Textileengineering Future
The successful exploitation of textiles in forensic cases relies on the capabilities of investigators to trace textiles and fibres to their original source, with the collection and recovery of textiles from a scene being dependent upon the requirements of an individual case (i.e. in a volume crime examination, the arrest of a suspect providing garments for comparison may result in the seizure of fibre evidence being a priority for the attending CSI). The examination of textiles is particularly important in cases that involve physical contact, such as assault, rape, homicide, burglary and hit-and-runs where there is usually an unintentional transmission of microscopic evidence. These types of crimes frequently result in the personal contact with another individual or object. The examination of damage (trauma, tears, rips, cuts, fibre disturbance, etc.) sustained to textile products and the transfer of fibres can allow for the recreation of the circumstances surrounding the crime and allow investigators to retrace the events that have transpired. For example, in the case of Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton who was convicted of killing her daughter in 1982 was acquitted in 1988 after forensic textile experts were able to prove that the damage to her daughter's jacket could have been caused by a dingo supporting her original testimony.
Last Updated on: Nov 27, 2024