Blood Stains

• If nearby the laboratory, send the stained object immediately.
• If not able to deliver to the laboratory, or if it has to be mailed, let it air dry completely before packaging.
• Hanging clothing (or similar items) in a room with ventilation; Do not heat the stain, or place in direct sunlight to dry.
• If the stain is not thoroughly dried, label and roll in paper, and put in a container [do not use plastic], and seal it. Only one item per container.

Dried Blood Stains

• Do not try to remove stains from cloth; If possible, wrap item in clean paper, and seal in a labeled container.
• With small solid objects, send the whole item to the laboratory.
• With large solid objects, cover the area with clean paper, and secure the edges with tape to prevent loss or further contamination. If unable to send the whole object to the laboratory, scrape the stain onto clean paper, which can be placed into an envelope. DO NOT SCRAPE DIRECTLY INTO ENVELOPE. Use sterile tools, and wash before scraping each stain.
• Do not mix the dried stains, put them in separate envelopes.
• Do NOT wipe dried stains using a wet cloth or paper.

Autopsy Blood Samples
Have the pathologist obtain the sample directly from the heart and into a yellow or purple vacutainer. If for some reason liquid blood isn't available, ask to collect a portion of the liver, bone, and/or deep muscle tissue; Freeze for typing.

Blood Samples from Live Individuals
Place drawn samples into yellow or purple vacutainers for typing.
If the victim is injured to where a transfusion needs to be done, try to obtain pre-transfusion samples from the hospital. The pre-transfusion samples are not kept for long, so ask for them as soon as possible. Make sure the blood-stained clothing worn by the victim has been air dried and frozen for a back-up.

Handling and Storage of Body Fluid Evidence

• air dry
• package in paper
• freeze

Condensation from thawing can make evidence invalid. Anything that is capable of producing condensation should be stored in room temperature, and delivered to the lab.

Blood

• Refrigerate, do not freeze samples collected in yellow vacutainers.
  
• Send to the lab as quick as possible.

Saliva

• Collect sample on sterile gauze or cotton swab, air dry, and package in paper; Do not use plastic packaging.

Seminal Stains

• Semen stains are almost always found on clothes, blankets, and sheets. Like blood, let the stain air dry, wrap in paper, and place evidence in paper bags; Do not use plastic.
• For sexual offense, a Sexual Assault Evidence Collection Kit should be used to get evidence. It is crucial that all directions are followed. The victim should be examined by a physician.
• Label all garments and pack each separately.
• If sample is moist, allow to dry before packing.
• Handle the fabrics as little as possible.

Handling and Storage of Fibers

• Hair can sometimes reveal the race of the individual, and what part of the body it is from.
• Human hair can be compared to see if the samples have a similar source.
• Try to collect as much hair as possible. If possible, place in small bags which can be folded and inserted into larger envelopes. Label bag and envelope.
• If the hair is attached to an object, leave it. If the object is small, label it, wrap it, and place in an envelope. If the object is large, wrap the area containing the hair with paper.
• With rape scenes, the victim's pubic area should be combed before collecting hair. Obtain any other hair samples to use for comparison. Fifty to one hundred hairs is recommended for head hair samples. DO NOT CUT HAIR. Thirty to sixty pubic hairs are required. Hair should be collected from all parts of the body.

Clothing Fibers and Threads

• If threads or large fibers are found, they can be picked up with fingers and put into a paper bindle, then into a coin envelope. Do NOT put loose fibers directly into a mailing envelope, because they can fall out.
• If there are short or little amount of fibers, wrap the area or the entire area, and send the whole exhibit to the lab.
• In some cases (such as offenses and assaults), it may be possible to indicate or demonstrate he contact between two individuals/one person and an object by comparing fibers. The examinations are only of value when it is known that no contact occurred prior to the crime itself. Extra care must be taken to keep each article separated. Each piece of clothing should be laid on a clean sheet of paper, and separately rolled up. If the clothing of one subject touches the other, the comparisons may be invalid.

Latent Fingerprints

• All evidence should be marked. Extra care must be taken when marking evidence, do not damage or destroy potential latent fingerprints.
• Lifted developed latent’s should be marked or sealed in envelopes
• When evidence containing latents must be lifted, touch little as possible, and in areas least likely to contain the fingerprints.
• Gloves and handkerchiefs can be used to pick up exhibits, but any unnecessary touching should be avoided. Even if using cloth to pick up evidence can be used to prevent the creation of more fingerprints, it could also wipe off the ones present.
• Papers and documents containing latent fingerprints should be placed separately in a cellophane or manila envelope. The container can be be placed between two sheets of stiff cardboard, wrapped, and but in a box for mailing.