BLOOD, POWDER, AND RESIDUEHow Crime Labs Translate Evidence Into ProofBy Beth A. BechkyLocard’s principle states that any contact between two objects results in an exchange. In crime scene parlance, that means stuff left behind. Clues such as blood, powder and residue are the primary sources of forensic science and what make it such a powerful tool. And “Blood, Powder, and Residue” grew out of her observations at a Midwestern crime laboratory. For those working in these units, three overlapping social settings determine much of their world: the lab, the criminal justice system and the broader public.

Source: New York Times January 26, 2021 17:26 UTC