:

Polyester: This fiber is very smooth, and when observed under the microscope has little specks in it.


Hair/Fiber Collection Techniques:

When handling evidence, you must use gloves or use equipment such as tweezers so you don't contaminate the evidence.  Samples should be placed in labeled envelopes. 

Hair/ Fiber Analysis:

In crime scenes, hairs and fibers are used by scientists to help identify the criminals and victims.  To observe these different hairs and fibers scientists need to use microscopes to examine the designs and patterns to determine what type of fiber it is, or who's hair it is.

https://www.nationalmicroscope.com/images/mx5300LH.jpg

Reliability of Hair/Fiber Crime Scene Data:

Hair and fibers are very helpful as information in crime scenes, although the results can't always be conclusive.  This is because there are many different hairs and fibers in the world so it is very broad.

Famous Hair/Fiber Analysis Case:

http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&safe=active&biw=1366&bih=587&tbm=isch&tbnid=4Sm-v5bJM377IM:&imgrefurl=http://www.clarkprosecutor.org/html/death/US/buell801.htm&docid=d-O_g1LI3gFFqM&imgurl=http://www.clarkprosecutor.org/html/death/USmugshots/801abuell.jpg&w=191&h=271&ei=1fzcToaYNY2XtweazpHuAQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=182&vpy=131&dur=4859&hovh=216&hovw=152&tx=84&ty=93&sig=106339604646712582094&page=1&tbnh=124&tbnw=88&start=0&ndsp=27&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0

Fiber analysis was used to identify a criminal in the famous case, Atlanta Child Murders.  In this case, Robert Anthony Buell raped and murdered two young girls in Ohio and was convicted for murder.  He left behind distinct orange fibers on each of the bodies and after observed, the fibers matched the orange fibers found in a van.  Last on, a woman was kidnapped and kept prisoner in a man's house but was able to escape and contact authorities.  They found that this mans van had the same fibers from the two young girls bodies which proved Buell to be the kidnapper and murderer.

http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/serial_killers/predators/williams/33.html

http://www.centralreg.k12.nj.us/webpages/SHopson/files/hair.pdf

Handwriting

History of Handwriting Analysis:

Handwriting can be used for many things, such as figuring out one's personality.  It is often used for crime scenes to be observed for forgery.  People can forge signitures on checks and many other things which could be observed using the 12 handwriting characteristics.

http://www.enotes.com/handwriting-analysis-reference/handwriting-analysis



12 Handwriting Characteristics:

1.  Line Quality: Pen marks = Smooth or shaky?  Can give info about speed of writing
 2.  Spacing of words & letters:  Is the spacing between letters & words consistent? Big? Small?


3.  Ratio of relative height, width, & size of letters: Is it consistent?


4.  Pen lifts & separations: Does the person stop to form new letters and begin words?  Forgeries may have lifts in unusual places.


5.  Connecting strokes: Are the capital & lowercase letters connected?  Do the letters & words have connecting strokes?


6.  Beginning & Ending Strokes: Are these straight, curled, long or short, an upstroke or a down stroke?


7.  Unusual Letter Formation: Are here any weird capitals or letters that are backward, with a weird tails?


8.  Shading or pen pressure: Is the pen pressure

on the upward or the downward strokes?

9.  Slant: Is slant left or right or straight up and down? 

Is there consistency between the slant of letters.

10.  Baseline habits: Is the writing above or below a line?

11.  Flourishes and embellishments: Are

their any? If so what are they?

12.  Diacritic placement: How are the t’s crossed?

Take note of the dotting of i’s, j’s. For example, Are the dots to the right or left of the letter?


How can you tell they are forgeries?

Using the 12 Handwriting Characteristics above, you can carefully observe handwriting to tell whether or not it is a forgery.

Handwriting Analysis Template:

In class, we were given a handwriting analysis template and on this sheet, we had to write a sentence and then the same one in cursive.  Someone else at our table had to attempt at forgering my handwriting twice.  The first time was by observing my handwriting and the second time was an attempt to trace my handwriting.  It turned out that the traced forgery looked more like my handwriting then the other one did.



Difference Between Tracing & Free Handing Forgery?

Tracing forgeries are when people trace someones handwriting while free handing forgery is when they carefully observe the other handwriting and attempt at copying it. 

Check Forgery Activity:

In class, we were given fake checks which we had to fill out, and then forge a fake signiture.  Once this was completed, we were to rip the check up and give it to someone at a different table.  The other people would use our handwriting analysis templates to carefully observe which handwriting matched which.  The 12 Handwriting Characteristics were very helpful in this activity.

Famous Forgery Case:


On March 1, 1932, Charles Lindbergh was kidnapped and was never returned.  His body was found near home and Bruno Hauptmann was found by tracking bills for a ransom payment of $50,000.  Some of the ransom payment was found in Hauptmann's garage.  Through handwriting analysis, his writing was matched with the ransom notes which had also led to other clues.  Bruno Hauptmann was executed in 1936.

