Traces that bind: Composition, analysis and casework perspectives on adhesive tape evidence

Adhesive tapes are frequently encountered as trace evidence in a wide range of criminal investigations, including homicides, kidnappings, sexual assaults, and bombings. Their potential to establish links between crime scenes, suspects, and victims makes them valuable forensic materials. This review provides a comprehensive overview of current methodologies employed in the forensic examination of adhesive tapes. Emphasis is placed on recent advancements in physical fit analysis and a variety of analytical techniques, including spectroscopic, mass spectrometric, and elemental methods, used to characterize both the adhesive and backing. The forensic analysis of tapes in post-blast scenarios is also discussed, with a focus on the identification and discrimination of tape fragments recovered from explosive devices. Furthermore, the paper explores the effects of environmental aging, compositional variation due to manufacturing, the effects of substrates and fingermark development chemicals that can influence interpretation. The strengths and limitations of existing analytical approaches are evaluated, and future directions are proposed, including the integration of chemometric tools. Overall, this review underscores the significance of adhesive tape analysis as a robust and evolving area in forensic trace evidence examination.