“Glass as a physical clue is frequently encountered in crimes such as burglary, road accidents, and vandalism. The examination of glass evidence has depended, traditionally, on comparing the physical and chemical characteristics of a questioned fragment with a known fragment.” (Goodman,1998)
The physical measurement includes the observation of color, thickness, density, and optical properties.
Transfer of Glass Fragments
There has been considerable interest in the probability of transfer of glass fragments and their retention on the clothing of a suspect of glass breaking.
Glass fragments can be used as evidence to help place a suspect at the scene of a crime. Because different kinds of glass have different physical characteristics, types of glass can be distinguished from one another.
For example, chips of glass from a broken window may fall into a perpetrator's trouser cuff or shoes. A forensic scientist can identify these chips as part of the broken window. Similarly, parts of a broken headlight found at the scene of a hit-and-run can be used to identify the suspected vehicle.
Glass is a hard, brittle substance made of silicon oxides (sand), lime, soda, and oxides of metals. The metal oxides found in most window glass are sodium, calcium, magnesium, and aluminum. Automobile headlights and other heat-resistant types of glass, such as Pyrex, contain boron oxides.
If a glass pane is broken in the commission of a crime, the fragments of glass transferred to and retained by the offender could be evidence that he broke the glass. Thus, transfer and persistence of glass fragments, on clothing of suspect of window breaking, are important and crucial points in the interpretation of glass evidence. There have been several studies and experiments of these phenomena.
The presence of glass fragments (and paint chips) on outer clothing/footwear of persons, who are not connected with.....
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