Unit 2: Evidence

1. Unit 2: Evidence 2.3 Class/Individual Evidence

2. Class vs Individual • Physical evidence is broken into two main categories: • Class Evidence: characteristics common to a group of similar objects or persons. • Individual Evidence:can be linked to a unique, single, specific source or person.

3. Purpose of class evidence • To refine the pool of suspects. • Size 11 shoe print found at scene. • Guarantee suspect left print? • Guarantee suspect has a size 11 shoe? • No, but it does help focus the investigation.

4. Class vs Individual Evidence Which examples do you think could be individual evidence?

5. Class vs Individual Evidence • The large piece of glass fits exactly to the bottle; it is individual evidence. • These fibers are class evidence; there is no way to determine if they came from this garment.

6. Class or Individual? • A pistol was found in a theatre where a man was shot. A suspect known to have owned a Derringer like this one was apprehended. • Would this gun be considered individual or class evidence?

7. Class or Individual? • Can it be determined whether theses bullets were fired from the same gun? • How can bullets be individualized to a gun? Explain.

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