Hair and Fiber: A History & Techniques Used to Identify

Hair and Fiber analysis is a field in forensics that has evolved and become key as evidence in trials across the nation. Hair and fiber analysis has played an important role in solving crimes, used in the Leo Rank Trial of 1913 to match the hairs of the victim with the crime scene. Hair analysis was also used in the Trial of Sacco and Vanzetti to match hairs found in a cap to those taken from Sacco. Here are some links to famous criminal cases which involved the use of hair and fiber analysis:

http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/SaccoV/s&vaccount.html
http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/frank/frankaccount.html

Most comparisons of hair and fiber are done with a microscope, although fibers can be run through a spectrometer (spectroscopic analysis) to determine the unknown material. A forensic scientist will take hairs from the crime scene and samples from the suspects to try and make matches. Samples from the suspects should number about 15-25 strands from different locations so as to get an accurate match.