Hair samples were randomly obtained from seven male and three female autopsy cases. Hair was collected within 24 hours of death. In each instance, hair was pulled and combed from the head and pubic region. The sex of the individual was correctly identified from at least two of four collection sites in each case. FISH easily identified the presence of the number of copies of the X and Y chromosome signals. Overall, results were available in 65 percent of collections. Samples obtained from a pubic pull provided a definitive result in about 50 percent of the cases, and sample age did not appear to affect final results. The FISH technique proved to be accurate, rapid, sensitive, easily performed, and readily available and was able to correctly identify the gender of cells from hair as old as 26 days. 22 references, 1 table, and 1 figure