Comparing wood growth ring patterns to associate two fragments.

What is it about?

This paper was inspired by a case in which a portion of a tree sapling was utilized in a sexual assault homicide. As the break in the sapling was not clean, and hence prevented any attempt at a physical match, a method of determining the source of the wooden sapling section used in the assault was needed. This comparison of the growth ring pattern and thickness was the basis of providing strong class physical evidence that there was concordance between the two.

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Why is it important?

It provides us with a method of comparing a wooden sapling fragment with a purported source of the fragment. This can then be used as corroborative evidence as to the source of the item.