Fine resolution of pollen patterns in limited space: differentiating a crime scene and alibi scene seven metres apart

Abstract

In an alleged rape case, the pollen content of soil samples from the suspect’s clothing was compared to that of soil samples from the alleged crime scene (an alleyway) and from the alibi scene (next to a driveway) to determine whether or not the suspect had been at the alleged crime scene. Although only 7 m apart, the two scenes had significantly different soil pollen representations due to their different vegetation. Because of this close proximity, however, these differences in pollen representation were in the amounts of the same pollen types rather than in the numbers of different pollen types.

The clothing samples showed a very strong correlation with each other and with the sample from the alleged crime scene in the amounts of pollen types present, very strongly supporting the contention that the suspect had been at the alleged crime scene.

Keywords

Forensic science, pollen, palynology, soil samples, clothing, spatial resolution.