Crime & Clues

Forensic Palynology in the United States

Vaughn M. Bryant, Jr.
Palynology Laboratory
Texas A&M University
College Station, Texas 77843

Dallas C. Mildenhall
Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences
P.O. Box 30368
Lower Hutt, New Zealand

Introduction

The term "forensic palynology" is rarely used in the United States. Forensics pertains to evidence used in courts of law. Palynology is the term first used by Hyde and Williams (1944) for the collective study of pollen grains and spores. Years later, the discipline of palynology was expanded to include the study of a number of other acid-resistant microorganisms as well.

Today, the science of forensic palynology traditionally focuses on legal evidence derived from the study of pollen and spores, both fossil and modern. In its broader application, the field of forensic palynology also includes legal information derived from the analyses of other palynomorphs such as dinoflagellates, acritarchs, and chitinozoans. However, in most sampling situations forensic palynologists rarely encounter these other types of acid-resistant palynomorphs because most are marine and many are restricted only to fossil deposits.

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Forensic Palynology: A New Way to Catch Crooks

Abstract

Studies of palynomorphs trapped in materials associated with criminal or civil investigations are slowly gaining recognition as valuable forensic techniques.  Today, the country of New Zealand leads the world in the use of forensic palynology, and the acceptance of this type of evidence in courts of law. To illustrate how important, and diverse forensic palynology has become, we have briefly examined a number of actual circumstances where these types of techniques have proven useful. In most of these cases the palynomorph data were an important factor in either solving the case, or they were used to identify and link a suspect to the scene of a crime. We also discuss some of the strengths, and weaknesses, of using forensic pollen data, and why we feel this technique is still neither widely accepted nor used in most of the countries of the world.

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Condom Trace Evidence: A New Factor in Sexual Assault Investigations

By Robert D. Blackledge, M.S.
Mr. Blackledge is senior chemist at the Naval Criminal Investigative Service Regional Forensic Laboratory in San Diego, California.

This Article Originally Appeared in the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, May 1996.

(Offenders are changing the nature of sexual assault investigations by wearing condoms.)

In an age filled with potentially fatal sexually transmitted diseases, more and more individuals practice safe sex. Even perpetrators of sex crimes have begun to wear condoms.¹ It is not likely that a fear of disease prompts this behavior. Rather, just as a burglar dons gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints, sexual offenders now wear condoms to avoid depositing seminal fluids.

Forensic experts typically identify sexual assault offenders by examining seminal fluid residues for sperm, proteins, blood grouping factors, and DNA profile. When sexual assailants use condoms, however, assuming no leaks or spills, this valuable evidence gets trapped inside the condom, which investigators may never recover. The same can be said for any traces from the victim--including vaginal cells, blood, and saliva--that otherwise might have been transferred to the assailant''s penis.

Nevertheless, when assailants use condoms, they leave behind other valuable evidence.

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Serological Evidence in Sexual Assault Investigations

By Robert R.J. Grispino, M.A.
Special Agent Serology Unit, Laboratory Division FBI Headquarters

This Article Originally Appeared in the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, October 1990.

NOTE: The following article presents a purely scientific approach to sexual assault evidence collection. The scientific step-by-step procedures that are explained here should always be accompanied by supportive treatment of the victim. It should also be noted that the investigating officer will be responsible for both overseeing the execution of the medical procedures described and managing the collection of the physical evidence.

Police officers throughout the United States routinely handle and oversee sexual assault investigations. Yet, these officers rarely receive training on the proper methods to be used for sexual assault evidence collection and preservation. As a result, valuable physical evidence may either be overlooked or inadvertently allowed to deteriorate biologically. This article establishes proper evidence collection and preservation protocol in sexual assault matters and demonstrates how modern forensic serology can aid in the eventual successful prosecution of the assailant.

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