Chemical Analysis of Processed Human Hair Extensions for Use in Forensic Casework

With the increasing use of hair extensions, it is possible that a hair sample discovered at a crime scene may be a processed human hair extension and have no physical or genetic connection to the individual wearing the hair extensions. This can be misleading in an investigation and result in a misuse of time and resources. Being able to identify a hair as a processed human hair extension may be valuable in determining its evidentiary value.  This research utilized ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to determine whether a chemical difference was present between natural human head hair and processed human hair extensions.  Three different hair extension brands and five different natural human hair samples were used in this research. Multiple organic solid liquid extractions were completed using methanol, hexane, 1-octanol, Colorist Secrets^TM Hair Color Remover, and chloroform-d.  Results indicated there is a chemical difference between processed human hair extensions and natural human head hair as observed in spectra on the UV-Vis, GC/MS, and NMR.  Peaks were present in the processed human hair extensions that were not present in the control natural human head hair samples.  This research is significant because it allows for the chemical identification of processed human hair extensions which may help in determining if the hair has probative value in a forensic case.

Courtney Cnossen

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Fingerprints and Ancestry: Is it all in the Details?

Research assessed if ancestry can be determined based on fingerprint characteristics. Ancestral backgrounds analyzed included individuals of European, African, Asian, Hispanic, and Native American descent. The results of this study provided important insights into the frequencies and likelihood of certain fingerprint patterns and minutia coming from specific ancestral groups. Important findings included:

• Sex is not a significant predictor of pattern type whereas ancestry is a significant predictor of pattern type.
• Minutiae types cannot predict sex, but are be useful in predicting some ancestries,
• The Native American ancestral group had the highest pattern frequency of whorls at 47.5%.
• The African descent group had statistically more bifurcations than all other population groups in the study.
• The frequency of arch patterns for European descendants was double the frequency for arch patterns within African descendants.

While this is a novel concept in forensic science, it could be an investigative aid used to include and exclude potential suspects based on ancestry or as corroborative evidence in a case aiding law enforcement in combatting and identifying criminal offenders. The results of this study, however, can only be used as a forensic tool for potentially limiting suspects and would not be admissible in court or stand alone as evidence as this could set dangerous precedents such as profiling behaviors within law enforcement.

Jessica Ford

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Driving under the influence of drugs (DUID) cases represent the largest portion of cases handled in most forensic toxicology laboratories.  Blood is a commonly used specimen and is often analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS).  A common extraction for this method requires two milliliters of blood.  Currently, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) Laboratory operates LC-based extractions which require 250 to 500 microliters of sample to complete, but these are limited to specific drug classes.  A general drug screen for forty drugs has been developed and validated using 250 microliters of blood.  An additional validation has been completed which required 100 microliters of sample to confirm the presence of thirty-nine drugs.

Danielle Ross-Carr -2017

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The widespread conversion of drunk drivers to drugged drivers means that forensic laboratories have had to drastically increase the scope of their DUI/DUID testing. This increased scope has caused an expansion of the types of laboratory instrumentation used. In an attempt to identify the instrument best suited for DUI/DUID casework, an in-depth analysis was performed that evaluated presently-applied techniques as well as emerging techniques.

Kara Sitton – 2020

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The need for greater focus on the validation and verification of tools has become more evident in recent years. The research in this area has been minimal. Continued research regarding the validation of digital forensics tools is necessary to help meet demands from both the law enforcement and scientific communities and to bring digital forensics in line with other forensic disciplines (as cited in Guo, et al., 2009). One of the most effective ways to perform validation and verification of digital forensics tools is to enlist the use of standardized data sets, also known as forensic corpora. This study focused on the use of forensic corpora to validate the file carving function of a common digital forensics tool, Access Data’s Forensic Tool Kit (FTK). The study centers specifically on FTK’s ability to recover data on solid-state drives (SSDs). The goal of this study was to both evaluate the use of forensic corpora in the validation and verification of digital forensic tools, as well as a serve as a validation study of FTK’s carving function on solid-state drives.

Kristina Hegstrom – 2016

The overall purpose of this graduate project is to provide digital forensics instructors at the University of Central Oklahoma (UCO) with a manually generated computer crimes case simulation that offers students a replicated real-world experience of what it is like being a practicing digital forensic examiner. This simulation offers digital forensic students an opportunity to apply their forensic knowledge and skills in a realistic environment. Secondarily, this project sought to develop a rudimentary computer crimes simulation design model. The case simulation provides scenario/simulation-based learning to future digital forensic students at UCO. The computer crimes simulation design model presents general steps and considerations that should be taken when generating similar digital forensic simulations. The generated simulation portrays typical “kitty” exploitation and illicit drug activities and consists of two computer crimes case scenarios, two sets of investigative notes, two search warrant affidavits, eight crime scene processing forms, a solution report with associated PowerPoint presentation for the instructors, the digital evidence, a bootable clone of the evidence, and a disk image of the evidence.

Maritza S. Jeremias – 2018

The field of digital forensics has become more prevalent in the court of law due to the increase of availability of technology. With digital evidence coming up in court consistently, digital forensics and its tools are coming under scrutiny and being held against disciplines that are more standardized. Wildson and Slay went so far as to call digital forensics the “neglected family member of the forensic sciences” when discussing the lack of standards in the discipline (Wildson & Slay, 2005, p. 2). In order to begin addressing this issue, we must start looking at the source – the tools. Validation and Verification of tools is vital to maintaining the integrity of the evidence received by them. Utilizing standardized data sets, or forensic corpora, as a part of validation and verification techniques has shown to be effective. This study will replicate Hegstrom (2016). This study will focus on validating the file carving function of Access Data’s Forensic Tool Kit (FTK) using forensic corpora on SATA drives instead of the Solid-State Drives (SSDs) that Hegstrom used. The goal of the study is to assess the use of forensic corpora in the validation and verification of one of the most commonly used digital tools.

Caitlin G. Willimon – 2019