From the 1950s and during several decades onwards, investigators used hair microscopy to connect hair samples found during the course of a criminal investigation to hairs taken from suspects.
Read moreBloodstain Pattern Analysis: Another Subjective “Science” Convicting Innocent People
Bloodstain-pattern analysis (BPA) is the analysis of blood stains, used in criminal investigations, providing information based on the size and shape of the stain. The bloodstains are interpreted by analysts to determine the distance and speed the blood traveled, the force used, the type of injury (and whether the blood was from a vein or an artery), the position of the body when the injury occurred, and any subsequent movements. However, this so-called “science” has proved to be problematic in criminal legal spaces.
Forensic Odontology: A Dangerous, Debunked "Science"
Bite mark analysis relies on two assumptions: humans have unique bite patterns, and human skin is able to preserve these unique bite marks for comparison, neither of which have been scientifically proven.
Read moreCan fiber and hair analysis really solve crime?
Among the list of “scientific” techniques often put forward as reliable in solving a crime is fiber and hair analysis. According to scientists and experts, however, this process is not one that can conclusively point to a crime's perpetrator, and its use has resulted in previous wrongful convictions.
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