Transfer Evidence
Definition
Material exchanged between people, objects and locations: hair, fibres, paint, glass fragments, soil, biological fluids. Direct application of Locard.
- Examples
- Hair, fibres, paint, glass fragments, soil, biological fluids
- Principle
- Direct application of Locard's exchange principle
- Direction
- Can move person-to-object, object-to-person, or person-to-person
- Persistence
- Depends on material type, contact force, and time elapsed
Common questions
How does transfer evidence differ from trace evidence generally?+
Transfer evidence specifically describes material that moved because of a contact event, framing it as proof of an exchange, while trace evidence is the broader category covering any small physical material regardless of how it got there.
Why does the amount of transfer evidence recovered matter?+
A larger or more varied transfer usually points to closer, longer, or more forceful contact, while a single fibre or fragment supports only a weaker claim of contact and needs corroboration.
Related terms
- Chain of Custody
- The documented chronological record of who collected, handled, transferred, and examined a piece of evidence. For digital evidence, chain of custody includes...
- Class Characteristics
- Features deliberately or systematically imparted to a group of items by design or manufacture, such as the calibre of a bullet, the...
- Conditional Evidence
- Evidence whose meaning comes from the state or condition of a scene at the time of the crime, not from the physical...
- Control Sample
- A water sample collected from the suspected drowning environment at or shortly after the time of body recovery. Its diatom assemblage is...
- Form 21 (Viscera)
- Standard Indian forwarding form for viscera and biological samples sent to the FSL toxicology division, listing exhibits, preservatives, FIR number, autopsy surgeon...
- Individual Characteristics
- Surface features on a fired bullet or cartridge case that arise from random or unique events (tool wear, corrosion, service damage) and...
- Locard's Exchange Principle
- The foundational idea that every contact between two surfaces moves material in both directions, giving the forensic process its starting premise: physical...
- Pattern Evidence
- Two-dimensional or three-dimensional patterns: bloodstain spatter, glass fracture, tool marks, tyre marks, fire burn patterns, gunshot residue distribution.
- Physical Evidence
- Any tangible item or material that can help establish or disprove a fact relevant to a case. Distinguished from testimonial evidence by...
- Tamper-Evident Seal
- A physical barrier (tape, sticker, wax) applied to packaging that shows visible damage if the package has been opened after sealing. Courts...
- Transient Evidence
- Evidence that changes or disappears over time regardless of investigator action: body temperature, odour, melting substances, or fleeting biological changes. Must be...