Can analysis of a small clod of soil help to solve a murder case?. Issue 6 (November 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Melo, Vander Freitas; Testoni, Samara Alves; Dawson, Lorna; de Lara, Alexandre Guilherme; da Silva Salvador, Fábio Augusto
• Is Part Of: Science & justice. Volume 59:Issue 6(2019)
• Page Start: 667
• Page End: 677
• Publication Date: 2019-11
• Subjects: Forensic science -- Crime scene -- Soil forensics -- Sequential analyses -- Iron and aluminium oxides -- K-feldspars; Forensic sciences -- Periodicals; Criminal investigation -- Periodicals; Forensic Medicine -- Periodicals; Jurisprudence -- Periodicals; Criminalistique -- Périodiques; Enquêtes criminelles -- Périodiques; Criminal investigation; Forensic sciences; Electronic journals; Periodicals; 363.2505
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scijus.2019.06.008
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1355-0306

Abstract

Abstract: Soil forensics utilizes extensive soil information to answer legal questions and test hypotheses. The main difficulty often is the determination of different variables from a small amount of soil sample collected on the suspect. We developed a sequential mineralogical and chemical analyses to assess a limited quantity of soil vestiges (0.5 g) from a suspect's vehicle (adhered to the outside rear-view mirror and to the left front fender) involved in a murder case and compared them with the surface samples found at the victim's body disposal site at the Graciosa Road, Paraná State, Brazil. All results affirm that the suspect's vehicle could have been in contact with the edge of the Graciosa Road, approximately the place where the victim's body was located. As a result of the soil analysis and comparison, the results support the likely contact of the suspect's vehicle with the crime scene. Highlights: From 0.5 g we obtained 22 quantitative variables. Soil from suspect vehicle shares similarities with the victim's body location. Data from sand fraction could excluded Curitiba and Colombo from the crime scene. Sequential extractions were efficient when there was a limited soil sample.