Abstract: To understand how time and temperature could affect latent fingerprints, wooden pallets were used to construct five units that each housed ten 60-watt incandescent light bulbs. Fingerprints were deposited on the top, middle, and base of the globes. The bulbs were powered on (except the control bulb in each unit) for 18, 48, 72, 120, 168, 336, 504, and 672 h. Fingerprints recovered from the bulbs by tape lift after black powder processing were given a quality score. A thermal imaging camera determined temperatures on three areas of the bulbs. Fingerprints on the top of the globe (156.3°C) had the lowest quality score, and fingerprints on the middle of the globe (112.6°C) had the highest quality score. The mean quality scores of the three temperature classes were within one standard deviation of one another, meaning there is no way to estimate fingerprint age based on its quality after heat exposure.
(© 2019 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.)
References: Committee on Identifying the Needs of the Forensic Sciences Community, National Research Council. Strengthening forensic science in the United States: a path forward. U.S. Department of Justice, 2009; 136-145. https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/228091.pdf (accessed June 21, 2019).
National Institute of Justice. Forensic Science Technology Working Group operation requirements; 2016Dec 13-14. https://www.nij.gov/topics/forensics/documents/2016-forensic-twg-table.pdf (accessed June 21, 2019).
Croxton RS, Baron MG, Butler D, Kent T, Sears VG. Variation in amino acid and lipid composition of latent fingerprints. Forensic Sci Int 2010;199(1-3):93-102.
Birnbaum SL. Chemical analysis of latent fingerprint components subjected to arson conditions [dissertation]. Ontario, CN: Trent University, 2011.
Dhall JK, Sodhi GS, Kapoor AK. A novel method for the development of latent fingerprints recovered from arson simulation. Egypt J Forensic Sci 2013;3(4):99-103.
Bond JW. Visualization of latent fingerprint corrosion of metallic surfaces. J Forensic Sci 2008;53(4):812-22.
Yamashita B, French M, Bleay S, Cantu A, Inlow V, Ramotowski R, et al. Latent print development. In: McRoberts A., editor. The fingerprint sourcebook. Washington, DC: U.S. Dept. of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice, 2011;157-63.
Lee J. Why people still use inefficient incandescent lightbulbs. USA TODAY 2013 Dec 27. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2013/12/27/incandescent-light-bulbs-phaseout-leds/4217009/(accessed June 6, 2019).
Koch W. America's most common lightbulb gets LED replacement. USA TODAY 2010 May 13. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/05/americas-most-common-light-bulb-gets-led-replacement/1#.WOcGedLyu00 (accessed June 21, 2019).
Moffatt C, Simmons T, Lynch-Aird J. An improved equation for TBS and ADD: establishing a reliable postmortem interval framework for casework and experimental studies. J Forensic Sci 2016;61(Suppl 1):S201-7.
R Core Team. R: A language and environment for statistical computing. Vienna, Austria: R Foundation for Statistical Computing, 2016. https://www.R-project.org/(accessed June 25, 2019).
Processing Request
No Comments.