Prints on lifter doing a Houdini

[Slabo]

Hello everybody

I suppose you have all come across or heard of the phenomena of the disappearing print?

Well in this specific case the latent prints were developed by means of Dragon's Blood and lifted with Folien lifter. The lifter was photographed and kept in safe keeping. Now that the case has gone to trial, to the dismay of the investigator, the print on the lifter has disappeared.....

Does anybody have a logical (legal?) explanation for why this happens or any idea of a time span i.e. how long more or less normally before this happens?

Regards

[Ernie Hamm]

There was a board discussion on this back in March with a number of postings. Login to CLPEX and then enter "rubber" as a search word in the upper right of the page. You will find the messages under "rubber lifters".

[Slabo]

Thanks Ernie

[Neville]

The thing to remember is that in most courts a photo is as good as the original, you can't take a homicide scene into a court room, the court accept the photos instead. Ninhydrin prints often do the old Houdini trick, that doesn't stop the wheels of justice, so long as you have a photo.

[Slabo]

Hi Neville

Yes that is the case here too but what concerns me is the fact that current legislation does accept the photo of the print but also stipulates that a photo is admissable as long as the original can be produced if asked by the court. I was just thinking that I the defence got a whiff of this, they might actually ask for it.

Regards

[Ernie Hamm]

Well, Slabo, that is too bad. Posting to this board pretty much insures that defence types in South Africa will get more than a whiff.

However, it is hopeful that previous discussions (also on this board) have recognized the occurrence of this type of phenomenon in similar cases and this knowledge can assist in any arguments involving defence attacks.

[Neville]

and as the print on the lift is no londer available the photo will just have to do, surely?
I still see no issue.