The analysis of soil evidence to associate criminal tool and location

Abstract

The analysis of soil evidence is crucial for the association of crime scenes, tools, and people involved. This work presents a case of excavating ancient tombs to steal antiques. The soil from the criminal tools, tombs, and an antique were collected and analyzed. The color, element, and mineral composition of soil evidence were detected through microspectrophotometry, X-ray fluorescence, and X-ray diffraction. Chemometrics, including hierarchical cluster analysis and K-means clustering, was also utilized to assist in the differentiation and classification. The source of the antique was successfully inferred. The criminal tool and the location of the crime scene were also associated correctly. The soil analysis was highly supportive in reconstructing the crime scene.

Keywords: Case work; Chemometrics; MSP; Soil evidence; XRD; XRF.