NCJ Number
45942
Date Published
1978
Length
7 pages
Annotation
THE NEWLY DEVELOPED KROMEKOTE LIFT TECHNIQUE, WHICH PROVIDES THE FORENSIC SCIENCE TECHNICIAN WITH AN INEXPENSIVE AND PRACTICAL TECHNIQUE FOR RECOVERING LATENT FINGERPRINTS FROM HUMAN SKIN, IS DESCRIBED.
Abstract
THIS TECHNIQUE HAS PROVEN HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL UNDER LABORATORY CONDITIONS, AND PRELIMINARY FIELD TESTS HAVE BEEN VERY ENCOURAGING. BASIC LATENT FINGERPRINT RECOVERY EQUIPMENT IS ALL THAT IS REQUIRED. THE KROMEKOTE CARD, AN 80-POUND HIGH GLOSS PAPER AVAILABLE FROM LOCAL PRINTING COMPANIES, IS GENERALLY USED AS A SURFACE TO WHICH A SECTION OF FINGERPRINT TAPE IS TRANSFERRED AFTER A DEVELOPING IMPRESSION HAS BEEN LIFTED. A LATENT FINGERPRINT ON HUMAN SKIN MAY BE LIFTED PRIOR TO DEVELOPING BY FIRMLY PRESSING THE CARD TO THE SURFACE FOR 2 TO 3 SECONDS. LIFTING SHOULD BE BEGUN ON ONE SIDE OF THE CARD, HOLDING THE REST OF THE CARD IN PLACE TO PREVENT SLIPPAGE, AND SOULD BE COMPLETED WITH A CONTINUOUS MOTION UNTIL ENTIRELY FREE OF THE SKIN SURFACE. A FIBERGLASS FILAMENT BRUSH SHOULD BE ROTATED IN THE FINGERPRINT POWDER THREE TO FOUR TIMES, AND ADDITIONAL ROTATIONS ARE NECESSARY TO CLEAR EXCESS POWDER FROM THE BRUSH. THE KROMEKOTE CARD IS PROCESSED WITH FINGERPRINT POWDER TO DEVELOP THE LATENT IMPRESSION. THE PRINT WILL BE A MIRROR IMAGE OF THE ACTUAL FINGERPRINT, AND IT SHOULD BE PHOTOGRAPHED AND REVERSED TO AVOID CONFUSION. ONCE A LATENT PRINT HAS BEEN LOCATED, THE PRINT MAY ALSO BE DEVELOPED WITH BLACK POWDER AND A FIBERGLASS BRUSH. IRREGULARITIES IN THE SKIN SURFACE MAY REQUIRE THE USE OF SILICONE RUBBER CASTS TO LIFT THE DEVELOPED PRINT. THE KROMEKARD TECHNIQUE IS CAPABLE OF LIFTING PRINTS FROM LIVING VICTIMS FOR UP TO 1 1/2 HOURS AFTER THE PRINT WAS PLACED. COSMETIC OIL AND LOTIONS SERIOUSLY AFFECT THE RETENTION OF LATENT FINGERPRINT IMPRESSIONS. ON DECEASED VICTIMS, THE FINGERPRINT EXAMINATION SHOULD BE DONE BEFORE THE BODY IS REFRIGERATED. THE UNDERSIDES OF THE BICEPS, SIDES OF THE TORSO, THE NECK, AND THE TOPS OF THE FEET MOST SUCCESSFULLY YIELD LATENT IMPRESSIONS. THE KROMEKOTE LIFT TECHNIQUE MAY BE REPEATED SEVERAL TIMES ON THE SAME IMPRESSION WITHOUT APPARENT DAMAGE TO THE PRINT. STRETCHING OF ELASTIC SKIN WILL PROVIDE BEST RESULTS. IN CASES WHERE THE SKIN SURFACE HAS BEEN IMMERSED IN WATER, AIR DRYING MAY PERMIT THE LIFTING OF SEBACEOUS PRINTS EVEN FOR IMMERSION PERIODS OF MORE THAN 30 MINUTES. THIS TECHNIQUE IS STILL EXPERIMENTAL, AND FURTHER RESEARCH IS NEEDED. (JAP)