Lab Experiments/Activities

Poison:

What is poison?

-Poison is a substance that can cause death or injury to a living organism once it is introduced or absorbed by it.

http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&biw=1525&bih=751&tbm=isch&tbnid=J43ewOI8J2s9GM:&imgrefurl=http://eduoptimists.blogspot.com/2011/03/pick-your-poison.html&docid=DU0vwG5OEhJf0M&imgurl=http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C3RffrLl_D8/TXmyeaK28VI/AAAAAAAABPk/aSj5twREljU/s1600/poison_sign.gif&w=525&h=545&ei=8BbcTqDTO9HptgeKo8SUAg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=715&vpy=136&dur=858&hovh=229&hovw=220&tx=100&ty=139&sig=118237652357894832774&page=2&tbnh=159&tbnw=135&start=19&ndsp=21&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:19

Common Poison Sources:

- Drinks

- Medication

- Plants

- Chemicals

- Venom
- Allergies

How do crime labs handle poison cases?  What are some signs of poisoning?

-In crime labs, scientists can use different chemicals to see if something is poison.

-Some signs of poisoning are: Drooling, drowsiness, rashes, hallucinations; etc.

Poison Identification Experiment:
In this lab experiment, we tested different common poison sources  to see if it had a poison in it.

1. Metals:

	.5 M KSCN	KI	Acid
1	Negative	Positive for Lead	Negative
2	Positive for Iron	Negative	Negative
3	Negative	Negative	Negative

2. Sugar:

	1	2	3
Benedict Solution	Negative	Negative	Negative

3. Ammonia:

	Odor	pH less > 7	PHTH is purple/pink
1	Positive	Positive(11)	Positive
2	Negative	Positive (8.5)	Negative
3	Negative	Positive (8.5)	Negative

4. Aspirin:
 

	pH <7	BTB is yellow
1	Positive (5)	Negative
2	Positive (6)	Negative
3	Positive (2)	Positive

5. Cyanide:

	Turns red w/ FE+3
1	Negative
2	Negative
3	Positive

6. Iodine:

	Blue w/ Starch
1	Negative
2	Negative
3	Positive

Lipstick:
In class, we did a lipstick print activity where we had to put on lipstick and then create a print on a blank note card.  Observing the print, we had to write distinct characteristics of the print.

If you observe my lip print above, the top is bigger than the bottom of my lips.  Also, there are small dips on the corners and a small dip on the top of my lip.  Inbetween my lip print, there is a small gap.

Footprint:

For our footprint analysis activity, we had to step in a bin filled with dirt as if we were walking normally.  We were given a worksheet to fill out which included the time, date, and other information that we had to record about the footprint.  Then we had to observe the footprint for distinct characteristics.

When making my footprint above, I was wearing boots.  You can see a pattern at the top, and the heel at the bottom of the boot print.

Drug Analysis:

Background information of Cocaine and LSD.
Cocaine:

Chemical Name: benzoylmethylecgonine

Chemical Formula: C17H21NO4

pH: 8

LSD:

Chemical Name: Lysergic acid diethylamide

Chemical Formula: C₂₀H₂₅N₃O

pH: 4

In class, we did a drug analysis activity where we tested for LSD and cocaine.  As a replacement of using actual drugs, we used substances which had the same effects when tested.  There were six different stations, each with a different substance mixed with some water in a beaker.  Using a pipette, we were to drop a couple of drops of the mixture onto a plate and then to test the pH. 

Drug	pH	Cocaine reagent(blue)	LSD Reagent(yellow)
1	6	Positive	Negative
2	9	Positive	Negative
3	3	Negative	Positive
4	7	Positive	Negative
5	6	Negative	Negative
6	5	Negative	Positive

Creating A Profile:

For this activity, we were given five clues and had to come up with a conclusion of what happened.  This activity was like a mini Crime Scene Investigation.

Clue 1: Fingerprints

Thumb: Plain Whorl

Index: Central Pocket Whorls

Middle: Central Pocket Whorls

Ring Finger: Radial Loop

Pinky: N/A

Clue 2: Hair: Asian

Clue 3: A torn up note: "You will never find her!"

Clue 4: Hair: Caucasion

Clue 5: Red/Pink mark: It was just a splotch, so we were unable to determine what it was.

Photo credits to Vicki Dyches


After analyzing these clues, I realize that I would need to do further steps to identify the criminal.  For example, I would have needed to analyze the red/pink sample in a lab.  Also to conclude who the criminal would be, I would also need to scan the fingerprints to find a match.  I could also run a few tests on the hair samples.

Witness Experiment:

For the witness experiment, we cut out pictures of faces from magazines and then cut out the facial features seperately.  We had to mix them up and switch with a partner's to see how well our memory was by matching the facial features.