Part I: Fingerprint Analysis

Print History

 

In ancient Babylon, fingerprinting on clay tablets was used as an indicator for the identity of a person making a business transaction.



In ancient China, thumbprints were imprinted in clay to seal letters and documents.

The first observation of fingerprints varying from person to person occurred in 14^th century Persia when a doctor observed the fingerprint impressions on official government papers.

In 1686 professor of anatomy at the University of Bologna Marcello Malpighi first notices ridges, loops, and spirals in fingerprints.

John Evangelist Purkinje, an anatomy professor at the University of Breslau, discussed nine fingerprint patterns in his published thesis in 1823.

Sir William James Herschel, Chief Magistrate of the Hooghly district in Jungipoor, India, first introduced fingerprinting to the English when he began using fingerprints on native contracts. As the collection of fingerprints grew he observed that fingerprints could truly prove or disprove a person’s identity.

In 1863 Professor Paul-Jean Coulier published information on latent fingerprints about how they could be developed on paper with iodine fuming. His published observations explain how to fix developed impressions and he pose the idea that fingerprints could potentially help identify crime suspects.

Dr. Henry Faulds developed the first means of identification of latent prints in 1880 and published an article discussed fingerprints and their use in personal identification. He is credited with identifying the first greasy fingerprint found on an alcohol bottle.

Gilbert Thompson of the U.S. Geological Survey in New Mexico used the first known use of fingerprints in the United States when he used his thumbprint on a document to prevent forgery in 1882.

In 1888 Sir Galton began observations of fingerprints as a means of identification.

In 1891 an Argentine Police Official by the name of Juan Vucetich began the first files on fingerprinting using Galton’s pattern types. With these files he was able to make the first criminal fingerprint identification in 1892.

The Council of the Governor General of India proposed in their committee report that fingerprints would be used for identifying criminals and kept in records for use in other crime cases in 1897.

In 1901 the adoption of the Henry System of Fingerprint Classification helped to create the Fingerprint Branch at New Scotland Yard (London Metropolitan Police).

In the United States systematic use of fingerprints was employed by the New York Civil Service Commission for testing in 1902.

The first systematic use of fingerprints in the New York State Prison began to identify US criminals in 1903.

In 1905 the US Army begins to use fingerprints, the US Navy follows suit in 1907, and the US Marine Corps mirror their actions in 1908.

In 1915 the International Association for Criminal Identification was formed.

The FBI had processed over 100 million fingerprint cards files maintained manually in 1946.

In 1977 the Latent Print Certification Board was established, which was the world's first certification program for fingerprint experts.

Today all US states have their own Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) which contain fingerprints unstored in any other databases. The largest US AFIS is controlled by the Department of Homeland Security’s US Visit Program and contains over 100 million fingerprints in its database.

http://onin.com/fp/fphistory.html

Print Types

Patent fingerprints are easily identifiable prints that are visible when substances on skin come in contact with the smooth surfaces of other objects. They leave distinct impressions of ridges that are visible without any enhancements from technological equipment. Substances can contain dust particles, for example, which will adhere to ridges in fingers and leave residue when left on an object that allow the patterns to be easily identified.

Plastic fingerprints are easy identifiable prints that result in an indentation when fingers touch malleable surfaces. Because the objected they are impressed on is easily observable, plastic fingerprints do not need enhancement from technological equipment. Fresh paint, wax, cum, and blood are a few example of malleable surfaces that will retain ridge impressions.

Latent fingerprints are prints invisible to the naked eye that result from perspiration emitted from pores found in the ridges of fingerprints that become secreted in the surface of an object. Moisture, oil, and grease created by the body adhere to the ridges of fingerprints so when people touch objects a film of those substances transfer to the objects they come in contact with. The distinct outline left of the fingerprint ridges have to be enhanced with technological equipment to be studied and identified. These prints have proven to be very valuable in identification procedures.     

           

http://www.fingerprinting.com/types-of-fingerprints.php

Techinques/Chemicals Used to Develop Prints on Various Surfaces

Porous Surfaces

•         D.F.O.

•         1,2 Idanedione

•         Ninhydrin

•         Iodine Fuming

•         5-MTN

•         Physical Developer

•         Zinc Chloride

Non-Porous Surfaces

•         Cyanoacrylate Ester

•         Gentian Violet

•         Small Particle Reagent

Glossy Paper

•         Cyanoacrylate Ester

•         Small Particle Reagent

•         M.B.D Dye

•         Basic Yellow 40

Metal

•         Cyanoacrylate Ester

•         M.B.D. Dye

•         Basic Yellow 40

•         Small Particle Reagent

Plastic

•         Cyanoacrylate Ester

•         M.B.D. Dye

•         Basic Yellow 40

•         Small Particle Reagent

Glass

•         Cyanoacrylate Ester

•         M.B.D. Dye

•         Basic Yellow 40

•         Small Particle Reagent

Unfinished Wood

•         Iodine Fuming

•         1,2 Idanedione

•         5-MTN

•         Physical Developer

•         D.F.O.

