Cryptic chemical identification as a crime intelligence aid

A dead body was found near the sea and a commercial port in north-east Ital y. The man had been shot and then burnt, by using a large volume of fire ac celerant. The chemical composition of the flammable mixture had to be deter mined in order to aid police investigations. GC-MS analysis of residual clo th and soil identified a common gasoline, together with some unrelated comp ounds deriving from the container used to carry the inflammable liquid. A r econstruction of the event, an examination of the surroundings where the cr ime took place and the cryptic chemicals found, enabled the investigators t o restrict and intensify their enquiries within a specific area.