ForensicsPowerPointNotesChapter6:Fibers

Whereverthesteps,whateverhetouches,whateverheleavesevenunconsciously,willserve
assilentwitnessagainsthim.Notonlyhisfingerprintsorhisfootprints,buthishair,thefibers
fromhisclothes,theglasshebreaks,thetoolmarksheleaves,thepainthescratches,theblood
orsemenhedepositsorcollectsalloftheseandmorebearmutewitnessagainsthim.Thisis
evidencethatdoesnotforget.
PaulL.Kirk(19021970)Forensicscientist
FibersObjectives:
Howfiberscanbeusedascircumstantialevidencetolinkthevictim,suspect,andcrime
scene.
Whyfibersareclassevidence.
Whystatisticsareimportantindeterminingthevalueofevidence.
FibersStudentsshouldbeableto:
Distinguishandidentifydifferenttypesoffibers.
Understandpolymerization.
Carryoutanexperimentinthinlayerchromatography.
Judgetheprobativevalueoffiberevidence.
Designandcarryoutscientificinvestigations.
Usetechnologyandmathematicstoimproveinvestigationsandcommunications.
FibersDef:Anythreadlikeelementofmaterial.
Areconsideredclassevidence
Haveprobativevalue
Arecommontraceevidenceatacrimescene
Canbecharacterizedbasedoncomparisonofbothphysicalandchemicalproperties
Fabric
Fabricismadeoffibers.
Fibersaremadeoftwistedfilaments
Typesoffibersandfabric
Naturalanimal,vegetableorinorganicminerals.
Artificialmanufacturedorsynthesizedfromalterednaturalsources
TypesofFibers
Artificial(Synthetic)
Rayon
Nylon
Acetate
Acrylic
Spandex
Polyester
Natural
Silk
Cotton
Wool
Mohair
Cashmere
Angora
ClassificationNaturalfibersareclassifiedaccordingtotheirorigin:
Vegetableorcellulose
Ex:Cotton,rayon,celluloseacetate
Animalorprotein
Ex:Wool,silk,mohair,alpaca,angora
Mineral
Ex:Asbestos,fiberglass
CelluloseFibers
Cottonvegetablefiber;strong,tough,flexible,moistureabsorbent,notshape
retentive
Rayonchemicallyalteredcellulose;soft,lustrous,versatile
Celluloseacetatecellulosechemicallyalteredtocreateanentirelynewcompound
notfoundinnature.
FiberComparison
Canyoutellthedifference(s)betweenthecottonontheleftandtherayonontheright?
ProteinFibers
Woolanimalfibercomingmostoftenfromsheep,butmaybegoat(mohair),rabbit
(angora),camel,alpaca,llama,vicuna
Silkinsectfiberthatisspunbyasilkwormtomakeitscocoon;fiberreflectslightandhas
insulatingproperties
MineralFibers
Asbestosanaturalfiberthathasbeenusedinfireresistantsubstances
Rockwoolamanufacturedmineralfiber
Fiberglassamanufacturedinorganicfiber
Artificial(Synthetic)Fibers
(Madefromderivativesofpetroleum,
coalandnaturalgas)
Nylonmostdurableofmanmadefibers;extremelylightweight
Polyestermostwidelyusedmanmadefiber
Acrylicprovideswarmthfromalightweight,softandresilientfiber
Spandexextremeelasticproperties
FabricProduction
Textiles:Afabricwoveninadistinctivepattern
Fabricsarecomposedofindividualthreadsoryarns,madeoffibersthatareknitted,woven,
bonded,crocheted,felted,knottedorlaminated.
Mostareeitherwovenorknitted.
Thedegreeofstretch,absorbency,waterrepellence,softnessanddurabilityareallindividual
qualitiesofthedifferentfabrics.
WeaveTerminology
Yarnacontinuousstrandoffibersorfilaments,eithertwistedornot
Warplengthwiseyarn
Weftcrosswiseyarn
Blendafabricmadeupoftwoormoredifferenttypesoffiber.
WeavePatterns
PlainWeave
SatinWeave
TwillWeave
PlainWeave
Thesimplestandmostcommonweavepattern
Thewarpandweftyarnspassundereachotheralternately
Designresemblesacheckerboard
TwillWeave
Thewarpyarnispassedoveronetothreeweftyarnsbeforegoingunderone
Makesadiagonalweavepattern
Designresemblesstairsteps
Denimisoneofthemostcommonexamples
SatinWeave
Theyarninterlacingisnotuniform
Createslongfloats
Interlacingweavepassesoverfourormoreyarns
Satinisthemostobviousexample
KnittedFabric
Knittedfabricsaremadebyinterlockingloopsintoaspecificarrangement.
Itmaybeonecontinuousthreadoracombination.
Eitherway,theyarnisformedintosuccessiverowsofloopsandthendrawnthrough
anotherseriesofloopstomakethefabric.
Polymers
Syntheticfibersaremadeofpolymerswhicharelongchainsofrepeatingchemicalunits.
Thewordpolymermeansmany(poly),units(mer).
Therepeatingunitsofapolymerarecalledmonomers.
Byvaryingthechemicalstructureofthemonomersorbyvaryingthewaytheyarejoined
together,polymersarecreatedthathavedifferentproperties.
Asaresultofthesedifferences,forensicallytheycanbedistinguishedfromoneanother.
Polymersarenotjustahumaninvention.
Naturehasmanyexamplesofpolymers.
Cottonfibersaremadeofsugarmoleculesthatarerepeatedinachainlikemanner.
Hair,wool,andothernaturalfibersarepolymers.
FilamentCrossSections
Syntheticfibersareforcedoutofanozzlewhentheyarehot,andthentheyarewoven.The
holesofthenozzlearenotnecessarilyround;therefore,thefiberfilamentmayhaveauniqueshapein
crosssection.
TestingforIdentification
Microscopicobservation
Burningobservationofhowafiberburns,theodor,colorofflame,smokeandthe
appearanceoftheresidue
Thermaldecompositiongentlyheatingtobreakdownthefibertothebasicmonomers
Chemicaltestssolubilityanddecomposition

