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Forensics
Period 4
Mr. Braxton
April 4th-13th, 2016
Hair Analysis Procedure
Wet Mount Slides:
1. Obtain the materials required for the analysis.
2. Setup up the digital microscope by using a USB cable and plug into the
chromebook, then put the digital microscope len into the compound microscope
3. Take hair samples from crime scene and compare with suspects hairs
4. Put a slide on a table and drop about 2-3 drops of water onto the slide. Then put the
piece of hair on it. Take a piece of coverslip, angling it at about 60 0 , drop it on the
water containing the hair sample. Set up three slides for the three suspects.
5. Turn on the microscope and put the slide under the microscope and look for any
characteristics that shows.
6. Take picture to compare hair samples
7. Set up another slide containing the hair found at the crime scene and observe under
the microscope.
8. After taking the picture of the crime scene hair sample, compare it to the suspect's
hair sample.
9. Also compare it with animal hair in order to determine whether the hair is human or
not.
10.After doing hair analysis, look for any fibers that are around the room and identified
the type of fiber. You can identify the type of fibers it is by looking under the
microscope for its unique characteristics.
11.Take digital photos so that later it can be compared to the fibers that was obtained
from the three suspects.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
a.

b.
c.

Burning Test:
Make sure standards are in database before burning/damaging crime scene
evidence and suspect evidence
Obtain the materials required for the analysis.
Setup up the digital microscope by using a USB cable and plug into the
chromebook, then put the digital microscope len into the compound microscope
Light up the candle by using Storebrand matches
Obtain one piece of hair from the crime scene, put it on a forceps, hold the fiber in
the middle section, then:
Place fiber close to fire but make sure it is not completely in the flame. Look at the
burning patterns and compare it to see if the hair at the crime matches the hair on
the victim, it also goes for fiber as well.
Now place the fiber into the flame and see it's burning pattern, does it completely
burn up the fiber or does it not burn completely.
Then remove the fiber from the flame and see if it has a little glow on the tip or
does it stop burning after the removal.

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d. Then check for any distinct odor or if any residue is left from the fiber.
6. Check if the characteristics matches any fiber left at the crime scene
a. If no visible matches are found on fiber at the crime scene, the three suspects are
free from suspicion
b. If there are identical matches, then it can be assumed that one of the three
suspects could be Lunch Thief. That must be some tasty lunch.
Data Table:
Fiber /
Desc.

Approachin
g the
Flames

Inside the
Flames

Leaving the
Flames

Odor

Residue

Acetate

Twirls

Burns

Burns
quickly

Burnt paper

Black tip

Cotton

Twirls

Burns very
fast

Stop
burning
quickly

Burnt wax

Black tip

Nylon 6.6

Twirls and
starts to
melt

Burns fast

Continues
to burn

Ashtray

Burnt tip

Silk

Burns

Burns super
duper fast

Its gone

Burnt PlayDoh

Its gone

Viscose

Burns

Burns at
medium
pace

Continues
to burn

Odorless

Its gone

Wool

Nothing

Burns and
curls

Stops
burning

Burnt chip

Black ball
tip

Allman

Ignites

Burns
completely

Stops
burning

Charcoal

Dirt stain

Crandall

Slowly
burns

Burns quick

Quickly
stops

Charcoal

Burnt,
melted tip

Lord

Nothing
happens

Burns at a
steady rate

Continues
to burn

Burnt paper

Melted and
has some
type of
stain

Evidence

Ignites and
twirls

Burns fast

Stops
burning

Burnt paper

Dirt stain

Photos:
Evidence and
Suspect

Hair

Fiber

Evidence A

Evidence B

None

Evidence C

None

Crandall

Lord

Allman

None

Analysis:

1.
2.
3.
4.

Conclusions
We believe that the hair found at the crime scene was human because they have a
medulla with a characteristic of an imbricate.
We believe that it was Lords hair found at the crime scene.
Synthetic fibers were found at the crime scene.
We believe that Lords fibers match with the crime scene evidence.