Survey of Glass and Paint in the General Population to Assess their Evidential Value

Olivia C. Duffett*, Lauryn C. Alexander, Oriana Ovide, and Tatiana Trejos
Department of Forensic and Investigative Science, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506

Presentation No.: 102

Assigned Category (Presentation Format): Physical Sciences (Poster Presentations)

Student’s Major: Forensic Chemistry

Glass and paint are common types of trace evidence encountered at crime scenes such as burglaries, homicides, and vehicular crimes. Additionally, these traces may be encountered in daily activities, yet minimal information exists concerning their frequency in the general population. In this study, up to six garments from 100 random members of the Morgantown population were sampled during the winter season using taping (clothing) and scraping (footwear) methods. Various microscopic techniques were employed to identify glass and paint fragments. Overall, 13 glass fragments and 118 paint fragments were recovered from the 511 items examined. Glass fragments were predominantly located on footwear’s soles (54%), while the majority of paint fragments were located on the upper surface garments (34%). Only 10% of the individuals bore glass fragments while 48% had paint particles. No more than 5% of the individuals had both glass and paint residues, providing valuable information to compare evidence found on potential suspects. This study provides valuable background information for the interpretation of paint and glass evidence in forensic investigations.

Funding: National Institute of Justice # 2019-DU-BX-0015

Program/mechanism supporting research/creative efforts: My efforts were mainly voluntary.