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Today the evidence of forensic scientists ranges from footprints to blood samples, from hair analyses to identification of bite marks. Their work begins at the scene of crime, and their first piece of evidence is a body -- a dead body.

Before the body is removed to the morgue, the location of every item in the scene is diagrammed, and then the search is begun for physical evidence that could identify the killer. The killer could have left saliva on a cigarette butt, a good set of fingerprints on a glass, hairs on a hat, or blood from a cut. Once the possible sources of evidence are identified, investigators must be careful to protect them, as all too easily, evidence may be destroyed. If the murderer was smoking a cigarette and threw it into a toilette, the evidence will be gone if someone flushes the toilet. Likewise, if a police officer picks up the telephone at the scene of the crime, the fingerprint evidence may disappear.

The next step is the medical examination, and an examiner will arrive at the scene to confirm the death and check the body for injuries. The body will then be shipped to the morgue, where a forensic autopsy will be performed. This involves close examination of both the outside and inside of the body. The specialist will study the hands and face for signs that a fight took place and will remove any evidence, such as a bullet, that is in the body. He or she will also send samples of body organs to the laboratory to see if the victim took any drugs.

Besides testing the body for evidence, forensic technicians must also analyze all evidence the police have provided from the scene. If the murder involved a shooting, ballistic experts -- specialists in firearms and ammunition -- will also be involved in the investigation. Using a microscope, they will try to match bullets taken from the scene with any bullet holes found, they will also try to identify the gun. A gun leaves unique marks on bullets fired from it; in fact, marks on two bullets from the same gun are as alike as two prints from the same finger. In addition, experts will examine any gunpowder found around a bullet hole to see how far away the gun was when it was fired. By examining the gunpowder, they will also try to identify where the gun came from and on what day it was sold.

It is common knowledge that fingerprints can be traced to an individual person; likewise footprints can be used. "There are 46 points of measurement and 120 points to examine for shape," says anthropologist Louise Robbins. Footprints can also be found in people's shoes, and scientists like Robbins help the police match a shoe to its wearer.

Hair, too, can be matched with increasing accuracy. People's hair can differ in color, texture, thickness, and twenty other characteristics. "The hair is the garbage can of the body," says forensic scientist, Dr. Robert Shaler. "Everything you eat shows up there." Since hair grows one millimeter a day, an analysis can tell "if you took aspirin yesterday and drank beer from an aluminum can a week ago."

Perhaps the most exciting area of forensic science is the testing of blood samples, called serology. Recent developments have produced tests that can detect inherited characteristics in the blood and even a suspect's disease history. The tests are so specific that they can even tell the difference between identical twins who have had different diseases.

Murder is a dreadful business indeed, but let the murderer beware. The findings that come out of a forensic scientist's work may be very dramatic and revealing.