Wayne Williams Case Study

Soon after Williams was declared a suspect, the investigators searched his house and determined the source of the manufacturer of the fibers. Numerical probability was employed in determining the households with carpets manufactured by West Point Pepperell. The fiber evidence associating William with the murder case were overwhelming and as a result, Williams was sentenced to two life terms. The paper discusses the fiber evidence that was introduced during the trial and argues that other critical aspects of the case were neglected. It also reveals how William’s case was unique in terms of the use of trace evidence as other forms of evidence were used in corroborating and supporting the fiber evidence. Such evidence helps in determining whether a given person has in any way come into contact with a particular object, another person, or even place.

Nonetheless, defense lawyers and law-enforcement officials alike seem to reach a consensus that hair and fiber analysis, which is normally used in bolstering other forms of evidence, is still an inexact science where the quality of both interpretations and results that are based on them can at times vary markedly. The following academic paper explores the case of William Wayne and what is represents concerning the utilization of trace fibers in courts as evidence. Wayne Williams Case Between the years 1979 and 1981, the Atlanta community was terrorized by a succession of brutal stranglings. Although the police linked approximately 29 homicides to the same killer, they had inadequate forensic evidence, which could have been used in tracking down the killer. Throughout the suspect's house, the yellow-green fibers on the victims' bodies were similar to the carpet.

It was discovered that the fibers on William's carpeting were similar to those found on the victims' clothing. Owing to the fiber evidence, William was found guilty if the killings by the jury and sentenced to two life terms. The trace evidence (fiber) In this case, the essential part involved the linkage of the fibrous debris that was removed from the victims’ bodies with the objects from William’s daily environment especially the carpet. Although fiber evidence has been a critical part in various criminal cases, the case of William was different from the other cases in several aspects. However, during William's case, the trace examiners discovered the fibers could not be excepted when finding the connection between the murder cases.

Through the identification of the fiber to the carpeting and finding the manufacturer of the carpet beside computing probability statistics regarding the chance that there could have been from somewhere else apart from William's home, the investigators were in a position to use the trace evidence in tying the victims to Wayne William. Through making numerous contacts with carpet manufacturers and yarn spinners, it was determined that a certain manufacturer by the name West Point Pepperell Corporation had Luxaire, a line of carpets similar to William's carpet both through the use of instrumental tests plus discriminating chemicals and visually. In the discussion concerning the strength and significance of a connection based on the fiber, it was stressed that the association is stronger when the fibers are more uncommon.

The fiber items collected from William's environment could best be termed as uncommon. Conclusion In conclusion, the paper has analyzed the use of trace evidence in Wayne William’s case. The trace evidence that was used during the trial included fiber and hair. The fiber types found on the victims linked William to the criminal acts. The yellow-green nylon fiber which was found on the floor carpeting and the other fiber found on the suspect's automobile was also found on the bodies of two victims. the probability that the fibers belonged to one person were calculated and as a result, William was sentenced to two life terms. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press LLC. ISBN-13:978-1-4398-5302-3 (Ch 4). Kiely, T.