Which of the following items can be considered as Trace Evidence?

Trace evidence refers to small, often microscopic materials that can be transferred from one location or object to another during the commission of a crime. This type of evidence is crucial in forensic science because it can help establish connections between suspects, victims, and crime scenes.

Paint particles and textile fibers are classic examples of trace evidence. They can be transferred during interactions such as a struggle or contact with surfaces, providing important clues about what happened at the crime scene. For instance, if a suspect flees from a crime scene and leaves behind paint chips from a vehicle, those chips can be analyzed to potentially match a specific make or model of the vehicle involved. Similarly, fibers from clothing can link a suspect to a victim or a location.

In contrast, shoe prints and fingerprints, while important forms of physical evidence, are generally categorized under impression or applied evidence rather than trace evidence; they typically provide more definitive identification rather than the associative nature of trace evidence. Witness accounts and police reports do not qualify as trace evidence, as they are based on human observation and documentation rather than physical materials.