1. FINGERPRINTS
CHAP. 14

2. History of Fingerprinting
1883 Bertillon System
Portrait Parle- verbal eyewitness description, physical characteristics, dress
Photographs
Anthropometry- skeleton does not change after 20 y.o., 11 body measurements (height, reach, head width, left foot length)
Used for ~ 20 years

3. History of Fingerprinting
Chinese used fingerprints to sign legal documents 3000 years ago
1800’s William Herschel required Indian natives to “sign” contracts with hand imprint
1880 Henry Fauld published the importance of fingerprints for identification (thief confesses when fingerprints compared)

4. History of Fingerprinting
1892 Francis Galton publishes Finger Prints
Anatomy of FP
Methods for identifying and recording
Three patterns (loops, arches, whorls)
No two prints alike *(calculations 64 billion)
FP stay the same
British government adopts system as supplement to the Bertillon system

5. History of Fingerprinting
1891 Dr. Juan Vucetich devises workable classification system
1897 Sir Edward Henry’s classification system adopted by Scotland Yard in 1901
Similar version used in United States
1903 Fingerprints distinguished prisoners with same Bertillion measurements (Will West/ William West)

6. History of Fingerprinting- US
1901 New York City Civil Service Commission first official system in US (civil service applications)
1904 Scotland Yard reps train police officers in FP identification at St. Louis World’s Fair
1924 FBI merges records (Bureau of Investigation and Leavenworth)
WWI FP’s used throughout Europe
1999 US vs. Byron C. Mitchell- FP admissibility upheld- “human friction ridges and human friction ridge skin arrangements are unique and permanent”

7. Fundamental Principles of Fingerprints Three Principles
First principle: A fingerprint is an individual characteristic
Second principle: A fingerprint will remain unchanged during an individual’s lifetime
Third principle: Fingerprints have general ridge patterns that permit them to be systematically classified

8. First principle: A fingerprint is an individual characteristic
No two fingers have yet been found to possess identical ridge characteristics
Individuality determined by minutiae/ridge characteristics
Individuality-Identity, number and location
Ridge endings, bifurcations, enclosures, islands, ridge crossing, short ridge
~150 ridge characteristics per print

10. First Principle- Judicial Proceeding
FP comparison- Identical characteristics in same location
Point-by-point comparison by expert
Comparison charts (pg. 409)
Usually partials at scene
1973 International Association for Identification- “no valid basis exists for requiring a predetermined minimum number of friction ridge characters which must be present to establish positive identification
Usually 8-16 (~12)
Final determination based on experience and knowledge

11. Fingerprint Comparison

12. Second principle: A fingerprint will remain unchanged during an individual's lifetime
Friction Skin provide for firmer grasp and resistance to slippage on the fingers and thumb (palms, soles)
Ridges (hills) and Grooves (valleys)
Determined by dermal papillae
Formed during fetal development

14. Second Principle Sweat gland pores in ridges
Perspiration and oils (from hairy parts of body) transferred to surface leaving fingerprint
Can’t change but maybe obscure
Scarring down to dermis
John Dillinger tried to obliterate prints with acid (pg. 412)

15. Third Principle: Fingerprints have general ridge patterns that permit them to be systematically classified
Three classes: Loops, whorls, arches

16. Fingerprint Patterns- LOOP
Most common, 60-65%
Ridge lines enter from one side of pattern,curve around and exit from same side
Radial or Ulnar Loop
Two Type Lines
One Delta
Core (“center”)

17. LOOP

18. Fingerprint Patterns- Whorl (4)
30-35%
Ridge patterns are rounded or circular
Type Lines
At least two deltas
Plain, Central Pocket Loop,
Double loop, Accidental

19. WHORL Plain Whorl, Central Pocket
At least one ridge makes a complete circle (spiral, oval)
Plain- Line between 2 deltas touches circle
Central Pocket- Line does not touch circle

20. Double Loop- Two loops
Accidental- Combination of patterns

21. Fingerprint Patterns- Arch
Least Common (~5%)
Plain Arches, Tented Arches
Ridge lines enter from one side, rise to center (sharp rise in tented) and exit other side
No type lines, deltas or cores

22. ARCHES
Plain Arch
Tented Arch

23. Classification of Fingerprints
FBI System- Primary Classification- 1st step
Based on Henry’s Ten finger system
All cards divided into 1,024 Groups
Need full set of prints
Doesn’t identify, narrows down

