The effect of decomposition on body fluid detection and DNA profiling

Abstract

Biological fluids such as semen, blood and saliva are found associated with large volumes of crime [47]. Therefore how these fluids behave in different environments is important to the field of forensic science. Upon discovery of human remains, the amounts of information concerning the events prior to death are often limited due to the process of decomposition. Body fluids that did not originate from the deceased can often be hidden, therefore investigators are limited in their ability to piece together a chain of events and identify possible suspects. Limited research has been conducted on decomposition in New Zealand, with most of the research in this area being focused on entomology. This research investigates the effect that decomposition has on the presumptive detection of body fluids, specifically human blood, semen and saliva. It also seeks to determine if subsequent DNA profiling can be obtained from these fluids.