Hair and Fiber

Techniques Used to ID hair and fiber:

Hair:

-Chemical Assys: this process is used to identify substances which are in the body or not in the body

-The Root: the root of the hair is usually used for DNA testing

-Microscope: under a microscope close identifications can be made

Parts of the Hair:

-The Cuticle: this part of the hair is the outermost, we can look at this part and decide what kind of hair it is

-The Cortex: this part of the hair surrounds the medulla and makes up most of the weight of the air

-The Medulla: this is the most inner part of the hair

Handwriting

Hirtory- At the beginnig of the 19th centry Lavater, Edouard Hocquart, and Abbe Flandrin began the art of interpreting handwriting. This study made the media quite hyped up. But it wasnt untill Micon came around and really took to heart the study of handwriting. Including te strokes, letters, words, angles, all of the aspctes of handwrinting.

Why Do Forensic investagators have trouble using handwriting analysis techniques? I think that the reason forensic investigators have trouble using handwriting analysis techniques is when you are trying to trace a forger, and their handwriting looks exactly like someone elses.

What do forensic scientist look for when analyzing andwriting?
1. Line Quality
2. Spacing of Words and Letters
3. Ration of Height, Width, and Size of Letters
4. Lifting Pen
5. Connecting Strokes
6. Strokes to Begin and End
7. Unusual Letter Formation
8. Pen Pressure
9. Slant
10. Baseline Habits
11. Fancy Writing Habits
12. Placement of Diacritics

Fingerprints

Fingerprints serve as an unfaultable way of identification. Especially in crime, fingerprinting has been the number one source of traceable evidence. They have served governments worldwide for the past 100 years providing the accurate identification of criminals. And even all of this time not two fingerprints have been found to be the same...even on twins, and because of this aspect that is why fingerprints are used as the main source of identification and evidence.

Ancient Fingerpinting

Fingerpinting identification has been used in China since the T'ang Dynasty, and Japan since the 8th century. But before the crime identification came in, a thumbprint would subsitute for a signature. In accient Babylon figerorints were used on clay tablets for business transactions. The rumor is that a murder in ancient Rome was the first crime to use fingerprinting as a way to identify the killer.

Middle Ages

1686- A pofessor in Bologna, Italy named Marcello Malpighi recordedd the similarities between spirals, loops and ridges in fingerprints. In favor for Malpighi, a layer of skin which is 1.88mm thick named after him.
1823- Johannes Evengelista Purkinjie; a proffessor at the University of Breslau, Prussia documented the nine different patterns of fingerprints.
1892- Galton wrote a book named "Fingerprints" which was the first book published that deeply described all about fingerprints. He identified the three types of fingerprints being Arches, Loops, and Whorls.
1892- Due to Galton's book "Fingerprints" a police official Juan Vucetich was the first to keep fingerprints on file. Because of Vucetich keeping file, he made the first arrest based on identification of fingerprints.

Current

Today the FBI has collected all peoples fingerprints in the country and once a fingerprint is found they are able to trace the person who the fingerprint belongs to. Also our way of identifing one fingerprint to another used to take the police day just to compare one to another, but know we have advanced to electronic findings which takes just a meere seconds to compare one fingerprint to another.

Types of Fingerprints

Although not two fingerprint have been found to be alike, most all of them fall into the 8 catagories above.

1) Arches- The lines go from one side of the finger to the other with an arch in the middle.
A) Plain Arch: This print is the most simple print to be found. It starts on one side then raises slightly in the middle, continuing to the other side of the finger.
B) Tented Arch: Athough very similar to the plain arch this print starts on opposite side of the finger and then meet in the middle at the tip of the arch. This print is not continuous like the other.

2) Loops- The print shows waves that do not intertwine like whorls.
A) Radial Loop: Loops that flow toward the right.
B) Ulnar Loop: Loops that flow toward the left.

3) Whorls- Two lines intertwining in the middle.
A) Plain Whorl: The print shows a line starting at one side of the finger and going into a complete loop, making a circle shape.
B) Central Pocket: This print shows one whorl like the plain but then it extends into another whorl
C) Double: This print show two completly different loop formations.
D) Accidental: This print shows two patterns because of its whorl characteristics but also having its ridges.



Direct: Fingerprint which are very visible to the naked eye; placed in a substance such as dirt or blood.

Latent: Usually invisible to the naked eye; thought to of as an accidental fingerprint.

Plastic: Where a finger is placed in a certain substnce such as wax, clay, or wet paint; leaving a negative imprint.

Lifting Fingerprints

Procedure:
A) On a Dark Surface
1) Dash baby powder on to finger print 2) Blow onto the powdered area to get rid of access powder 3) Cut a peice of tape 4) Gently place tape over the fingerprint 5) Press down to make sure that the whole print is sticking to the tape 6) Lift tape up 7) Stick onto black peice of paper (optional)

B) On a Light/Glass Surface
1) Dash graphite powder on to finger print 2) Blow onto the powdered area to get rid of access powder 3) Cut a peice of tape 4) Gently place tape over the fingerprint 5) Press down to make sure that the whole print is sticking to the tape 6) Lift tape up 7) Stick onto white peice of paper (optional)