Soil examination for a forensic trace evidence laboratory-Part 3: A proposed protocol for the effective triage and management of soil examinations

Brenda Woods; Chris Lennard; K Paul Kirkbride; James Robertson

doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2016.02.034

Soil examination for a forensic trace evidence laboratory-Part 3: A proposed protocol for the effective triage and management of soil examinations

Forensic Sci Int. 2016 May:262:46-55. doi: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2016.02.034. Epub 2016 Mar 3.

Authors

Brenda Woods¹, Chris Lennard², K Paul Kirkbride³, James Robertson⁴

Affiliations

¹ Chemical Criminalistics Team, Forensics, Australian Federal Police, Canberra ACT, Australia; National Centre for Forensic Studies, University of Canberra, Canberra ACT, Australia. Electronic address: brenda.woods@afp.gov.au.
² School of Science and Health, University of Western Sydney, Richmond NSW, Australia.
³ School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide SA, Australia.
⁴ National Centre for Forensic Studies, University of Canberra, Canberra ACT, Australia.

PMID: 26968018
DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2016.02.034

Abstract

In the past, forensic soil examination was a routine aspect of forensic trace evidence examinations. The apparent need for soil examinations then went through a period of decline and with it the capability of many forensic laboratories to carry out soil examinations. In more recent years, interest in soil examinations has been renewed due-at least in part-to soil examinations contributing to some high profile investigations. However, much of this renewed interest has been in organisations with a primary interest in soil and geology rather than forensic science. We argue the need to reinstate soil examinations as a trace evidence sub-discipline within forensic science laboratories and present a pathway to support this aim. An examination procedure is proposed that includes: (i) appropriate sample collection and storage by qualified crime scene examiners; (ii) exclusionary soil examinations by trace evidence scientists within a forensic science laboratory; (iii) inclusionary soil examinations by trace evidence scientists within a forensic science laboratory; and (iv) higher-level examination of soils by specialist soil scientists and palynologists. Soil examinations conducted by trace evidence scientists will be facilitated if the examinations are conducted using the instrumentation routinely used by these examiners. Hence, the proposed examination protocol incorporates instrumentation in routine use in a forensic trace evidence laboratory. Finally, we report on an Australian soil scene variability study and a blind trial that demonstrate the utility of the proposed protocol for the effective triage and management of soil samples by forensic laboratories.

Keywords: Evidence triage; Forensic; Geology; Soils; Trace.