90 Forensic dentistry
majority of identification specialists will record fingerprint impressions from
living persons electronically using LiveScan technology or by lightly coat-
ing the fingers of an individual with black printer’s ink and recording the
inked impressions onto a fingerprint card. If the individual has an injury
to the friction ridge skin (cut/laceration), an examiner can wait for the skin
to heal and record the impressions at a later date. When fingerprinting the
deceased, recovered bodies often will exhibit environmental damage to the
friction ridge skin, which will contribute to the decomposition/deterioration
of the skin and will never heal. In these instances, bodies should be examined
promptly and the friction skin reconditioned or returned to a near natural
state before quality prints can be recorded.
The examination of human remains is often complex; accordingly, the
author has developed a deceased processing methodology to assist forensic
examiners in the successful and expedient recovery of postmortem impres-
sions to confirm or establish identity. This three-step process involves:
- Inspecting and cleansing the friction skin
- Reconditioning compromised friction ridge skin
- Recording postmortem impressions^13
6.5.1 Inspecting and Cleansing the Friction Skin
The first step in processing deceased individuals is visually inspecting the
hands to determine if the friction ridge skin has been damaged. In order
for the examiner to make this determination, the hands must be cleansed of
any contaminant (dirt, blood, etc.) using a sponge and warm, soapy water.
A soft toothbrush can be used for removing foreign matter adhering to the
fingers, but the examiner must proceed carefully to preserve the integrity
of the friction ridge skin. If the friction skin is not compromised, the hands
are cleansed and postmortem impressions are recorded. If the friction skin
is damaged, the examiner should note the type of damage that has occurred
because this will assist in choosing the correct reconditioning technique.
The location and nature of the deadly event will offer a good indication of the
type of damage observed by an examiner.
6.5.2 Reconditioning Compromised Friction Ridge Skin
Currently, the literature on processing techniques used to successfully recover
fingerprints from distressed bodies is often limited and dated. The following
discussion includes a modern array of reconditioning techniques designed to
assist forensic examiners in the recovery of quality postmortem impressions
from damaged friction ridge skin. To simplify this task, the techniques are
organized according to the types of damage most often encountered in the