0. Fibers
“Wherever he steps, whatever he touches, whatever he leaves even unconsciously, will serve as silent witness against him. Not only his fingerprints or his footprints, but his hair, the fibers from his clothes, the glass he breaks, the tool marks he leaves, the paint he scratches, the blood or semen he deposits or collects—all of these and more bear mute witness against him. This is evidence that does not forget.”
—Paul L. Kirk (1902 – 1970)
Forensic scientist

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Fibers
Students will learn:
The student will learn:
Types of fibers
Why fibers are class evidence.
Distinguish and identify different types of fibers.
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Fibers
Are fibers class or individual characteristic evidence?
CLASS
Why?
Cannot conclusively link a fiber to one person
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Carpet Fiber
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7. How was he first identified as a suspect?
Surveillance team heard a splash at a bridge and pulled him over
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11. Other prominent fiber cases
The Roger Payne Case (1968)
The John Serratore Case (1999)
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The Roger Payne Case (1968)
The murder of Claire Josephs in Bromley, England, in 1968 was solved in large part through fiber evidence. Her husband found her body. Her throat had been cut, and police discovered that a serrated bread knife was missing from the kitchen. At the time of the murder, she had been wearing a red woolen dress.
Lacking evidence of forcible entry and given the presence of a half-empty coffee cup and cookies on the kitchen table, police surmised that the victim knew her killer. Consequently, investigators concentrated on friends and relatives. When they interviewed Roger Payne, a bank clerk who had visited the Josephs’ with his wife earlier that year, they noticed scratch marks on his hands. Analysis of his suit under ultraviolet light revealed 61 red wool fibers that were consistent with those on Claire Josephs's dress. Furthermore, 20 rayon fibers found on Claire Josephs's raincoat hanging inside her front door matched fibers from Payne's scarf, which he had likely hung over her raincoat upon entering the home. In addition, investigators found fibers matching the Josephs's carpet on the floor of Payne's car. The fiber evidence combined with bloodstains in Payne's car that matched Claire Josephs's blood type sealed the case. Payne was convicted and sentenced to life in prison.
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The John Serratore Case
In June 1999, a New South Wales Supreme Court jury in Sydney, Australia, found John Serratore, 27, guilty of strangling Frances Tizzone, a 21-year-old student, four years earlier. The two had planned to become engaged before Tizzone broke it off. The verdict was based to a large extent on fibers that were found on the dead woman's shoes. Forensic scientists maintained that these fibers were consistent with fibers from the carpet in Serratore's car. Furthermore, they stated that the fibers would not have remained on her footwear had she taken more than a few steps. Hence the murder must have occurred while she was either in or very near Serratore's automobile. While the evidence could not establish that Serratore was the murderer, it did show that he was at least an accomplice and led to a conviction and a sentence of 20 years in prison
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Fibers
Are considered class evidence
Have probative value
Are common trace evidence at a crime scene
Can be characterized based on comparison of both physical and chemical properties
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Fabric
What is fabric?
Fabric is made of fibers. Fibers are made of twisted filaments
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Types of fibers and fabric
Natural—
animal, vegetable or inorganic
Synthetic—
synthesized or created from altered natural sources
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Types of Fibers
Synthetic
Rayon
Nylon
Acetate
Acrylic
Spandex
Polyester
Natural
Silk
Cotton
Wool
Mohair
Cashmere
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Classification
Natural fibers are classified according to their origin:
Vegetable or cellulose
Animal or protein
Mineral
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Cellulose Fibers
Cotton—vegetable fiber; strong, tough, flexible, moisture absorbent, not shape retentive
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20. Fiber Comparison Can you tell the difference(s) between the cotton on
the left and the rayon on the right?
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Protein Fibers
Wool—animal fiber coming most often from sheep, but may be goat (mohair), rabbit (angora), camel, alpaca, llama, vicuna
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Each year Rothschild Road in Emmaville is cleared for the sheep race, the income from which supports the town's museum. Approximately 100 sheep are entered into the one kilometre race. Each wears a coat with a number and the local people pay $5 a head to enter. First prize is $100.
The sheep charge down the street, chased by sheep dogs. Last year was a bit of a spine-tingler, because none of them wanted to cross the finish line.
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Protein Fibers
Silk—insect fiber that is spun by a silk worm to make its cocoon; fiber reflects light and has insulating properties
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These little fellas are known as silkworm.
Apparently they taste crunchy, oily
and yet soft on the inside!
Hungry yet?
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Mineral Fibers
Asbestos—a natural fiber that has been used in fire-resistant substances
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joint compound
mud and texture coats
vinyl floor tiles, sheeting, adhesives
roofing tars, felts, siding, and shingles
"transite" panels, siding, countertops, and pipes
fireproofing
caulk
gaskets
brake pads and shoes
clutch plates
stage curtains
fire blankets
interior fire doors
fireproof clothing for firefighters
thermal pipe insulation
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Rock wool—a manufactured mineral fiber
Rockwool is made by melting a combination of rock and sand and then spinning the mixture to make fibers which are formed into different shapes and sizes. The process is very similar to making cotton candy.
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Fiberglass—a manufactured inorganic fiber
Fiberglass is material made from extremely fine fibers of glass
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Synthetic Fibers (Made from derivatives of petroleum, coal and natural gas)
Nylon—most durable of man-made fibers; extremely light weight
Polyester—most widely used man-made fiber
Acrylic—provides warmth from a lightweight, soft and resilient fiber
Spandex—extreme elastic properties
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33. Synthetics derived from cellulose
Rayon—chemically-altered cellulose; soft, lustrous, versatile
Cellulose acetate—cellulose chemically-altered to create an entirely new compound not found in nature.
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Fabric Production
Fabrics are composed of individual threads or yarns, made of fibers, that are knitted, woven, bonded, crocheted, felted, knotted or laminated. Most are either woven or knitted. The degree of stretch, absorbency, water repellence, softness and durability are all individual qualities of the different fabrics.
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Weave Terminology
Yarn—
a continuous strand of fibers or filaments, either twisted or not
Blend—
a fabric made up of two or more different types of fiber.
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Weave Patterns
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Plain Weave
The simplest and most common weave pattern
Design resembles a checkerboard
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Twill Weave
Makes a diagonal weave pattern
Design resembles stair steps
Denim is one of the most common examples
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Satin Weave
The yarn interlacing is not uniform
Creates long floats
Interlacing weave passes over four or more yarns
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Knitted Fabric
Knitted fabrics are made by interlocking loops into a specific arrangement. It may be one continuous thread or a combination. Either way, the yarn is formed into successive rows of loops and then drawn through another series of loops to make the fabric.
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Polymers
Synthetic fibers are made of polymers which are long chains of repeating chemical units.
The word polymer means many (poly), units (mer).
The repeating units of a polymer are called monomers.
By varying the chemical structure of the monomers or by varying the way they are joined together, polymers are created that have different properties.
As a result of these differences, forensically they can be distinguished from one another.
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43. Filament Cross-Sections
Synthetic fibers are forced out of a nozzle when they are hot, and then they are woven. The holes of the nozzle are not necessarily round; therefore, the fiber filament may have a unique shape in cross-section.
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