The Hamilton County Coroner’s Crime Laboratory (HCCL) is located in Blue Ash, Ohio and occupies a three-story building that was built in 2021. The mission of the Crime Laboratory is to provide reliable, accurate, timely, and impartial forensic services to the local and regional criminal justice community. The Crime Laboratory has an additional responsibility to assist forensic pathologists with determining cause and manner of death.
The Hamilton County Coroner’s Crime Laboratory provides services in Drug Chemistry, Firearms/Toolmarks, Forensic Biology, Toxicology, and Trace Evidence. The Crime Laboratory currently has a staff of 29 analysts who process 8000-10000 cases a year. Most of the casework completed by the laboratory originates from Hamilton County law enforcement agencies. However, the laboratory performs analysis on evidence submitted by agencies outside the county for a fee. The evidence accepted is for investigations, not only at the local and state level, but the federal level as well. The analysts, as part of their analysis, provide expert testimony when required. On occasion, the staff at the laboratory provide training and give presentations to law enforcement, universities, and high schools.
The Drug Chemists identify controlled substances, non-controlled substances, and diluent materials in seized evidence samples. They perform analysis on solid dosage type items including powders, solid material, liquids, tablets, and vegetation. They also perform analysis on residues from digital scales, syringes, packaging materials, and smoking devices. The Drug Chemists also perform open container analysis for ethyl alcohol content.
The Firearms and Toolmarks Section conducts a wide variety of examinations. Using valid scientific procedures, they conduct safety and function testing on firearms, determine general rifling characteristics, perform serial number restoration, compare ammunition components to determine if they were fired in a specific firearm, and determine if a specific tool made a certain toolmark.
The Forensic Biology/DNA Section uses technology and scientific processes to detect, collect, and interpret results from blood, semen, saliva, or urine. They use appropriate chemical and microscopic testing for determination of the type and origin of the biological material present.
Forensic DNA analysis is a multi-step process which involves extraction, quantitation, amplification, separation by capillary electrophoresis, and interpretation. The generated DNA forensic profiles are then compared to known specimens from victims or suspects or searched within the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) database of crime scene samples and previous offenders and arrestees.
The staff of the Toxicology unit analyze:
Trace evidence is the minute transfer of materials based on Locard’s Exchange principal theory. Trace evidence may provide a link between the suspect and victim, a victim and a scene, or the suspect and a scene.
The Trace Evidence Section examines an array of evidence including footwear and tire impressions, paint, glass, tape, hair, dye packs, chemical irritants, explosives, fibers, gunshot residue (GSR), ignitable liquids analysis and fracture matches.
The Hamilton County Coroner and Crime Laboratory accepts and returns evidence Monday through Friday 8:00 am to 4:00 pm at:
4477 Carver Woods Drive
Blue Ash, Ohio 45242
Phone: (513) 946-8750
Please call evidence receipt and let them know you are coming. This will allow the evidence technicians to prepare your agencies completed work for return.
Each piece of evidence must be sealed, initialed, and dated prior to submission.
Each case must be accompanied by a legible submission sheet.
The link below contains the current guidelines for the submission of evidence for analysis at the laboratory. The document is meant to serve as a guide for submitting agencies:
Submission Guidelines
Laboratory accreditation is an internationally recognized means for evaluating a laboratory’s management system and technical operations. Accreditation ensures that laboratories are competent and produce reliable, accurate results.
The Hamilton County Crime Laboratory is currently accredited by ANAB (ANSI National Accreditation Board) to ISO/IEC 17025 standards for testing, calibration, and forensic laboratories.
To maintain accreditation, the Hamilton County Crime Laboratory undergoes a full site assessment every four years with annual assessment activities to evaluate and confirm ongoing conformance. The laboratory successfully completed a full site assessment in March of 2023.
ANAB certificate
This survey is being conducted by Hamilton County Coroner and Crime Laboratory for continuing improvement. Your participation is voluntary and completely confidential. All responses will be used solely to improve forensic laboratory processes and services. The data collected will not be shared with any third parties, and no personally identifiable information will be published or disclosed.
This survey is intended for individuals who have interacted with the Crime Laboratory, including but not limited to law enforcement professionals, attorneys, and other forensic stakeholders. By completing this survey, you consent to providing honest feedback, and your responses will be aggregated and analyzed anonymously.
If you have any questions about this survey or the use of your data, please contact Tracy Sundermeier at tracy.sundermeier@hamilton-co.org.
Thank you for your valuable contribution!
4477 Carver Woods Dr - Blue Ash, OH 45242
(513) 946-8730
8am-4pm Mon-Fri
(513) 946-8772
Hamilton County Coroner & Crime Laboratory
Dr. Lakshmi Kode Sammarco
(513) 946-8700