Strong Negative Conclusions in Hair Comparison—A Rare Event

This paper examines the veracity of statements such as the following: “Although one may not say that an evidence specimen of hair belongs to a particular person, one can at least assert that the hair did not come from certain other persons”. It is argued that such statements are not accurate and that a more appropriate description of the conclusions that can be drawn from hair comparisons would be: “Through hair comparisons, it is presently only rarely possible to determine that a questioned hair did or did not originate from a particular person. In the vast majority of cases it can only be stated that a questioned hair is or is not consistent with having originated from a particular person. Accordingly, hair comparison evidence is generally only of value when used in conjunction with other evidence”.