NCJ Number
113453
Journal
Prosecutor Volume: 22 Issue: 1 Dated: (Summer 1988) Pages: 35-38
Date Published
1988
Length
4 pages
Annotation
A forensic botanist can aid law enforcement officials in finding and analyzing plant material at the scene of the crime.
Abstract
A systematic botanist has the training and skill necessary to identify evidence and ascertain facts that are not obvious to a non-expert. Forensic botanists can use their knowledge of plant structure, anatomy, and environments to assemble sufficient evidence to convict a suspect by placing him at the scene of the crime or by establishing that an object or a body has been moved. The forensic botanist looks for plant material evidence on pants cuffs and pockets. Not all plant material is helpful, however, because not all plants have distinctive features. Many different plants have the same features. In addition, a botanist's knowledge of growing seasons can help to establish a victim's time and place of death. The addition of a forensic botanist to a crime investigation team can result in evidence that can be used to identify and convict a criminal.