My niece wants to know: if she donates her hair to Locks of Love, and the recipient of her hair commits a crime and leaves hair at the crime scene, will her DNA be found all over the crime scene and thus incriminate her? She's 12.
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[–] 194 points 8 months ago (1 child)

As I understand it, the dna is usually sourced when the hair root is intact as that contains skin cells. Hair itself is keratin and can be type matched - eg coarseness, colour, texture, tested for chemicals (eg environmental, dyes, medication, recreational) which all amount to circumstantial evidence but to get a DNA match actual cells would be required. Assuming the donation is the result of a haircut and not epilation or scalping - she’s probably in the clear.

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  • [–] 70 points 8 months ago

    As a frequent watcher of Forensic Files, I concur. There is no DNA to match in hair. Donated hair is also washed in these programs, so any other sources of DNA, other than an attached root, is going to be washed away.

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