TestingforIdentification
Densitymassofobjectdividedbythevolumeoftheobject
RefractiveIndexmeasuringthebendingoflightasitpassesfromairintoasolidorliquid
Fluorescenceusedforcomparingfibersaswellasspottingfibersforcollection
Dyes
Componentsthatmakeupdyescanbeseparatedandmatchedtoanunknown.
Therearemorethan7000differentdyeformulations.
Chromatographyisusedtoseparatedyesforcomparativeanalysis.
Thewayafabricacceptsaparticulardyemayalsobeusedtoidentifyandcomparesamples.
FiberStains
Fiberstains(dyetechniques)canalsoprovideusinformationonmanufacturers
IdentificationandComparisonofFibers
FourierTransformInfraredanalysis(FTIR)basedonselectiveabsorptionofwavelengths
oflight
Opticalmicroscopyusespolarizinglightandcomparisonmicroscopes
Pyrolysisgaschromatographymassspectrometry(PGCMS)burnsasampleunder
controlledconditions,separatesandanalyzeseachcombustionproduct
CollectionofFiberEvidence
Bagclothingitemsindividuallyinpaperbags.
Makesurethatdifferentitemsarenotplacedonthesamesurfacebeforebeing
bagged.
Maketapeliftsofexposedskinareasofbodiesandanyinanimateobjects
Removedfibersshouldbefoldedintoasmallsheetofpaperandstoredinapaperbag.

FiberEvidence
Fiberevidenceincourtcasescanbeusedtoconnectthesuspecttothevictimortothecrimescene.
InthecaseofWayneWilliams,fibersweighedheavilyontheoutcomeofthecase.Williamswas
convictedin1982basedoncarpetfibersthatwerefoundinhishome,carandonseveralmurder
victims.
DNATestsSoughtinGa.ChildKillings
TheAssociatedPress
Wednesday,November29,2006;12:54PM

ATLANTALawyersforWayneWilliams,blamedforthemurdersoftwodozenchildrenandyoungmen
inthelate1970sandearly'80s,haveaskedtoperformDNAtestingondoghair,humanhairandblood.

AmotionseekingthetestingwasfiledTuesdayinFultonCountySuperiorCourt.LawyerJackMartinsaid
inMaythatthedefenseplannedtomaketherequest.

Between1979and1981,29blacks,mostofthemboys,werekilledintheAtlantaarea,spreadingfear
throughouttheregion.

Williamswasconvictedin1982ofmurderingNathanielCater,27,andJimmyRayPayne,21,and
sentencedtotwoconsecutivelifeterms.Afterward,officialsdeclaredWilliamsresponsiblefor22other
deaths,andthosecaseswereclosed.

Williams,whoisblack,hascontendedhewasframed.Hehasmaintainedthatofficialscoveredup
evidenceofKuKluxKlaninvolvementinthekillingstoavoidaracewarinthecity,whichinvestigators
havedenied.

WitnessestestifiedduringhistrialthatWilliamswasseenwithsomeofthevictims,buthewas
convictedlargelyonfiberevidence.

Hisappealshavebeenrepeatedlyrebuffed.AfederaljudgelastmonthrejectedWilliams'requestto
reconsiderevidenceheclaimspointstoanothersuspect.

InthefilingTuesday,MartinaskedtoperformDNAtestsonhairrecoveredfromtheclothingofCater
andPaynetocompareitwithdoghairrecoveredfromWilliams'Germanshepherd,Sheba.Martinalso
askedtotestdoghairlinkingWilliamstomurdersthatprosecutorsusedtoestablishakillingpattern
duringthetrial,eventhoughhewasn'tchargedinthem.