North Carolina BLET Criminal Investigation Practice Test

The proper protocol for handling a victim's clothing before sending it to a laboratory involves sealing the clothing in plastic immediately to preserve any potential evidence. Clothing can contain crucial physical evidence, such as fibers, hair, bodily fluids, or other trace materials that may be essential for an investigation.

By sealing the clothing, investigators ensure that this evidence is not contaminated or lost before it reaches the lab. The choice to air dry the clothing, while it may seem practical for preventing mildew or odors, can actually compromise any evidence that might be present. Washing the clothing is also impermissible as it can erase important forensic details. Freezing, although it can preserve certain biological evidence, is not standard practice for immediate packaging and submission of clothing. Thus, the most critical action is to seal the clothing in plastic as soon as it is collected to maintain the integrity of the evidence for forensic analysis.