Posted: August 15th, 2022

Trace Evidence

Trace Evidence
There has been a murder in which it is clear that a person riding a mountain bike on the side of a dirt country road was intentionally struck down by a suspect. The suspect then stepped out of his or her vehicle and shot the biker.
A witness riding an ATV heard the shot and came on the scene just in time to see the suspect kick the victim hard a couple of times, presumably to determine if he or she was dead.
You have executed a warrant for the shoes of the driver/shooter and obtained the shoes worn by the suspect for examination.
Select a pair of shoes from your personal wardrobe, or borrow a pair from someone else. It is important that you select shoes that are at least 6 months old and are worn often (new shoes will not have much evidence on them. Using a household magnifying glass and a strong white light source—either a desk lamp or flashlight—closely examine the pair of shoes you selected.
Identify 3 or 4 items from the soles of the shoes, and explain in a 3–5-page paper how you conducted your examination, the type of items you found, their possible significance to the crime scene, and how you would recover and package the evidence you found.
Trace Evidence
At every crime scene, there are items collected representing pieces of evidence, for example, clothing, section of hair, or weapon used, such as a knife. The objects are the trace of evidence items that are transferred to another objection through movement when the two objects come into contact. Through a careful examination of the objects, the relevant information is derived, which is used as evidence in a court of law. The paper explains items identified after an examination of a pair of shoes collected at a crime scene and the process of involved.
The items identified from the sole are mud patterns, size of the shoe, and arrangement of toes as well as footprint impressions in the innersole (David, 2019: 2024 – Online Assignment Homework Writing Help Service By Expert Research Writers). A magnifying and robust white light source is used to identify the items on the sole of the shoe.A footwear examination is done by use of various issues, for instance, a magnifying lens according to the type of print identified, for example, the visible or latent fingerprints.
Suspects leave shoes at the crime scene for various reasons, for example, to avoid them from getting dirty from mud or blood while committing the crime. Most of the time, criminals remove their shoes from various clothing to prevent spit blood. The boot at the crime scene is compared to the unknown pump, making close contact with the selected shoe and analysis done on the outer sole patterns and the inside arrangement of toes and foot.
First and foremost, the necessary items required before examination are the biohazard kit, a magnifying glass, the white light source to view the items well supported by a lamp. A close view by use of a magnifying glass is done on the inner side of the shoe and the outer side to identify the items. The pump is also photographed on the inside to identify the internal features of the shoe. Shoe size identification needs extra caution because shoe sizes vary as well as some people wear bigger or smaller shoe sizes compared to the foot size. After close observation of the inner sole, the foot impressions are identified and compared to the footprints left at the crime scene during the collection of the shoe. For insole footprints to be visible, a white light source is necessary as well as a flashlight to provide the ultra-violent light needed.
The footprint is identified, showing a close and over time, the engagement between the foot and the innersole. The impact of shoe on the foot and foot on the pump is determined when analyzing the footprint impressions (David, 2019: 2024 – Online Assignment Homework Writing Help Service By Expert Research Writers). Transfer of footprints to digital captures and identifying the different prints made when the suspect was standing and when walking or running. Aspects of the footprint defined include the shape and position of the foot as well as the toe contour.
Footwear impression marks identified on the outer sole are the same as those left on the crime scene, which is determined by the physical imprint of the selected shoe, which has been worn for quite some time. The visible prints of mud on the outer sole are identified by observing with naked eyes and light without the use of any digital gadget (Bodziak, 2017). Examination of visible prints is done by placing the muddy shoe on a blank piece of sheet or cardboard to identify the print pattern and compare the design to the footprints left at the crime scene.
The footwear steps shows the surface was muddy; therefore, the impression created is photographed and casted . Casting is essential because it gives the features of inside and outside sole which naked eyes of photography cannot produce, therefore gives deep impressions. The actual size of the shoe is identified through casting, damaged surfaces, and the weight and depth of the footwear.
The significance of the items identified to the crime scene is, create a comparison between the footprints identified in the lab and footmarks left at the crime. Foot and surface interactions show the intensity of the perpetrator, primarily through depressions made by the foot, compared to those created while walking or standing on a flat surface. The distance between the suspect’s shoe reference points compared to those on the crime scene. The traces collected are useful in court in determining the qualification and level of experience portrayed.
Trace evidence is recovered , and packaged before submission where a file is first created to document the results acquired — taking notes regardless of where the examination was made, including the date, name, location of items collected as well as a list of items received. Documentation includes all photographs ,sketches of images viewed and measurements done, especially in identifying the shoe size — records of Techniques used during the examination, for instance, microscopic glass study, casting, or photography. Evidence is packaged by sealing the shoe used to avoid contamination and loss of data. Photographs and intangible evidence for footprints and sizes are adequately documented.
The primary aim of carrying out a trace evidence examination is to come up with valid and well-supported evidence to interpret the crime. Shoe examination is done by the use of a magnifying glass and white lighting for print visibility during an investigation. The footwear prints, size, and footprints on both inner and outer sole are identified, not forgetting the arrangement and toe contour.
The items are designated through observation method, photo-taking, and casting. Digital gadgets are applied, transferring the footprints to a digital capture used to identify the difference of the print while moving or standing. Actual item collected packages and if wet dried to avoid any contaminations. The invisible evidence is documented and saved into one file, for instance, sketches and photographs.

References
Bodziak, W. J. (2017). Footwear impression evidence: detection, recovery, and examination. CRC Press.
David, A. M. (2019: 2024 – Online Assignment Homework Writing Help Service By Expert Research Writers). First Impressions: Footprints as Forensic Evidence in Crime in Fact and Fiction. Costume, 53(1), 43-66.

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