Can Fingerprints Be Obtained From a Concrete Block?
If the criminal mind wasn't insecure enough already, evidence shows that fingerprints left behind on rough surfaces, such as those found on concrete blocks, can be identified.
Other People Are Reading
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Opinion For
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Viewpoints differ as to whether or not fingerprints can be lifted from concrete surfaces. For example, in a May 2010, edition of CNN's "Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell," CNN investigative journalist Art Harris said that obtaining prints from a certain kind of concrete block is impossible.
Opinion Against
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Providing a broader perspective is Colin Evan's book "Evidence," in which he cites a 1990 case involving a woman's murder in Winnipeg, Canada. She was bludgeoned to death with a chunk of concrete, and her alcoholic husband was the primary suspect. Ultimately, though, another man was convicted of the murder because of incriminating evidence; his fingerprints were obtained from the murderous concrete block.
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Methods
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While obtaining fingerprints from concrete can prove difficult, it can be done by using the chemical cyanoacrylate in the so-called "superglue" method, or by applying other chemicals via a spraying method. Perhaps the issue can best be summarized by crime scene analyst Joe Matvay, who notes that "With today's technology, we can pretty much get fingerprints from anything except shag carpet and water."
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References
- Photo Credit fingerprint image by dip from Fotolia.com
