DEVELOPMENT OF LATENT PRINTS ON HUMAN SKIN

• NCJ Number: 146374
• Author(s): A M Bohanan; I R Futrell; T A Trozzi
• Date Published: Unknown
• Length: 3 pages
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/; NCJRS Photocopy Services
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Training (Aid/Material)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: This data was presented at the International Symposium on the Forensic Aspects of Latent Prints at the FBI Academy, May 1993 and at the annual conference of the International Association For Identification in Orlando, July 1993. A final report will be available from the US Government Printing Office.

Annotation

This paper describes in brief the joint research efforts of a Knoxville, Tennessee police specialist and members of the FBI's Latent Fingerprint Section to find a technique for developing latent prints on human skin.

Abstract

Developing latent prints on human bodies present unique problems to police investigators. The Federal Bureau of Investigation's Latent Fingerprint Section has been working for years to find techniques to develop latent prints on human skin with little success. The idea for the present research study came from a police specialist at the Knoxville, Tennessee Police Department who requested that the FBI's Latent Fingerprint Section work with him. The research was started in February 1992. A new super glue fuming apparatus was developed that would help ensure an even distribution of glue over the skin and contain the fumes. Researchers began their study with recently deceased bodies but also examined a person on life support just before death, dead bodies in temperature ranges all the way down to 45 degrees, males, females, white- and black-skinned cadavers. No recommendations were made with regard to live skin but several observations and recommendations are made for processing of cadavers.