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تسجيل

OTHER EVIDENCE COLLECTED

المؤلف:  Max M. Houck، Jay A. Siegel

المصدر:  Fundamentals of Forensic Science

الجزء والصفحة:  170

2026-07-12

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OTHER EVIDENCE COLLECTED

 Other evidence is routinely collected at autopsy for submission to a forensic or toxicological laboratory. In cases in which sexual assault is known or suspected, three sets of swabs will be used to collect foreign body fluids. For females, a vaginal swab, an oral swab, and a rectal swab are collected; for males, oral and rectal swabs alone are taken. One set will be for smears, where the collected fluid on each swab is wiped across a separate clean glass microscope slide. Smears are microscopically examined for the presence of spermatozoa. The second and third sets are for serological examinations, including testing for the acid phosphatase in seminal fluid and possible blood typing. Any other stains on the decedent’s clothing or body may also be swabbed for later analysis. Known head hairs and pubic hairs are collected during the autopsy procedure. These will be forwarded to the forensic science laboratory for comparison with any questioned hairs found on the decedent’s clothing or at the crime scene. A pubic hair combing is also taken to collect any foreign materials that may be associated with the perpetrator of a sexual crime. Any ligatures (for binding victims), such as electrical cords, ropes, or duct tape, are extensively photographed, sketched, and then collected. The knots should be retained for later examination by the forensic science laboratory because hairs, fibers, or other trace evidence may have been trapped in the knot when it was tied. The ligature is cut away from the knot and then labeled to distinguish that cut from any others that may have existed when the body was brought to the morgue. Be alert— not all cuts may be due to the perpetrator! Emergency medical technicians may have cut the ligatures, or clothes for that matter, in an effort to free or unbind the victim. If the decedent’s identity is unknown, a full set of fingerprints are taken to be referenced against any databases. For badly decomposed remains, the jaws may be removed to facilitate a forensic dental examination and identification.