•         Ninhydrin

•         Silver Nitrate

Wet Surfaces

•         Physical Developer

•         Small Particle Reagent

•         Sudan Black

Adhesive Tape

•         Gentian Violet

•         Liqui-Drox

•         Liqui-Nox

•         Sticky-Side Powder

Post-Ninhydrin

•         Nickel Nitrate

•         Physical Developer

•         Silver Nitrate

•         Small Particle Reagent

•         Zinc Chloride

Multi-Colored Surfaces

(Fluorescent Techniques)

•         R.A.Y.

•         Ardrox

•         M.B.D. Dye

•         Basic Yellow 40

•         M.R.M. 10

•         Liqui-Drox

•         Rhodamine 6G

•         D.F.O.

•         Safranin O

•         Nile Red

•         1,2 Idanedione

•         Thenoyl Europium Chelate

•         R.A.M.

Ultra-Violet Induced

•         Ardrox

•         Liqui-Drox

•         Ultra-Violet Lamp

•         Silver Nitrate

•         Thenoyl Europium Chelate

•         Basic Yellow 40

Post-Cyanoacrylate

•         Ardrox

•         Basic Yellow 40

•         M.B.D. Dye

•         Nile Red

•         Rhodamine 6G

•         Sudan Black

•         Basic Red 28

•         Liqui-Drox

•         M.R.M. 10

•         R.A.M.

•         R.A.Y.

•         Thenoyl Europium Chelate

Cartridge Cases

•         Basic Yellow 40

•         Cyanoacrylate Ester

 Blood

•         A.B.T.S.

•         Amido Black – Water

•         Crowle’s Double Stain

•         Leucocrystal Violet

•         Coomassie Blue

•         Amido Black – Methanol

•         D.A.B.

Non Destructive Techniques

•         Iodine Fuming

•         Electrostatic Lifting

•         Visual Examination

•         Fluorescent Light

•         Ultra-Violet Lamp

http://www.odec.ca/projects/2004/fren4j0/public_html/developing_reagents.htm
http://www.horiba.com/scientific/products/forensics/ruvis-applications/details/scenescope-ruvis-reflected-ultra-violet-imaging-system-158/
http://www.ehow.com/how_8305163_remove-fingerprints-galvanized-metal.html
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=fingerprints+on+wet+surfaces&um=1&hl=en&safe=active&biw=1366&bih=587&tbm=isch&tbnid=BQxBYLwYz0c2MM:&imgrefurl=http://www.diylife.com/2010/07/22/how-to-get-fingerprints-off-of-anything/&docid=UL7_XMj2ALZmoM&imgurl=http://www.blogcdn.com/www.diylife.com/media/2010/07/woman-hand-touching-mirror-fingerprint-home-590kb072210.jpg&w=590&h=393&ei=t_PUTuqbArGy0QGA5fnfAQ&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=188&sig=103790221378878333989&page=4&tbnh=115&tbnw=153&start=77&ndsp=27&ved=1t:429,r:9,s:77&tx=84&ty=70

http://www.ehow.com/info_8719257_crime-scene-fingerprinting-process.html
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=fingerprints+in+blood&um=1&hl=en&safe=active&rls=com.microsoft:en-us&biw=1366&bih=587&tbm=isch&tbnid=V9Nar1-88MGjAM:&imgrefurl=http://www.123rf.com/photo_7905661_blood-splatter-and-fingerprints-isolated-on-a-white-background.html&docid=44oo8EBEN5q9pM&imgurl=http://us.123rf.com/400wm/400/400/stephaniefrey/stephaniefrey1009/stephaniefrey100900035/7905661-blood-splatter-and-fingerprints-isolated-on-a-white-background.jpg&w=267&h=400&ei=hvXUTofsHYaFtge72PCmAg&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=172&sig=103790221378878333989&page=1&tbnh=124&tbnw=83&start=0&ndsp=25&ved=1t:429,r:18,s:0&tx=52&ty=54

Print Patterns

http://www.securityandsafetysupply.com/news/news36.htm

Collecting/Lifting Fingerprints

Fingerprints can be lifted and collected in numerous ways. One of the ways discussed in class was removing a fingerprint off of a glass jar. During this experiment groups of four were given a small container holding finely ground pieces of graphite and a single glass jar. The students were instructed to collect oils on their fingers (wiping oils off of the face to make a more noticeable residue) and press them down lightly onto the bottom on the jar. Then using small paintbrushes they dabbed graphite onto their fingerprints to make them more easily observable. Once the print was easily identifiable, the students placed tape over their prints and carefully removed it from the jar to lift the print. After lifting the print they smoothed to tape onto a piece of white paper to make a nice contrast with the graphite and make the fingerprint easier to analyze. This is not the only way you can collect and lift prints. Another method discussed in class to lift prints was using baking powder to lift prints off of dark surfaces. For more methods read the post about the techniques and chemicals used for developing prints on various surfaces.       



Picture taken by Marissa Morrison.