Obliteration of Latent Fingerprints

Abstract

Comprehensive trials have established that latent fingerprints can be rendered partially or totally unidentifiable during print development by the following: (a) ridge smearing, which depends on the type and age of the latent print and also on the type of brush and brushing procedures used, and (b) overpowdering and/or overbrushing of the print. These causes of pattern obscuration are discussed in terms of their implications for fingerprint development procedures, since up to 10% of prints developed at crime scenes can be difficult or even impossible to identify.

Visualization of Latent Fingerprint Corrosion of Metallic Surfaces

“…1 that the heating has produced clear full development of the ridges. An attempt was then made to powder the fingerprints by the application of a black granular powder applied by means of a squirrel hair brush (17), the results being shown in Fig. 2.…”

An Investigation into the Use of a Portable Cyanoacrylate Fuming System (SUPERfume®) and Aluminum Powder for the Development of Latent Fingermarks*

“…For example, the surfaces could be broadly divided into smooth and textured surfaces, and generally, smoother surfaces retained latent fingermark ridge detail more effectively than textured surfaces. The reduction in mean latent fingermark grade for enameled metal paint and smooth plastic that were both smooth surfaces compared with glass could be because of a reduced adhesive force (15), increasing their fragility which would make them prone to destruction prior to or during development, particularly with powder dusting (16). Cyanoacrylate fuming (SUPERfume ® ) was considered to be a less destructive technique because there was no comparable contact between the cyanoacrylate fumes and the latent ridges, which was used to explain the increased mean grade for smooth plastic.…”

Material and Method Developments for Developing and Lifting Latent Finger Mark from Wet Polymer‐Coated Metal Surfaces

“…On the other hand, the lipids in the finger marks allow attaching pigment particles to these prints both in dry and wet states. There are already references explaining the principles and procedures of making finger marks visible using the powdering method in the dry state …”

“…There are already references explaining the principles and procedures of making finger marks visible using the powdering method in the dry state. 1,[4][5][6] The small particle reagent (SPR) was invented by Morris and Wells 7 and was reported in 1983. 8,9 It is basically made up of a suspension of fine molybdenum disulfide particles in a surface-active solution for lightcolored surfaces.…”