FORENSIC 2

– WEEK 2 DEVELOPMENT OF THE LESSON INTRODUCTION TO FINGERPRINT IDENTIFICATION

I HISTORY OF FINGERPRINT

• Fingerprints preexists the Christian era.

• Prehistoric Indian writing of hand with crudely marked ridge patters on a cliff in Nova Scotia.

• Ancient Chinese having business in Ancient Babylon used fingerprints through clay tablets.

• Emperor Te In Shi first to used fingerprint in China. In ancient China, thumb prints were found
on clay seals.

PERSONALITIES

1. Marcelo Malpighi (1686)

• A Professor of Anatomy in the University of Bologna, Italy.

• Discovered that the ridges on the fingers form loop or spiral.

• The first one who discovered the sweat pores in the ridges. Describe them as “the open
mouths of the sweat glands”.

• Known for his discovery of the “Epidermis” (Stratum Mucosum) and “Dermis” (Stratum
Corneum) layer.

• “Malpighi Layer” – about 1.8 mm thick, a layer of skin was named after him.

2. Johann Christoph Andreas / JCA MAYER (1788)

• Stated that fingerprints pattern may be similar, but they are never duplicated in two persons.
(Principle of Individuality)

3. Johannes Purkinje (1823)

• Professor of Physiology in the University of Breslau, Germany.

• Identified and divided the impressions into nine groups. Though it does not appear to him that
the patterns could be used in identification.

4. Herman Welcker (1822-1898)

• Professor of Anthropology at the University of Halle, Germany.

• Took the prints of his right palm in 1856 and again in 1897. A time-interval of 41 years and
show the persistence of the patterns on his palm and fingers.

• Established the Principle of Permanency.

5. Sir William Herschel (1858)

• An astronomer and District Magistrate of District Hooghly in Jungipoor, India.

 • Introduced the fingerprints as a substitute for signature to reduce the fraud and constant
repudiation of documents among Indian native.

• Rajadhar Konai – the first person that Herschel printed the palm.

• Given the credit as the first who devised feasible method for regular used and afterwards
officially adopted, as Galton justified it and stated it in “Fingerprints”.

6. Dr. Henry Faulds (1877)

• Scottish physician of Tsukiji Hospital of Tokyo, Japan.

• In his letter “On the Skin Furrows of the Hand” on 28th of October 1880, he suggested that the
“nature prints” would provide positive identification in tracing criminals.

7. Gilbert Thompson

• Geologist of U.S. Geological Survey in New Mexico.

• First individual use of fingerprint on a document to prevent forgery.

• First known use of fingerprints in the United States.

8. Sir Francis Galton (1892)

• First to provide scientific evidence that no two fingerprints are exactly the same.

• Established that the prints remain the same throughout a person’s lifetime.

• Stated that the possibility of two prints being alike was 1:64,000,000,000.

• Published “Fingerprints” as a result of numerous experiments and investigation.

9. Juan Vucetich

• Argentinian Police Officer

• Developed his system at Argentina and begun the first fingerprint files based on Galton’s
pattern types.

• His system of classification was accepted by the Spanish speaking countries

• First person in the world who made an identification by means of a classified system of
fingerprints. • Called his system “Comparative Dactyloscopy”.

• The two books published by Vucetich in Spanish at La Plata

o Conferenzia Sobre La Systema Dactyloscopio, dada en Bibliotheca publica de la Plata.

(1901)

o Dactyloscopia Comparada. (1904)

10. Sir Edward Richard Henry

• Father of Fingerprint
 • Developed the Henry Classification System

• His system was accepted by almost all English-speaking countries.

11. People vs. Jennings

• A leading case in the U.S. wherein the first conviction based on the fingerprint that was
recognized by the judicial authorities with 14 points.

PHILIPPINES

1. 1819

• Fingerprint has been used or introduced in the Philippines by Chinese traders.

2. People of the Philippines vs. Medina

• First conviction based on Fingerprint and leading case decision in the Phil. Jurisprudence.

• Agripino Ruiz – Constabulary Agent and Fingerprint expert successfully defended his 10 points
of comparison.

3. Attorney Augustin Patricio

• First Filipino authority in fingerprinting and who topped the first examination on fingerprints
given by Captain Thomas Dugon of the New York Police Department.

4. Mr. Flaviano Guerrero

• the lone Filipino member of the FBI who gave the first examination of fingerprint in the
Philippines

5. Mr. Jones

• The first one to taught Fingerprint in the Philippines (1990).

6. Generoso Reyes

• First Filipino Fingerprint Technician employed by Philippine Constabulary

7. Isabela Bernales

• First Filipina Fingerprint Technician

8. Plaridel Education Institute/Philippine College of Criminology

• First government recognized school to teach the Science of Fingerprint and other Police
Sciences.

9. Lucila Lalu

• First Filipina Chop-chop lady who was identified through Fingerprint.

*Robert James Pitt

 • Known as “Man without fingerprint” and “Philip”

• Works on surgery to forged his own fingerprint. *John Dellinger

• Known as “U.S. Public Enemy Number 1”

• Attempted to destroy his own prints using corrosive acids.

BASIC INFORMATION ABOUT FINGERPRINTS

• Ridge formation started during embryo growth stage and perfected within around four (4)
months.

• Friction Ridges are distinctively developed.

• The individualized characteristics are never get affected by physical growth or aging of the
body.

• Fingerprint is a positive means of identification.

FRICTION RIDGES

• A friction ridge is a raised portion or hill-like structures of the epidermis found on fingers, palm,
toes, and soles.

• Friction ridges had sweat pores which always perspiring when performs physiological activity,
which causes fingerprint impression.

• Sweat consists of 98% of water and inorganic compound of sodium chloride, kalium,
magnesium, magnesium, organic compound Amino acid.

• Therefore, the fingerprint samples from the crime scene found on the object touched by the
fingers of the suspect. Upon the touching the surface of the material the adhesion of sweat secreted by
from the finger, along with the pattern of protuberant line on the fingertips surface forming the pattern
as fingerprint.

DEFINITION OF FINGERPRINTS

It is an impression or reproduction of the ridge on the side of the end joint of the fingers or
thumb, through the medium of ink or any coloring substance capable of producing visibility.