Postmortem Hair Analysis Verifies Heroin Exposure and Leads to a Killer

This case-report concerns the determination of opiates in hair from a 28-year old female, who was missing and found dead after 18 months. After identification through DNA analysis, toxicological analysis of hair samples was carried out. A gas chromatography-mass spectrometric method was used for the determination of opiates in hair, after thorough decontamination, solid-phase extraction and derivatization with BSTFA with 1% TMCS. The concentrations of morphine, codeine and 6-acetyl-morphine in the hair sample of the victim were found to be 0.083, 0.050 and 0.033ng/mg hair, respectively. The detection of opiates in the hair of the victim essentially helped the police authorities to associate her with her killer.