Unlocking the Mysteries The Power of Trace Evidence in Medical Diagnostics

DEFINITION:

Trace evidence is materials, the amount of which is small, but their importance is large in the detection of crime and criminals.

TYPES:

š  Trace evidence found at the Place of occurrence

š  Trace evidence found with the corpse

Trace evidence found at the Place of occurrence

š  Fingerprint

š  Footprint

š  Hair

š  Blood

š  Fibers from cloths

š  Weapon

š  Poison vials

š  Seminal stains

š  Cigarette stump

š  Suicidal note

Trace evidence found with the corpse

š  Hair

š  Blood

š  Fibers from cloths

š  Oil, grease, petroleum, etc.

š  Soil, mud, weeds, grass etc

š  Saliva

š  Semen

š  Skin scrapping

š  Tooth/bitemark

š  Splinter, rope, string, etc

š  Bullet, gun-powder

MEDICOLEGAL IMPORTANCE

š  It is often a decisive factor in determining guilt

š  It often gives clues to acquaintance

š  It often helps in the reconstruction of the occurrence of crime

š  It often indicates the Place of occurrence

š  It often tells the time since  the occurrence

š  It often locates criminals

SUPERIORITY

š  It is the actual evidence

š  Its presence is absolute proof of crime

š  Eye witness may be false due to

š  Partisanship

š  Faulty memory

š  Defective observation

š  Only its interpretation may be wrong

LOCARD’S PRINCIPLE OF EXCHANGE

š  When two objects come into contact, there is always a transfer of materials from one to another. 

š  So that traces from the scene may be carried away on the person or tools of the criminal, and at the same time, traces from all or any of these may be left at the scene or Place of occurrence.