Soil forensics is not only a well‐established research domain but has also been used in numerous successful international searches for burials and as trace evidence to help police and law enforcement in solving criminal, environmental and terrorism investigations. However, despite the confidentiality and legal constraints in case work in many parts of the world, some actual case studies using soil materials as evidence in court hearings have been published in international journals and books. This paper presents a case from the Campania region in Italy where soil analysis played a pivotal role. Employing a multiscale integrated approach encompassing soil microtomography, morphology, chemical analysis and geography, the study aimed to discern the origin of questioned soil residues found on a victim of crime. Results highlight the significance of considering spatial variability and an appropriate choice of analytical methods. The sequential and multiscale approach facilitated timely investigation without incurring unnecessary costs. Soil morphological and chemical analysis revealed inconsistencies between soil on the victim and soil at the suspected crime scenes, narrowing the investigative area down to approximately one square km. While detailed sampling did not yield statistically significant results, the evidence provided crucial insights, aiding investigators in working out what happened and helped in building a narrative around their case. The analysis indicated contact with a primary scene where the victim was likely dragged (over a Calcisol) and a final deposition site (over an Andosol) where the body was found. While potential murder sites were excluded, final guilt attribution remained inconclusive, and as in all trace evidence evaluation, it is not the role of the forensic soil scientist to consider the level of guilt, but to provide factual soil forensic evidence to assist the justice system. This study exemplifies the use of soil forensics in informing criminal investigations and highlights the complexities that can be involved in establishing comparability between soil samples.

中文翻译：

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应用于意大利一起悬而未决的谋杀案的综合多尺度法医土壤科学


土壤法医学不仅是一个成熟的研究领域，而且还被用于许多成功的国际墓葬搜索，并作为痕迹证据来帮助警察和执法部门解决刑事、环境和恐怖主义调查。然而，尽管世界许多地方的案件工作存在保密性和法律限制，但一些在法庭听证会上使用土壤材料作为证据的实际案例研究已在国际期刊和书籍中发表。本文介绍了意大利坎帕尼亚地区的一个案例，其中土壤分析发挥了关键作用。该研究采用包括土壤显微断层扫描、形态学、化学分析和地理学在内的多尺度综合方法，旨在辨别在犯罪受害者身上发现的有问题的土壤残留物的来源。结果突出了考虑空间变异性和适当选择分析方法的重要性。顺序和多尺度方法有助于及时调查，而不会产生不必要的成本。土壤形态和化学分析显示，受害者身上的土壤与疑似犯罪现场的土壤不一致，将调查范围缩小到大约一平方公里。虽然详细的抽样没有产生具有统计学意义的结果，但证据提供了重要的见解，帮助调查人员弄清楚发生了什么，并有助于围绕他们的案件建立叙述。分析表明，与受害者可能被拖拽（通过 Calcisol）的主要现场和发现尸体的最终沉积地点（通过 Andosol）接触。 虽然排除了潜在的谋杀地点，但最终的罪责归属仍然没有定论，并且与所有痕迹证据评估一样，法医土壤科学家的职责不是考虑罪责的程度，而是提供事实土壤法医证据以协助司法系统。这项研究举例说明了土壤取证在为刑事调查提供信息方面的使用，并强调了建立土壤样本之间可比性可能涉及的复杂性。