Drake Forensic Group, LLC can assist in the collection and comparison of fingerprints relevant to your case.
Fingerprints can be retrieved from surfaces such as soap, wax, wet paint, fresh caulk, etc.) are likely to be three-dimensional plastic prints. Additionally, those fingerprints upon hard surfaces are either patent (visible) or latent (invisible) prints. Visible prints are formed when dirt, blood, ink, paint, etc., is transferred from a finger or thumb onto to a surface. Fingerprints found on a wide variety of surfaces: smooth or rough, porous (such as paper, cloth and wood) or nonporous (such as metal, glass and plastic) are categorized as patent prints.
Latent fingerprints are collected by dusting a smooth or nonporous surface with fingerprint powder If fingerprints are found, it is customary to photograph them and then lift and preserve them with clear adhesive tape placed upon a latent lift card preserve the print. Some fingerprints require the application of cyanoacrylate. Surfaces can also be examined utilizing an alternate light source (ALS). These are laser or LED devices that emit a particular wavelength, or spectrum, of light along with different filters to provide a variety of spectra. In some instances, powders or dye stains can be used to enhance and photograph the prints.
In some instances, Cyanoacrylate processing, or fuming, of a surface is necessary prior to before powders or dye stains. This is a process used on non-porous surfaces and exposes the object to cyanoacrylate vapors to adhere to any prints present on the object. This process allows them to be viewed using oblique ambient light or a white light source.
Drake Forensic Group, LLC can also develop fingerprints deposited upon paper through the use of a chemical process which allows for the development of latent prints. Once the prints interact with the chemicals, they will be developed upon the paper and photographed for preservation and classification.
Once the prints have been obtained through the use of any of the above methods, they can be classified and compared to suspect known fingerprints.
