DNA Testing vs.

DNA Hair
Analysis
Avery Kelly
 Blue Star Demonstration
Procedure:

- Room must be completely dark.

- Place two tablets of BlueStar in a spray
bottle and fill up with 125 mL of water.
- Stand 6-12 inches away from the area to
be tested and lightly spray the Blue Star
(Don’t soak it).

After:

- The luminal in the blue star and the lead

and hemoglobin in your blood react
together.
- If blood is present the area will light up
blue.
Levine’s CMS Grad Project vs. Traditional CMS
● Oriented around one’s career
● Can be any style of writing
(argumentative, compare/contrasts, etc)

My Topic

Career: Forensic Biology

Problem w/ Topic: Very Broad

Solution: Research problems associated with

forensic biology

Result: Contamination of DNA evidence was

major problem
 Things Done To Assist With Project
● Junior Year:
- Worked 6 months with CPCC Huntersville
Campus Forensic Department on a crime
and testified in court.
- Built my own Gel Electrophoresis chamber
to study the separation of DNA and other
macromolecules.
● Senior Year:
- Continuation with working with Forensics
Department.
- Assisting Dale Callan in advanced CSI camp.
- In Progress: Working with biology professor
and Levine science department to see if I
can use a thermal cycler and do a PCR
reaction to multiply DNA to study DNA
testing and hair analysis.
 60%
Of DNA evidence has led experts to testify invalid evidence in court as a result
of contamination.
Ways to Contaminate DNA Evidence
● Personal Interview with Director of
Forensic Science at WCU, Dr. Kelly Grisdale:
- Paramedics/ Police picking up evidence
- Lab technician transferring DNA in lab
- Not storing DNA evidence properly (causes
to degrade)
● Examples:
- Using same fingerprint gloves
- Not changing gloves every time dealing
with new evidence
Cases that involved Contamination of DNA
● Thorsten Schwark
- University Hospital of Schleswig-Holstein
- Tested 6 cadavers that were supposedly
on clean autopsy beds.
- Swabbed for DNA: 4 out of the 6 were
contaminated with another’s DNA from
previous crime.

● Conclusion:
- Turns out protocols were not followed.
There were bags that had bloody
evidence on them and the DNA
transferred through
Contamination of DNA Case Cont.
● Case of Dr. Schneeberger
- Accused of raping unconscious patient
- Called in for a blood test.
- Manipulated the DNA test by implanting
a drain into his arm with another man’s
blood and an anticoagulant.
- When time came to draw blood,
Schneeberger was able to have
technician draw blood from a particular
part of his arm.

● Conclusion:
- Case closed until later reopened
 Hair Analysis
An Alternative to Collection of
DNA Evidence
How Hair is Used in Identifying Criminals
● Three Layers of Hair Shaft
1. Medulla (Innermost core of hair); used
to determine race or ethnicity of
suspect.
2. Cortex (Layer over the Medulla); used to
compare 1 hair to another… air bubbles
and granules help to distinguish among
the hair types.
3. Cuticle (Outermost layer); Used to
determine the species
 Stages of Hair Growth
● The root of the hair is most helpful to
investigators during hair analysis--
contains the DNA.
● Can also tell if hair was pulled out or shed
naturally.
1. Anagen Phase
- Root bulb appears with follicle tissue
- Tissue contain nuclear DNA to help
create DNA profile unique to everyone
3. Telogen Phase
- Root sheds naturally and has a club shape
- Doesn’t have follicle tissue; can’t DNA from
the root
- Mitochondrial DNA can be found and help
limit the number of people
- It CAN’T distinguish among siblings

2. Catagen Phase

- Root pulled away from the shaft

- Root bulb less round,more elongated
 Hair Analysis Case
● Sarah Payne
- 8 year old abducted and murdered 2000
- Murder: Ron Whiting
- Ron’s sweatshirt contained 1 strand of a
9 in piece of blonde hair
- Tested hair to tooth of Sarah’s she was
going to give to tooth fairy
- Turns out it was her and Ron was
accused of murder.
 Differences
DNA of Bodily Fluids DNA WIthin Hair Analysis

● Compare to enzymes: - No special transportation requirements

- DNA doesn’t have right conditions of
temperature or transportation=
degrades and is unusable
- Lose that “lock and key” method of DNA
for hair
- DNA within hair tends to last longer
even after the body decomposes
- Don’t see it becoming contaminated as
easily as bodily fluids
My Future Plans
● Major: Forensic Biology
● Minor: Forensic Chemistry/ Criminal
Justice
● Job: DNA Analyst
● Educational Level: After bachelor’s
immediately getting master’s. Hopefully
later PhD
● 2 Options:
- Work for State crime lab and hopefully
make it to FBI
- Join ROTC and become a commander
and do forensics for military
 Works Cited
“3 Stages Of Hair Growth Cycle Explained (With Pictures) | RichFeel.” RichFeel ™, 29 Nov. 2018, www.richfeel.com/hair-growth-cycle/.

“DNA Lab Solves Crimes, Changes Lives.” Columbia Business Times, 4 Sept. 2009, columbiabusinesstimes.com/2009/09/04/dna-lab-solves-crimes-changes-lives/.

Drahl, Carmen. “Forensic Hair Analysis Has A Long Road Back To Courtroom Glory.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 6 Apr. 2017,
www.forbes.com/sites/carmendrahl/2017/04/05/forensic-hair-analysis-has-a-long-road-back-to-courtroom-glory/#7f69491b144c.

d Times Blog.” The Harmful Effects of Too Much Video Game Playing, 27 Jan. 2012, spaceforswashbuckling.blogspot.com/2012/01/what-makes-blonde-people-
blonde.html.

“Hair and Fibre Linked Sarah to Her Killer.” Daily Mail Online, Associated Newspapers, 12 Dec. 2001, www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-89557/Hair-fibre-linked-Sarah-
killer.html.

“How Do Scientists Use Hair in Crime Scene Investigations?” The Griffin Center of Hair Restoration & Research, www.griffincenter.com/blog/2011/12/29/how-do-
scientists-use-hair-in-crime-scene-investigations/.
 Works Cited Cont.
Italian Society of Addiction Diseases, www.sipad.org/2018/07/02/the-effectiveness-of-decontamination-procedures-used-in-forensic-hair-analysis/.

“Morgue - Interior.” Unity Asset Store - The Best Assets for Game Making, assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/props/interior/morgue-interior-91772.

RR, Author. “What Happened to Dr. John Schneeberger?” Forensic Files Now, 19 Jan. 2019, forensicfilesnow.com/index.php/2018/11/01/what-happened-to-dr-john-
schneeberger/.