Differentiation of Cut Damage caused by Sharp Objects on Cotton Clothes using SEM Analysis

Abstract

Cut damage due to Sharp objects on different types of clothing is occasionally referred for analysis to forensic laboratories to correlate crime with criminal and/or crime scene in different kinds of cases related to stabbing, sexual assaults, robbery etc. Such examination is essential to help the investigation & to corroborate even the events of crime. Present study is focused on the correlation of the damaged clothing with the specific object/ weapon which was used and caused the damage. The end areas of the cutting damage on clothing are the most important factors for the correlation of clothing with used weapon(s) therefore morphological characteristics of the fiber-end of damaged clothing were examined using scanning electron microscope by observing different features e.g., frayed ends, fiber distortion etc. It was noticed that differentiation can be made between cut caused by razor, Paring knife, Lazer and/or Steak Knife by SEM studies.