A murder was committed. To dispose of the body, the suspect(s) tossed the body from the car into a ditch. When crime-scene investigators arrived, they photographed the crime scene and drew sketches of the body. Hair evidence was found on the victim. Hair samples were collected from the four suspects; a sample of hair also was taken from the victim’s head. At the crime lab, a comparison microscope was used to examine each of the hair samples. Your task is to examine all hair samples under the compound microscope and record your observations. After reviewing all samples, determine if any of the suspects’ hair is consistent with the hair found at the crime scene. Support your claim with evidence from your investigation.

Not everyone’s scalp hair is the same; some is very fine, while some is coarse. Hair diameter provides us with another way to compare a suspect’s hair to the crime-scene hair. In this lab activity, examine the crime-scene hair with the three suspects’ hair and the victim’s hair by examining their medulla, cortex, cuticle types, and hair diameter.

Your task is to write an essay. You are an expert witness called on to testify in a court case. You are asked to prepare a presentation to the jury that will demonstrate that a particular suspect can or cannot be linked to the crime scene based upon the examined evidence. You should assume that the jury knows nothing about hair. Your paper should be typed, with paragraphs separating major ideas. Use spellcheck to correct spelling errors.