Crime Laboratory

Trace Evidence

There is rarely a perfect crime. No matter how careful, a suspect may leave behind a trail. A hair, a fiber, skin cells, shoeprint or tire tracks can lead experts to a killer’s door. The Lake County Crime Laboratory’s trace evidence section has modern instrumentation that can enhance the smallest fragment and the tiniest traces. A paint chip embedded in a bumper, a shoeprint impacted in the snow, a tire tread embedded in the mud, or the slightest vapors from an arson fire may be detected with the right equipment. Scientists gather the fragments and fabric and analyze them for their composition. Paint fragments can be traced to a specific manufacturer and then to a vehicle.