"Presents several forensic science experiments using fingerprinting techniques. Includes science project ideas and crimes to solve"--Provided by publisher

The fascinating story of a scientific breakthrough that solved one of the most brutal murders in Englands history and forever changed the criminal justice system. Fingerprints is the dramatic human story of how technology found its way into the criminal justice system, of one brilliant, flawed mans struggle to retain rightful credit for his discovery, and of a confoundingly difficult murder case. Impeccably researched and dramatically told, it traces fingerprinting to its present-day applications and illustrates why the unique tracks we leave with our fingers continue to be one of the most important means of identifying criminals.

The idea of The Fingerprint Sourcebook originated during a meeting in April 2002. Individuals representing the fingerprint, academic, and scientific communities met in Chicago, Illinois, for a day and a half to discuss the state of fingerprint identification with a view toward the challenges raised by Daubert issues. The meeting was a joint project between the International Association for Identification (IAI) and West Virginia University (WVU). One recommendation that came out of that meeting was a suggestion to create a sourcebook for friction ridge examiners, that is, a single source of researched information regarding the subject. This sourcebook would provide educational, training, and research information for the international scientific community.

Forensic science has come a long way in the past ten years. It is much more in-depth and much broader in scope, and the information gleaned from any evidence yields so much more information than it had in the past because of incredible advances in analytic instruments and crucial procedures at both the crime scene and in the lab. Many practices have gone digital, a concept not even fathomed ten years ago. And from the first collection of evidence to its lab analysis and interpretation to its final presentation in court, ethics has become an overriding guiding principle. That’s why this new edition of this classic handbook is indispensable. The Forensic Laboratory Handbook Procedures and Practice includes thirteen new chapters written by real-life practitioners who are experts in the field. It covers the tried and true topics of fingerprints, trace evidence, chemistry, biology, explosives and arson, forensic anthropology, forensic pathology, forensic documents, firearms and toolmarks. This text also addresses an array of new topics including accreditation, certification, ethics, and how insects and bugs can assist in determining many facts including a margin of time of death. In the attempt to offer a complete and comprehensive analysis The Forensic Laboratory Handbook Procedures and Practice also includes a chapter discussing the design of a laboratory. In addition, each chapter contains educational requirements needed for the discipline it covers. Complete with questions at the end of each chapter, brief author bios and real crime scene photos, this text has risen to greet the many new challenges and issues that face today’s forensic crime practitioners.

Fingerprints: Analysis and Understanding the Science, Second Edition is a thorough update of Mark Hawthorne’s classic written by two professionals with combined experience not only in crime scene investigations but also as court-recognized experts in latent print examination. Designed as a concise text to cover the fundamental techniques and principles of obtaining and analyzing latent fingerprint evidence, the book is laid out and written in an easy to understand format for those front-line professionals collecting and analyzing fingerprint evidence. Over time, the degree of sophistication and education on fingerprints and friction ridge analysis has increased. Ultimately, through scientific study by pioneers in the field, the composition of friction skin soon became evident: that it could be used as a unique identifier of individuals. Now, fingerprints and footprints as unique identifiers—and their use in criminal cases—have become commonplace and an essential component of criminal investigation with most cases involving some component of fingerprint evidence. Divided into two parts, the book begins with the basics of analysis, providing a brief history, systematic methods of identification, fingerprint pattern types and their associated terminologies and current classifications. The second part of the book discusses the identification and presentation of evidence in the courtroom, demonstrating both the traditional, manual method of lifting prints and the newer techniques for automated and live scans. Coverage provides instruction on searching and developing latent prints, storage, and comparison of prints. New to this edition are updated techniques on collecting and preserving fingerprint evidence—including packaging and maintaining chain of custody. More detailed documentation processes, and additional chemical and lifting techniques, are described including use of light sources, latent backing cards and lifting material, casting material, ten print cards, and the enhancement of prints in blood. A discussion of laboratory equipment and comparison tools, the addition of photography techniques, and recent courtroom challenges to fingerprint evidence is also presented. Fingerprints, Second Edition will provide a hands-on, fresh look at the most commonly utilized evidence found at crime scenes: fingerprints. The book will provide law enforcement, crime scene personnel and students just such an opportunity to easily understand and grasp the concepts, and relevant issues, associated with friction skin and fingerprint evidence.

One of the nation's top forensic scientists, Larry Ragle has investigated countless brutal and baffling crimes during his forty-year career. Now he takes us behind the yellow police tape and into the medical examiner's laboratory for a fascinating look at his most sensational cases, revealing how cutting-edge science and medical technology were used to shed brilliant light on the criminals and their transgressions. Here is the real world of C.S.I. -- where astonishingly detailed portraits of malefactors are painted with a single drop of blood, and a microscopic fiber can direct the police to even the most careful and elusive of murderers.