Saliva, Semen, and Stinky Dead Bodies: Locating The Evidence
The job of locating evidence can be quite difficult. It’s a tedious job that’s sometimes performed while crawling around on your hand and knees among garbage and other filth, including human waste and tissue. In order to prove their cases investigators are often faced with the challenge of locating nearly invisible items, such as hair, fiber, and DNA. They also have to deal with odors that can send even the toughest of all maggots running the other way. Fortunately, science and technology makes the job a little easier with products like these:
The Green Forensic Laser is used to locate hard to find evidence, such as bone chips, fingerprints, fibers, and narcotics residue. This particular unit is a battery powered device that’s easy to use in the field. The laser weighs 33 pounds without the battery, 42 with it. The price tag for this little gem is a whopping $45,000.00 which makes ownership for departments with tight budgets nearly out of the question.
The Poliray Forensic Light System is a hand-held light source that’s especially useful in locating evidence, such as fibers, paint traces, blood stains, semen, and saliva. The device is also capable of illuminating Superglued, Ninhydrin treated, and powdered fingerprints. $3,000.00
Bullet hole testing kit for the identification of, you guessed it, bullet holes. The kit enables investigators to accurately determine caliber, type of bullet, and the direction the bullet traveled. Cost – less than $300.00.
Your hero can’t nab the bad guy because the thug ground off the serial number on the murder weapon? No problem, if your investigator can put his hands on a Serial Number Restoration Kit like the one pictured above. The chemicals in this kit can easily raise ground away markings on steel, nickel, cast iron, aluminum and brass copper. $115.00
Presumptive blood test kits allow investigators to test suspect stains in the field. A positive reading lets your hero know if that odd, rusty-red stain on the carpet is indeed blood, or not.
Like Luminol, three Blue Star Forensic tablets mixed with distilled water allows investigators to detect the presence of blood. The bonus of using the Blue Star kit is that it doesn’t destroy DNA like the other product. $76.00 for the kit. Refills tablets are available.
Evidence drying cabinets are used to remove unwanted moisture from evidence. The cabinet also prevents technicians from contacting airborne hazards. $10,000.00 – $16,000.00 depending upon the desired size – small medium, or large cabinet. Built-in filtration systems eliminate outside ducting.
The odor inhibitor kit is for the investigator who has never quite become accustomed to the smell of decomposing human flesh and organs. A little dab of this vanilla-scented gel on the upper lip and it’s just another day at the office.
On the pricey items that a small town may need once every five years, is there no way to rent or lease them temporarily ?
How does the chemical kit raise ground out serial numbers ? That seems too good to be true.
Um, I dont need any body bags, however, thanks for the offer.
But wait, if you act now I’ll send you two free body bags. Even if you’re not happy with our evidence drying cabinet, keep the body bags as my gift to you. That’s right, two free body bags with every order!
Hi, I’m Billy Mays. Not only to evidence drying cabinets remove unwanted moisture from evidence, it makes a great space saver. And if you act now, I’ll throw in a months supply of evidence bags and 5 tubes of OxyClean(R) so you can remove those pesky blood stains. Call now and shipping is free.
Is there anything this guy WON’T sell?
Joyce – It probably is a hair dryer and they just charge $2,900.00 for it. You know how cops are. If it looks like a cool new toy, they’ll buy it.
Elena – The bullet hole test kit detects lead and copper in and around the bullet hole. I’d wouldn’t think age matter as long as the deposited material was still lodged in the area surrounding the bullet hole. I suppose, if the hole is exposed to the weather, metal residues could be washed away.
I can see where the vanilla gel could help. I’ve known some officers to use peanut butter. The odors have never bothered me to the extent that I needed to resort to using a masking agent.
Very cool stuff!
The Poliray thingamabob kind of looks like my hair dryer.
I’m curious about the bullet hole testing kit – are there limitations about the materials it works on?
Are there restrictions on how old the hole can be?
I can’t imagine that a bit of vanilla on the upper lip would be helpful – maybe a thick paste across the upper lip that smells like a hot pastrami with an extremely strong mustard!