24. Primary Classification
Fingers paired up
RI RR LT LM LL
RT RM RL LI LR
Whorl pattern on 1st pair-16
2nd pair = 8
3rd pair = 4
4th pair = 2
5th pair = 1
Arch or loop = 0

25. Primary Classification
Values totaled and 1 added to both numerator and denominator
Example: (RI and RM are whorls)
~ 25% are in 1/1 category (all fingers are loops or arches)

26. Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems (AFIS)
Automatic scanning devices convert FP image to digital minutiae showing ridge endings and bifurcation
Stores and retrieves FP record
Thousands of comparisons in seconds
Produces list of file prints w/ closest correlation
National Institute of Standards and Technology exchange of data between AFIS systems
Final verification by FP expert

28. AFIS

29. Kinds of Fingerprints
Visible- are visible!!, print left by material transferred from finger to surface (blood, ink, paint, grease)
Plastic (physical)- impression left on soft surface (putty, soap, wax, caulking, dust)
Latent- not visible to naked eye, perspiration and/or oil transferred to surface

30. Detecting Fingerprints
Depends on surface:
Nonabsorbent Surfaces- hard, solid (Ex- glass, mirror, tile, painted wood)
Porous Surfaces- soft, low density (paper, cardboard, cloth)

31. Detecting Fingerprints- RUVIS
Reflected Ultraviolet Imaging System
Locate prints on nonabsorbent surfaces
No chemicals or powders
UV light  print  reflected back  UV converted to visible light by image intensifier

32. RUVIS

33. Latent Print on Duct Tape

34. Latent Print on Painted Wall

35. Nonabsorbent Surfaces-Powders
Apply w/ camel’s hair or fiberglass brush
Aluminum dust (dark-colored surfaces)
Black carbon or charcoal (light-colored)
Magnetic-sensitive powders (textured) applied with Magna Brush
Fluorescent powders visible w/ UV light- provide for obvious contrast

36. Powders

37. Nonporous Surfaces- Super Glue
Cyanoacrylate Fumigation
Metals, leather, electrical tape, plastic bags
Textured surfaces
Chamber
Produces white-appearing print

38. Super Glue Fumigation

41. Porous Surfaces- Chemical Treatments
Iodine Fumigation- temporary, must photograph, iodine crystals sublimate to vapor
Iodine + Na or Oils = Print (brown)
Fix w/starch solution (blue)- visible for weeks/ months
Ninhydrin- reacts w/amino acids (protein) in sweat, aerosol spray, turns purple-blue color, 1-48 hours
Physical Developer- silver nitrate based liquid,
wet  dry articles, washes away proteins

42. Iodine Fumigation

43. Ninhydrin

44. Physical Developer

45. Laser
Latent prints fluoresce (absorbs and reemits light in longer wavelengths) when exposed to laser light (argon ion)
Chemicals induce fluorescence and increase sensitivity of detection-
ZnCl after ninhydrin
Rhodamine 6G after Super Glue

46. ALS Alternate Light Source – High Intensity
Quartz halogen, xenon arc, indium arc
Focused through fiber optic cable
Passed through filter to select wavelength
Portable
As effective and cheaper than laser

47. New Chemical Treatments
DFO ( 1,8-diazafluoren-9-one)- 2.5 times more effective than ninhydrin, porous surfaces, ALS
RAM, RAY, MRM 10 (Dye Combinations) w/Super glue cause fluorescence

48. Lifting and Preserving Fingerprints
Photograph (1:1) and overall
Transport evidence to lab, if possible
Preserve DNA
Powders lift w/adhesive tape, lifting cards
Digital Imaging- picture converted to digital file composed of pixels, enhanced (spatial filtering and frequency Fourier transform (FFT), manipulated, enlarged, color elimination and isolation, simultaneous comparison

49. Obtaining Fingerprints
Fingers should be clean and dry (alcohol)
Individual to right and rear of taker, forearms length from fingerprinting device, ~ 39 inches high
Finger should be rolled over ink (thumb toward center, fingers away from center), Tuck other fingers under
Ink should cover nail to nail, down to joint
Rolled- Individual impression is rolled nail to nail
Plain- All fingers at once, then thumb