NCJ Number
225530
Journal
Journal of Forensic Identification Volume: 58 Issue: 6 Dated: November/December 2008 Pages: 696-711
Date Published
November 2008
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This article demonstrates important aspects of a detailed analysis which involves fingerprints that contain artifacts, specifically “butterfly” impressions, that may otherwise be mistaken as dissimilarities or discrepancies.
Abstract
Two elliptical finger impressions that have mated by chance to create the illusion of a single impression may resemble the shape of a butterfly, leading to their being called “butterfly impressions.” The analysis of a friction-ridge impression that is thought to be a butterfly impression begins with the examiner’s intuition that something about the impression is different from a normal print impression. Typically, butterfly impressions involve a study of two lobes that may or may not have been made by the same donor in which both lobes have either merged or created areas of omission within the apparent impression. The condition, once diagnosed, requires that the marks be treated during comparison as if the marking had been severed. Comparison of the separated marking should be a straightforward comparison of all three levels of detail within a friction-ridge impression. Examiners should be aware of the possibilities with respect to orientation of each of the lobes of the butterfly impression. Once corresponding exemplars become available, the known impressions can be used to validate any concerns about the appearance of the latent butterfly impression and the method by which it was made. Eleven symptoms of butterfly impressions are listed. The presence of these symptoms relies on the clarity of the butterfly impression. As the clarity of a butterfly impression decreases, the ability to recognize the symptoms also decreases. Some impressions may be beyond resolution and individualization. The examples used in this study show various combinations of butterfly impressions that are capable of being distinguished and analyzed for individualization. 10 figures and 5 references