Although not as strong as individual evidence in court, class evidence can still be useful and can sometimes become individual evidence. Class evidence can be used to narrow down a list of possible suspects in a case, so the investigation can proceed quickly. Well, the more quickly a suspect is identified, the more likely it is that additional evidence can be found.
In a crime scene, there will be a number of physical objects left by the perpetrator. Of course, objects categorized as “class evidence” are different from objects included as “individual evidence.” If you’re wondering what examples of class evidence in forensic science are often left by perpetrators, let’s dive into our post below!
Here Are Some Class Evidence Examples in Forensic Science!
In forensic science, “class evidence” is any physical object that can be linked to a group of people—not a specific individual. Class evidence serves as a mechanism to reduce the number of suspects. Objects included in class evidence are those that are owned by all members of a particular group of objects or substances.
The following are examples of class evidence in forensic science:
- Blood type
- Hair
- Fibers
- Soil
- Single-layered paint
- The glass fragments are too small to fit back together
- Type of handgun to shoot victims
- Thread patterns of a particular brand of shoes
- Anything that could be narrowed to a group of people but not a specific individual
Powerpoint Presentation of Forensic Science:
In Investigations, How Reliable is Class Evidence?
Any objects included in class evidence cannot be used as absolute evidence in a case. The evidence collected from a crime scene, such as blood, hair, fingerprints, footprints, etc., will also be circumstantial. Of course, they will require interpretation, and their presence does not always imply guilt. To use the class evidence effectively, a case should be constructed.
It’s important to note that both class evidence and individual evidence can become part of a case, but they are not the whole case. So far, class evidence is still useful to reveal a case, but it still needs various other additional elements to refer to the suspect.
Class evidence has limitations in revealing a case, especially who the perpetrator is. Indeed, many law enforcement agencies attempt to discredit class evidence because it cannot be limited to a single source. As a result, class evidence is still useful in the course of investigations, such as narrowing down a list of potential suspects in a criminal case.
How Do the Class Evidence and Individual Evidence Work to Identify a Suspect?
To make it easier for you to understand its limitations, we give examples of class evidence, such as blood and hair, that can be used to put an individual in a general category but cannot be used to identify an individual.
In a criminal investigation, the blood type could be used to determine whether someone has A, B, DB, or O blood, but it cannot point to a person. For example, investigators found that the blood type was B. Of course, type B blood can come from any of the tens of millions of people who have this blood type. That’s why blood type could not be used as absolute evidence to point to a person who is suspected of being the perpetrator.
To support class evidence, it will need individual evidence and other evidence to demonstrate that a limited number of people had all of the characteristics that are linked to the evidence left by perpetrators.
Individual evidence, such as the suspect’s DNA and fingerprints, will be crucial based on the blood type discovered. DNA from the blood evidence and DNA from the suspect will be tested to determine whether or not they match. If the suspect has type B blood, he or she remains a suspect. If the suspect’s blood is type A, he will be excluded as the source of the blood.
It is known that DNA and fingerprints are the most individualizing types of evidence to identify a person. In fact, each DNA molecule is a polymer consisting of millions of repeating units known as nucleotides.
Although 99.9% of a person’s DNA is identical to any other person’s, there are minor variations in the arrangement and composition of the various nucleotides, making each person’s DNA uniquely their own.
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