Hair and Fiber

Hair and fibers are usually the most abundant evidence at a crime scene, but often go unnoticed. When there aren’t any prints, hair and fiber are a crime scene investigators greatest ally.

Fibers are very transferable and are now commonly used to link a suspect to a crime. They can be classified into two categories, natural and man-made. Natural fibers are things like wool and cotton, while man-made fibers are things like polyester and nylon. By taking cross sections of fibers and putting it under a microscope are able to determine what the fiber is, who manufactured it and where it came from.

Hair is also common at a crime scene and by looking at a hair under a microscope a forensics specialist can see evidence of drug use, they can tell what animal the hair is from, they can determine the ethnicity of the person among many other things. They do this by identifying and classifying the shaft, medulla and cuticle of the hair.

Hair and fiber may seem insignificant, but in fact are some of the most important evidence at a crime scene.

Sources:
http://stereoscope.com/?p=3
http://www.fbi.gov/hq/lab/fsc/backissu/july2000/deedric3.htm