Tooth (n=15) and hair (n=19) samples were collected during autopsy and stored at room temperature for 1 to 3 years before the DNA was extracted. The samples represented 20 unrelated individuals in varied stages of decomposition: putrefied (n=14), burned (n=5), and drowned (n=1). The hair samples were cut hair shafts without the hair root and included both scalp and pubic hair. Tooth specimens consisted of incisors, canines, premolars, and molars. Fourteen of the samples were in various stages of putrefaction. Nine of these cases had a time since death estimated at less than 72 hours, with mild to moderate putrefaction. Severe putrefaction was observed in five cases that had a time since death of greater than 72 hours. There were five cases in which the individuals had undergone severe incineration. Enzymatic amplification and manual sequencing of the first segments of the mitochondrial hypervariable region were performed successfully on each of the 20 autopsied individuals. The results show that the silica-based extraction method produces mtDNA suitable for genetic identification from forensic samples that include hair shafts and teeth. 2 tables and 27 references