Paper Fold Identification: An Illustrative Case

• NCJ Number: 166135
• Journal: International Journal of Forensic Document Examiners Volume: 2 Issue: 3 Dated: (July/September 1996) Pages: 226-234
• Author(s): W Van Stratt
• Date Published: 1996
• Length: 9 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: This is a revision of a paper previously presented at the 46th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Questioned Document Examiners, Denver, Col., September 11-14, 1988.

Annotation

This paper describes, through examples, the folds, crimps, and impressions inadvertently created through the handling of a questioned document that can help to individualize it.

Abstract

The handling of documents can leave residues of evidential value, such as paper folds, crimps, and impressions. Paper folds may aid in determining a time and space relationship between the pages of a document. Separate documents may be identified with a single source. Paper folds can develop creases, markings, shapes, and angles that, when considered in combination, may support positive identifying conclusions as to a connection between several purportedly unrelated documents. Perpetrators, investigators, clerks, and officials may impose inadvertent folds when handling questioned documents that leave the forensic document examiner to establish a handling history for a document or documents. The case presented in this paper involves 651 prescriptions for narcotics, with a request to determine whether the doctor's signatures were authentic and any other information that might be pertinent to support suspicions that the prescriptions were prepared illicitly. Preliminary examination of the evidence disclosed that although all the prescriptions were made out to different persons at different addresses in a citywide area, all the prescriptions were filled at one pharmacy. It was also found that groups of prescriptions were prepared on the same date. Those prescriptions bearing the same date of issue also disclosed identical folds, crimps, and impressions, which were different from other groups of prescriptions issued on different dates. This suggests that the prescriptions were transferred as packets between the doctor and the druggist and not as prescriptions issued to different individuals on different dates and filled separately on different dates. 7 figures and 3 references