79

Fingerprints

and Human

Identification*

aaron J. uhle

Contents

6.1 Introduction 79

6.2 Historical Overview of Fingerprints 80

6.3 Fingerprint Fundamentals 83

6.4 Comparison and Identification of Friction Ridge Impressions 86

6.5 The Postmortem Fingerprint Recovery Process 89

6.5.1 Inspecting and Cleansing the Friction Skin 90

6.5.2 Reconditioning Compromised Friction Ridge Skin 90

6.5.3 Recording Postmortem Impressions 94

6.6 Automated Fingerprint Identification Technology 97

6.7 Conclusion 100

Acknowledgments 100

References 100

6.1 Introduction

Fingerprints have been the gold standard for personal identification within
the forensic community for more than one hundred years. The science
of fingerprint identification has evolved over time from the early use of
finger prints to mark business transactions in ancient Babylonia to their
use today as core technology in biometric security devices and as scientific
evidence in courts of law throughout the world. Fingerprints, along with
forensic dental and DNA analysis, are also paramount in the identifica-
tion of unknown deceased individuals and human remains. To this end,
recent increases in homicides, mass disaster incidents, and combat casual-
ties from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan highlight the vital role that forensic
science plays in human/victim identification. While this responsibility is
an emerging challenge for many forensic disciplines, fingerprint analysis

*^ disclaimer: names of commercial manufacturers are provided for identification only

and inclusion does not imply endorsement by the Federal Bureau of investigation.

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