GMS6362 CSI MOD 3 – FINGERPRINT DEVELOPMENT AND RECOVERY
Overview
· Fingerprints have been used for Identification in criminal investigations for over a century.
· The recovery of fingerprints is one of the most basic skills in crime scene investigation.
· It requires little equipment in its most basic form and can be used not only by crime scene investigators but other law enforcement personnel.
· Learning basic fingerprint recovery skills as well as more advanced techniques is one of the most basic responsibilities of any competent crime scene investigator.
3.1 History of Fingerprints
· Fingerprints were recognized going back to antiquity, though perhaps not in the ways they are used for identification today. At Lake Kejimkujic, in Nova Scotia, petroglyphs have been found that are many hundreds of years old with detailed drawings of hands and feet to include skin creases and basic fingerprint patterns. Seals from China circa 246-210 BC include fingerprints pressed into the clay sculpture and as part of the seal for contacts. Middle Eastern clay pots dating from before 1st century A.D. have fingerprints pressed into them by the sculptor for identification of their work.
Fingerprints recognized for identification
· Sir William Herschel was the first European to recognize the value of fingerprints for identification.
· He studied fingerprints and was able to demonstrate that they remain stable over time.
· Dr. Henry Faulds is generally recognized as the first to suggest that finger prints are unique and could be used to solve crimes. Sir Francis Galton, a cousin of Charles Darwin, is credited with helping to establish fingerprints rather than Bertillon measurements for identification.
Fingerprint classification systems
· In order for fingerprints to be used in court, their first had to be a fingerprint classification system.
· Several initial systems were created, but the first truly viable and widespread system for fingerprint classification was developed by Sir Edward Henry.
· The Henry Classification System allowed for categorizing ten-print fingerprint records into groupings based on fingerprint pattern types. This system reduces the effort necessary to search large numbers of fingerprint records and made it much simpler to compare known records with new prints from crime scenes. Newer systems, such as the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) have evolved from the Henry System.
First known criminal case with fingerprint identification
· On June 19, 1892 a double murder occurred in Necochea, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. This murder was especially appalling to investigators as it involved the stabbing death of two very young children, ages 4 and 6. The children’s mother, 27-year-old Francisca Rojas, was alive but had a slashed throat. A suspect was identified by Rojas, a neighbor who also was a possible suitor for Rojas. The suspect was tortured and in one account spent a night tied to the corpses of the two victims. Despite, or perhaps in spite, of the investigator. The suspect was tortured and in one account spent a night tied to the corpses of the two victims. Despite, or perhaps in spite, of the investigator’s efforts, the suspect did not confess to the murder and maintained his innocence. Furthermore, an alibi was established in that several friends said they were with him the night the murder occurred and he had been nowhere near the home. Investigators efforts, the suspect did not confess to the murder and maintained his innocence. Furthermore, an alibi was established in that several friends said they were with him the night the murder occurred and he had been nowhere near the home.
· Inspector Alvarez had studied under Juan Vucetich, another early pioneer of fingerprints. Vucetich had studied Galton’s early work on fingerprints and had expanded it, creating his own classification system along with noting points of identification within fingerprints. Inspector Alvarez examined the crime scene and was able to find one bloody fingerprint at the scene.
· Fingerprints were taken from the neighbor and from Francisca Rojas. The fingerprints were compared and it was determined the bloody print belonged to Rojas. Accounts of the case indicate that Rojas may have committed the murder because she was hoping to be rid of the children and encourage a different suitor who did not want children. Rojas thus became the first criminal in history who was convicted based upon fingerprint evidence.
Fingerprint classification developed in the United States
· William West was sent to the Federal Penitentiary at Fort Leavenworth in 1901 for murder.
· In 1903 another man, Will West, arrived as a prisoner at Fort Leavenworth.
· At the time, Bertillon Method was being used to document the prisoners. However, this system, also known as Anthropometry, relied upon physical measurements of the subject for identification.
· he two Wests’ had nearly identical measurements and registered as being the same person. This case led to the development of fingerprints as an identification method rather because the individual characteristics were much more prevalent in fingerprints.
· By 1904 The New York City Civil Service Commission, The New York State Prison System, Fort Leavenworth, and the St. Louis Police Department were all using fingerprints for identification.
· In 1905 the U.S. Army began using fingerprints and the Department of Justice formed the Bureau of Criminal Identification to provide a centralized reference collection of fingerprint cards. Over the next couple of years, the U.S. Navy and the Marine Corps also began using fingerprints.
EX: In 1910, Clarence Hiller woke to the sound of his wife and daughter screaming in their home in Chicago Illinois. Hiller confronted an intruder and they fought in the hallway of the house. Several shots were fired and the intruder fled. Hiller died of a gunshot wound. A suspect was caught and the crime scene was examined. A freshly painted railing at the window of the house showed the presence of fingerprints. It was determined that the suspect used this window to enter the home. The suspect, Thomas Jennings, was the first person convicted in the United States using fingerprint evidence. Over the next 25 years more and more agencies began using fingerprints at identification and it, along with mugshots, became the primary identification method used in the United States.
Fingerprint Characteristics
· Fingerprints are useful in criminal cases based upon two central principles: individuality and permanence.
· These principles, developed by the early pioneers of fingerprinting such as Galton, Vucetich, and others, are the cornerstones of Fingerprint Examination and Analysis.
· These principles are also key points in the ability to use fingerprints for establishing identification.
Fingerprint Individuality
· Individuality is based upon the fact that to date, no two identical fingerprints have ever been found.
· Individuality is difficult to prove scientifically simply because it cannot be applied to every fingerprint that has ever existed or currently exists.
· This would require the classification and analysis of every person in the world and is simply not feasible. However, it is well established that the prints of every person who has been fingerprinted have never provided a true match to another person.
Fingerprint permanence
· Fingerprints will remain the same over the lifetime of the individual, subject only to scarring or amputation.
· It is due to this permanence that they are able to be compared over many years or decades after the first print is recorded and used to make identification. In some cases, persons who went missing as children may be later identified as adults due to prints that were recorded or kept by their parents, or on art projects completed by the child. Even if friction ridges are carefully removed as a layer of skin, they will grow back unless the skin itself is permanently scarred away.
· Many criminals have made attempts to remove or replace their prints and most of these attempts either end in failure or in scarring that simply increases their individual characteristics. Even with scarring, there is often still enough friction ridge details that are unchanged that will still allow for identification of the subject.
Fingerprint Recovery
· An investigator will examine a crime scene and will usually collect fingerprints.
· There should be very few exceptions to attempting fingerprint processing.
· Even if a scene has marks that indicate gloves were worn, fingerprint processing should still be attempted.
· Criminal will often remove gloves once initial entry has been made for many reasons, including better finger articulation for small objects, warm or sweaty gloves, A feeling of ease once inside the home, as well as for inexplicable reasons that seem pointless to the investigator. If wipe marks are found in the scene, it is more likely that the suspect was not wearing gloves and tried to clean up.
· If the suspect has access to the home and all items, prints may be irrelevant since the person has a right to be there and their prints were expected. At this point it may be more prudent to focus evidence collection on other methods or processes.
Types of prints recovered at Crime Scenes
· There are three types of prints that are recovered from Crime Scenes.
· These are known as latent prints, patent prints, and plastic prints.
¾ LATENT PRINT: is a fingerprint that is not readily visible to the eye and must be detected and developed through processing.
¾ PATENT PRINT: is a print that is readily visible and is usually carried or created using some other medium.
¾ PLASTIC PRINT: is a print that is created when the finger is pressed into a soft material that then takes on three dimensional aspects of the fingerprint.
Latent Print Recovery
· In most cases, detection and recovery of latent prints involves the use of a powder and brush.
· The scene is examined and objects that were possibly handled by the suspect are examined.
· A small amount of powder is applied to the brush and the excess is shaken away.
· The brush is then used to lightly brush the powder onto the surface where fingerprints may be present.
· As the brush moves over the latent prints, the powder will adhere to the oils, water, and other items that make up the prints, making it now visible to the investigator.
· The print should be developed enough to see all the details of the prints, but not over-developed to the point that the powder begins to fill in the space between the friction ridges.
· Once the print is sufficiently developed, it should be photographed with a scale.
· After it is photographed it should be lifted.
· The print is lifted using fingerprint tape that is pressed onto the print.
· The print then lifts with the tape, which is re- applied to a backing card. The backing card is filled out with information about the print such as its orientation on the object, case number, lift number, lift location, date, time, and investigator.
· The print or prints lifted will then be sent to a Fingerprint Analyst for further comparison with known prints.
***While this section covers primarily the process of brush and powder, there are several other methods of latent prints recovery. Some of these methods include several different types of chemical processing, Dye staining, and Cyanoacrylate Fuming***
Patent Print Recovery
· A Patent prints is readily visible at the scene.
· Because it is already visible, it is likely consisting of some other substance than oils and waters that make up latent prints.
· Things such as blood, grease, paint, dirt, ink, or other items that are present on the fingers can be transferred to another surface.
· When they are transferred, the friction ridges are visible on the surface in question.
Case Example:
In one case, a suspect broke into a home and primarily engaged in damaging the home. A printer was broken by the suspect and the ink cartridge was damaged. The suspect was found nearby with ink on her fingers. Examination of the scene found several fingerprints left at the scene where she touched items with the ink on her fingers, leaving friction ridge patterns and prints that were clearly visible. The suspect was arrested at the scene based upon the ink on her hands and the ink at the scene, as well as other evidence. Further examination of the prints found they were a match to the suspect.
Recovery of Patent Prints may not be suited to dust and brush. If the print was left after bloody fingers touch a surface, dusting this print may obscure the previously available print. In cases with Patent prints, Photography may be the primary option. The prints should be photographed with and without scale. The camera should be placed in a macro setting so that it will capture all of the fine details of the prints, and the resolution must be sufficient for the print to be later “blown up” to a larger size by the examiner without losing the details and minutia of the print. If the print is on a surface that can be carried or cut away, it may be prudent to cover the print with tape so that it does not get damaged, then take the item or surface itself to send to the examiner. An example might be a bloody print found on dry wall. After photographing the print and covering it with tape to prevent damage to the print, the dry wall can be cut out from around the print. The entire surface with the print would then be carefully packaged in a box so that it doesn’t get damaged, and then sent to the Fingerprint Examiner.
Plastic Print Recovery
· A Plastic Print is a print that has three dimensional aspects to the print.
· A common example occurs when someone presses their print into modeling clay.
· The print is visible in the clay, along with depth of the ridges and characteristics where the clay moved around the finger.
· Plastic prints, much like Patent prints, require photography first.
· Depth of field is important during photography so that it better conveys the depths and differences of the ridges from the ridge valleys. In most cases, the plastic print can be packaged and taken from the scene.
· If the print is in a surface that cannot be removed, then a compound such as microsil or accutrans can be used to make a cast of the prints.
· This is a putty that will go into the print, harden, and is then removed and taken into evidence.
· The compound will create a “negative” of the print.
· This can then be sent to the examiner. The examiner will make adjustments to correct the negative and then will be able to examine the print for comparison. We will discuss these compounds more in the module on Tool Marks.
Fingerprint Examination
· There are two types of Fingerprint Examiners. The first is known as a Ten-Print Examiner.
– A Ten-print examiner compares fingerprint standard s to other Standards.
– A Ten-print Examiner might compare the arrest record prints of a suspect to determine if they have been arrested previously.
– The number of prior convictions for a defendant can affect their sentence on a current conviction. In most cases, Defendants will stipulate, or admit, that they were arrested previously and their sentence will then be imposed.
– In Florida, a person who is convicted of a crime has their fingerprints taken in the courtroom. A person who has two prior convictions for misdemeanor theft may be convicted as a felon for their third conviction.
– Therefore, they may not want to admit they were already convicted twice before. In order to certify their prior convictions to the court, a ten-print examiner will examine the records from the prior arrests and determine if they match the current fingerprints taken from the defendant.
– In some cases, it may be found they were not the person previously sentenced. This sometimes occurs when someone manages to use the name and identity of the other person throughout the criminal process. It is becoming less common as more information sharing has become the norm in the legal system, but still does occur occasionally.
– Ten-print examiners may also compare records for businesses, hiring processes, and other tasks. Generally, they will only be found to compare records and standards, and do not compare prints found at crime scenes.
Latent Print Examiner
· Latent Print Examiners compare fingerprints recovered from Crime scenes with known standards. Latent print examiners may receive evidence and process that evidence for fingerprints, and some may even come to crime scenes and develop prints at the scene.
· There is considerable training involved in become a latent print examiner.
· Most train under an apprenticeship with a Certified Examiner, conduct supervised case work to gain experience, and then become certified examiners. Most will begin their career working for a law enforcement agency and will be trained by that agency.
· Latent Print Examiners utilize the ACE-V method for fingerprint examination. It stands for Analysis, Comparison, Evaluation, and Verification. The examiner will analyze the prints and determine if they are of value. Next, they will compare the prints and determine if there are similar characteristics. Then they will Evaluate the print and determine whether to call It a match, exclusion, or inconclusive. The results are then Verified by another Examiner.
Fingerprint Examination
***Loops are patterns that have one delta and the ridges form a looping pattern. The ridges enter from one side of the print, loop around, and exit on the same side of the print.***
Arches do not contain any deltas or loops. The ridge flow enters on either side of the print, moves across the print, and exits the opposite side. These are the rarest of fingerprint types.
Level 2
Level 2 details include formations, defined as a ridge ending, bifurcation, dot, or combinations thereof. The relationship of Level 2 detail enables individualization.
Level 3
Level 3 details include things such as ridge dimensions, ridge path deviation, width, shape, pore, edge contour, incipient ridges, breaks, crease, scars, and other permanent details.
This consists of just a very short overview of fingerprint examination. Fingerprint examination is a detailed process that should only be done by confident, competent, well-trained and experienced examiners.
3.5 Summary
· Fingerprints are important in most Criminal Investigations. The duties of Crime Scene Investigators to make a proper search and recovery of fingerprints cannot be understated. Fingerprints have helped to solve crimes since the 19th century and continue to have high value today. Print examiners make identification based upon prints that are turned in for analysis as well as on prints they themselves develop. Because of the principles of individuality and Permanence, Finger prints continue to help solve many criminal cases.