Forensics Fingerprinting

Dactyloscopy

the study of fingerprints

Koala

One of the few mammals that has fingerprints.

Prehistoric uses of fingerprints

Babylon-business transactions

Ancient China- clay seals

Persia - government papers

Sir William James Herschel

noted that fingerprints could prove or disprove identity; believed that all fingerprints were unique to the individual.

Dr. Henry Faulds - 1880

recognized the importance of fingerprints as a means of identification from crime scenes and devised a method of classification as well.

Sir Francis Galton

Father of contemporary fingerprinting; he published his book, "Fingerprints", establishing the individuality and permanence of fingerprints. The book included the first classification system for fingerprints.

First use of fingerprints in a criminal case

Juan Vucetich made the first criminal fingerprint identification. He was able to identify Francisca Rojas (murdered her two sons )

1908

The first official fingerprint card was developed

1911

Fingerprints are first accepted by U.S. courts as a

reliable means of Identification.

Thomas Jennings

the first person to be convicted of murder in the United States based on fingerprint evidence; executed in 1912

Edmond Locard

wrote that if 12 points (Galton's Details) were the same between two fingerprints, it would suffice as a positive identification.

True

True or False: there is "NO" required number

of points necessary for an identification.

To provide a firmer grip and resist slippage

What is the purpose of the ridges that make up a fingerprint?

Loop, Whorl, Arch

The 3 classes of fingerprints

Radial loop

opens toward the thumb

Ulnar loop

opens toward pinky

Class

Is the type of print (Loop, Arch or Whorl) class or individual evidence?

minutiae

The individuality of a fingerprint is not determined by its general shape or pattern, but by the careful study of its ridge characteristics, known as

Definition of Minutiae

characteristics of ridges or patterns

Core

The central pattern in the middle of the print

Delta

A small “up-side-down” V shape that appears within most fingerprint patterns

Type Line

The ridges that diverge (separate) above and below the delta

Patent prints

Usually quite easy to see and may be in blood, ink, grease, oil or some other contaminant on the hands

Plastic prints

Three-dimensional (3-D) in putty, or a similar soft material, that can reproduce the ridges cleanly

Latent Prints

prints left behind from the oil and sweat from your hand; usually invisible to naked eye; referred to as invisible prints

Powders, iodine, ninhydrin, silver nitrate, cyanoacrylate

developing latent prints:

powders

adhere to both water and fatty deposits. Choose a color to contrast the background.

iodine

fumes react with oils and fats to produce a temporary yellow brown reaction.

ninhydrin

reacts with amino acids to produce a purple color.

silver nitrate

reacts with chloride to form silver chloride, a material which turns gray when exposed to light.

cyanoacrylate

“super glue” fumes react with water and other fingerprint constituents to form a hard, whitish deposit.

IAFAS

The Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System- This system most commonly compares ridge endings and bifurcations

ridge ending

the point where a ridge ends abruptly

enclosure

Formation where ridge bifurcates and rejoins. to be one in a short distance

bifurcation

Point where a friction ridge forks and becomes two separate ridges.

island

a single friction ridge that begins, continues for a short distance longer than the width, and then ends, disconnected on both ends.