The Biological Evidence Preservation Handbook: Best Practices for Evidence Handlers

Published

April 23, 2013

Author(s)

Susan M. Ballou, Margaret C. Kline, Mark D. Stolorow, Melissa Taylor, Shannan Williams, Phylis S. Bamberger, Burney Yvette, Larry Brown, Cynthia E. Jones, Ralph Keaton, William Kiley, Karen Thiessen, Gerry LaPorte, Joseph Latta, Linda E. Ledray, Randy Nagy, Linda Schwind, Stephanie Stoiloff, Brian Ostrom

Abstract

The report of the Technical Working Group on Biological Evidence Preservation offers guidance for individuals involved in the collection, examination, tracking, packaging, storing, and disposition of biological evidence. This may include crime scene technicians, law enforcement officers, healthcare professionals, forensic scientists, forensic laboratory managers, evidence supervisors, properly managers, storage facility personnel, lawyers, testifying experts, court staff and anyone else who may come into contact with biological evidence. While many of the recommendations relate to the physical storing, preserving, and tracking of evidence at the storage facility, this handbook also covers transferring the material between the storage facility and other locations, and discusses how the evidence should be handled at these other locations.

Citation

NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR) - 7928

Report Number

7928

NIST Pub Series

NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR)

Pub Type

NIST Pubs

Download Paper

DOI Link

Keywords

biological evidence, evidence preservation, forensic science, law enforcement

Citation

Ballou, S. , Kline, M. , Stolorow, M. , Taylor, M. , Williams, S. , Bamberger, P. , Yvette, B. , Brown, L. , Jones, C. , Keaton, R. , Kiley, W. , Thiessen, K. , LaPorte, G. , Latta, J. , Ledray, L. , Nagy, R. , Schwind, L. , Stoiloff, S. and Ostrom, B. (2013), The Biological Evidence Preservation Handbook: Best Practices for Evidence Handlers, NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.IR.7928 (Accessed July 25, 2025)