Hair/Fiber Analysis

History

An important part of forensic science is the anlysis of hairs and fibers found on the crime scene. When a crime is committed, the perpetrator will nearly always leave some trace in the form of a hair or fiber from clothing. Even if there is no trace of the perpetrator, fibers from the victim can also be an important clue to who committed the crime and how it occurred. Analysis of hair and fibers has played a key role in many investigations since it first became used widely in the 20th century. The first crime solved by hair analysis occurred in 1899, when a hair that was foudn to be dyed linked a suspect to the crime. Another case in which this analysis was critical was the Atlanta Child Murders. In this case, at least 28 African-American residents of Atlanta,Ga were killed by Wayne Williams. Police staked out a river where he had been dumping bodies, and followed his car. They pulled him over and recovered dog hairs and other fibers that they would later use to convict him of the murders. He was sentenced to two consecutive lifetimes in prison.

Use of Fibers in Investigations

Fibers can link a suspect to a victim when a certain fiber is found on both the victim and the suspect. Fibers can easily be transferred from one person to another though physical contact. There are several considerations that investigators use to determine if there is a link between a victim and a suspect of item. These include

• Type of Fiber
• Fiber Color
• Location of Fiber
• Number of Fiber Associations

Using this criteria, the investigators can determine if there is a strong link between the fibers found on the crime scene and in other locations. These can also give clues to how a crime was committed. For example, if many similar fibers are found on both a victim and a suspect, it could indicate that there was significant violent physical contact between the victim and the criminal/
Hair/Fiber Analysis Lab
We conducted a study of various hairs and fibers by viewing them under a microscope and drawing the fiber in detail. Every fiber and hair was unique, and we learned to distinguish between hair of different races and genders.

Examples of Types of Fibers:


Nylon:

Silk: