"Forensics" Fingerprints

The history of fingerprints is also known as dactylography. The use of fingerprints is definitely not a new technique. As a matter of fact, in different countries such as Babylon people used fingerprints to sign their identity on clay tablets dating back to about 1750 years BC. Moreover, the uniqueness of fingerprints makes it convenient to identify people especially when it comes to forensic science.

Furthermore, when it comes to forensic science fingerprints are primarily used to help locate, identify and eliminate suspects in criminal cases (Nordby Pg. 355). However, even if there is no suspect their fingerprints may still be able to tell a story. This is because; every fingerprint is unique to an individual. Prints can develop leads, and possibly provide clues about the suspect's size, sex, and occupation. Small prints are usually made by a small person, and if found on a wall they can even help determine a suspect's height.

Moreover, construction workers usually have rough hands, and musicians tend to develop calluses on the tips of their fingers. It's important not to rely too heavily on these clues since they are not facts. Prints can substantiate or disqualify the story of a victim or witness by locating their prints where they said they where. Even the absence of prints may be a key factor. Suicide scenes, for example, should never show any attempt at wiping prints away.

Last, there are several methods used to detect fingerprints. Powder and tape are the most well-known method of detecting latent prints; Magna Brush is a magnetic wand that attracts iron. Next, cyanoacrylate fuming method, also known as the superglue fuming method, has proved to be another very useful way of detecting latent prints. Likewise, Ninhydrin is a method of fingerprint detection where the chemical ninhydrin is used. When utilizing Iodine Fuming, Iodine crystals are placed in a glass tube known as a fumier. Silver Nitrate is a less toxic way of detecting prints on paper and Amido Black is a chemical used to develop fingerprints in blood.

What ever the method of detecting fingerprints may be, once they are detected they are placed in a data base. The use of fingerprints has cracked many cases in the past and will break many cases in the future. Nine times out of ten a criminal will leave some type of evidence behind.

(Forensic-medecine.info)

(Nordby Chapter 18)