A comparison study of hair examination methodologies
Kolowski, JC
Science Department, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University New York, 445 West 59th Street, New York, NY. Department of Forensic Biology, Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, New York, NY.

Petraco, N
Science Department, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University New York, 445 West 59th Street, New York, NY.

Wallace, MM
Science Department, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York, 445 West 59th Street, New York, NY.

De Forest, PR
Science Department, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University New York, 445 West 59th Street, New York, NY.

Printz, M
Science Department, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University New York, 445 West 59th Street, New York, NY.

(Received 30 December 2003; Accepted 30 May 2004)

Abstract
A study was conducted to investigate the accuracy between two methods of hair analysis: PCR-STR DNA analysis and microscopic comparison analysis. Standard sets of pubic hairs were collected from volunteers, and unknown sets were generated from these samples. Three out of five (60%) of the hairs analyzed produced full DNA profiles that were correctly matched to the standard sets. DNA analysis was inconclusive (partial or no DNA profile) for two out of five (40%) of the samples. In contrast, the microscopic comparison analysis correctly matched four out of five (80%) of the samples to the standard sets but mis-identified one out of five (20%) of the samples. These results reinforce the practice of preliminary microscopic hair examination in narrowing down a set of hairs for DNA analysis. Microscopic comparison analysis is sufficiently reliable to remain a rapid and inexpensive method for forensic hair analysis.

Keywords:
DNA typing, forensic science, hair analysis, microscopic comparison

Paper ID: JFS2003430
DOI: 10.1520/JFS2003430

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Author Kolowski JC, Petraco N, Wallace MM, De Forest PR, Printz M Title A comparison study of hair examination methodologies Symposium , Committee on