In interviewing a rape victim who reports the suspect bit her and she scratched his face, which types of evidence would be useful?

• A. Only witness statements
• B. DNA under fingernails and hairs
• C. Analysis of hairs, DNA under fingernails, and bite marks
• D. Photographs only

Answer: (C)

When a rape victim reports a struggle that included biting and scratching, gathering a mix of trace and biological evidence is crucial to link the suspect to the scene and corroborate the account. Scratches can transfer the suspect’s DNA under the victim’s fingernails, so collecting DNA from under the nails is a high-yield step. Hair evidence is also valuable because hair can transfer between the parties during the struggle and can be compared to the suspect for identification or linked to the scene. Bite marks on the victim provide another avenue: they can yield saliva DNA from the suspect and can be examined for a dental pattern match to the suspect. Photographs document injuries, and witness statements are important, but they don’t establish identity on their own. Combining these types of evidence—fingernail DNA, hairs, and bite-mark evidence—gives the strongest, most corroborated picture of what happened and who was involved.