EVIDENCE COLLECTION
Arson
Significance: Accelerants contained within clothing, fabric, or plastics may indicate arson has
occurred.
Mode of Collection: Place samples in a metal paint can.
Bones
Significance: Analysis may identify the individual; tool mark impressions may assist in the
identification of a weapon/instrument and help determine cause of death.
Mode of Collection: Collect with gloved hands or clean forceps; place in clean paper or envelope
with sealed corners or well-packed box.
Bullet/Cartridge Case
Significance: Can assist in identifying the firearm used.
Mode of Collection: Pack tightly in cotton and place in a small box; place small box in larger
container.
Cigarette Butts
Significance: Extracted DNA may identify the smoker.
Mode of Collection: Collect with tweezers and place in a paper envelope with sealed corners or a
paper container.
Clothing
Significance: May be used in bloodstain pattern analysis; gunpowder residue may be used to
determine weapon-to-target distance; may be traced to a particular individual.
Mode of Collection: Allow to air dry and wrap each item individually in paper.
Drugs
Significance: Determine type, manufacturer, and effect; may explain cause of death.
Mode of Collection:
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Liquid. Keep sealed in original container to prevent loss or place bottle inside a heat sealed
plastic bag.
Powder and pills. Collect in plastic bag or heat-sealed plastic bag.
Fabric
Significance: May provide fracture match to fabric linked to suspect, victim, or scene; determine
origin, manufacturer, and possible link to the crime scene.
Mode of Collection: Allow to air dry and collect in a paper bag or container.
Gunshot Primer Residue (GSR)
Significance: Determine if a person recently fired a weapon.
Mode of Collection: Use a GSR kit preferably no more than five hours after a shooting.
Paint
Significance: Determine paint type and possibly make/model of vehicle; may conduct a fracture
match of paint samples.
Mode of Collection: Collect entire item containing paint evidence (if possible); collect
transferred paint chips with clean forceps or tweezers; use clean scalpels or razor blades to
collect paint smears and place them in druggist folds.
Collect paint standards with a clean scalpel or razor blade; collect and package samples of each
damaged area separately; each sample size should be a minimum of one square inch; include all
layers of paint (down to the metal frame of vehicles).