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Minerva Medicolegale 2005 December;125(4):201-12

Copyright © 2005 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Crime scene investigations and advanced crime scene techniques

Anslinger K.

In recent years the investigation of crime scene traces has changed significantly. Although the morphological description of the stain pattern remains the basis of all crime scene investigations, the variety and sensitivity of pretests for the determination of the biological source has increased considerably. However, far more changes have occurred with regard to specificity of the analyses used. The new DNA based investigation methods enable reliable wide range determination of the identity of the individual concerned from all relevant biological sources, including contact stains. This article presents a concise review of the methods currently used in forensic laboratories, spanning from the various pretests to DNA based investigations.