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14.5: Suitable wrapping technique

  • Page ID
    53202
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    Hopefully, the practice of initialing items of evidence, especially garments, that may be tested for DNA evidence has been discontinued. Placing initials on the garment may either contaminate the sample or provide a contamination challenge in court. Instead, garments that are of evidentiary importance to a criminal investigation should be processed in the following manner:

    • Lay the garment out flat on a clean sheet of butcher paper (shiny side up)
    • Be sure to use sufficient sheets of butcher paper to cover the entire garment.
    • Place a sheet of butcher paper on top of the garment (shiny side down) under each arm.
    • Fold the paper in a manner depicted below:
    Long sleeved shirt lying flat on butcher paper
    Two pieces of butcher paper on either side of the neck opening of the shirt and then the arms are folded over the paper
    Additional two pieces placed on top of the shirt arm pieces
    paper from underneath drawn up to enclosed shirt and packaging on one side
    Paper from underneath the other side now completes the enclosure
    Package now folded in thirds lengthwise completing the package
    Figure \(\PageIndex{1a,b,c,d,e,f}\): The proper packaging of clothing as evidence. Author's collection
    Label pasted onto the packages
    Label filled out and a bag with further labelling prepared for the package to be inserted
    Packaging completed with labelling
    Figure \(\PageIndex{1g,h,i}\):The proper way to package clothing as evidence. Author's collection
    • Fold the butcher paper small enough to fit into an evidence bag.
    • Print and sign your name, with the date along with the suspect information and date on one side of the outside of the folded butcher paper (or use a gummed evidence label) and affix a Chain of Custody sticker to the other side.
    • If it is necessary to identify an area of the garment that you wish to be sampled for DNA evidence, draw a picture of the garment on the outside of the butcher paper and mark on the picture with a circle and an ‘x’ where you want the sample taken (Fig. \(\PageIndex{2}\)
    Sketch of shirt showing where the bullet holes are on the right arm
    Figure \(\PageIndex{2}\): Draw the item of evidence on the outside of the packaging and indicate the areas where stains appear. Author's collection

    Should an agency require the officer’s initials to identify the item of evidence, they can tie an evidence tag to a buttonhole and then the tag is either placed outside of the folded package or tucked between two sheets of paper inside of the package. Try to limit the potential for contamination by not writing directly on the garment.


    This page titled 14.5: Suitable wrapping technique is shared under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by David Doglietto.

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