Taphonomy of hair--a study of postmortem root banding.

Although it has been generally accepted within the forensic hair community that decompositional changes in the form of an identifiable banding pattern can occur in the root area of hairs after death, little detailed information with regard to this phenomenon is known (e.g., rates at which this occurs and conditions that cause this banding).

Chemical enhancement techniques of bloodstain patterns and DNA recovery after fire exposure.

It is common in forensic casework to encounter situations where the suspect has set a fire to cover up or destroy possible evidence. While bloodstain pattern interpretation, chemical enhancement of blood, and recovery of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) from bloodstains is well documented in the literature, very little information is known about the effects of heat or fire on these types of examinations. In this study, a variety of known types of bloodstain patterns were created in a four-room structure containing typical household objects and furnishings.

A method for impregnating nylon transfer membranes with leucocrystal violet for enhancing and lifting bloody impressions.

The objective of this research project was to demonstrate a quick and easy method for impregnating nylon transfer membranes with leucocrystal violet (LCV) for the purpose of lifting and enhancing impressions made in blood. A stamp that would simulate fine detail found in fingerprints or footwear was used to create impressions on a variety of substrates. Four different LCV formulations were tested to determine the effectiveness of the prepared membranes in lifting and enhancing the impressions.