NCJ Number
207267
Journal
Journal of Forensic Identification Volume: 54 Issue: 5 Dated: September/October 2004 Pages: 534-541
Date Published
September 2004
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This study tested the common assumption that magnetic powder can develop only relatively fresh latent fingerprints.
Abstract
A total of 800 natural fingerprints of 10 donors were placed on white formica board and white PVC shutter material, 2 common surfaces at crime scenes in Israel, where the research was conducted. The latent prints were stored under different conditions in two geographic locations (Jerusalem and Haifa); and they were developed with magnetic powder initially after 2 days and then at monthly intervals over a 9-month period. Regarding the formica prints stored in a closed cupboard, up to 50 percent of the prints were clearly identifiable up to 6 months in both cities, with the percentage of identifiable prints being higher in Jerusalem at most time periods. Jerusalem has lower humidity than Haifa, particularly during the summer months. The percentage of identifiable formica prints stored at normal room conditions was approximately 10 points less at most time intervals than those stored in a cupboard in both cities. Percentages of identifiable prints on PVC at normal room conditions were significantly higher than for PVC prints kept outdoors, and overall percentages of PVC identifiable prints were lower than for formica prints under the two storage conditions. Again, the percentage of identifiable PVC prints was generally higher in Jerusalem than in Haifa. Thus, this study found that, contrary to common belief, high-quality fingerprints can be developed with magnetic powder even months after being deposited, with results varying by geographic location and conditions for aging. 2 tables and 15 references