Microscopic fibres can be just as critical to solving a case as evidence like weapons and bodies.
Forensic Science Professor Claude Roux spoke on the Crime Insiders: Forensics podcast about the complexity of fibre analysis in crime scene investigations:
Fibres are very thin threads from fabrics like clothes and towels, made from synthetic or natural materials.
Under a microscope, forensic scientists work to identify the composition and colour of the fibre and try to match it to fabrics from a crime scene.
“It’s uncommon to have what we call a match by pure chance,” says Roux, “you can go backwards from the fibres to what could have happened”.
Professor Roux discusses a homicide case where carpet fibres on the bottom of a victim’s shoes led investigators to the killer.
Hear how fibre analysis solved the case on the full episode of Crime Insiders: