Determination of relevant sampling locations for burglary investigations

Residential burglaries often go unsolved, as collected DNA traces and fingermarks frequently originate from residents rather than the offender. It is therefore important to know how to target sampling locations that specifically relate to the burglary event. However, data that aid in assessing the likelihood of a burglar touching certain surfaces, and, consequently leaving trace evidence, is unavailable. Instead, forensic examiners rely primarily on their personal experience and expertise to determine where burglary-related traces are most likely to be found. The current study aims to identify specific areas that are contacted during different types of interactions with points of entry. An experiment was conducted at a Dutch music festival, where participants simulated both a legitimate and burglary scenario. Using paint, the points of contact between the participants' hands and the experimental set-up were recorded. The contact locations of all participants were combined using heatmaps to reveal the patterns of contact. We found that different burglary methods lead to distinct contact patterns, indicating specific areas where traces are most likely to be deposited. Our findings can support forensic examiners in making evidence-based decisions during search strategies in burglary investigations.