Can tiny pieces of moss become crime-busters?
Yes, according to a new study examining how law enforcement agencies, forensic teams and botanists have used moss to solve murders, track missing people, calculate how long ago someone died and – in a notorious western Michigan case, try to locate the body of a baby murdered by her father.
Fragments and shoots of moss “are easily detached or broken off and can become attached to items such as shoes, clothing or vehicles and can exist in samples of soil, dirt or other debris,” the study said. “They could be useful in establishing associations between an individual and a crime scene.”…