Had a podcast listener ask about a reference to the 'skin glove technique' for post-mortem prints. When was it first used? I think that's a harder question because it may have been in use well before anyone thought to publish or mention it. Kinda "trick of the trade". I'd settle for "When was it first published?"
I checked the obvious sources going back to Scott's Fingerprint Mechanics from the 50s. I don't have the newer Olson's re-vision. I didn't see anything in the FBI's "The Science of Fingerprints" from the 70s (although it does say if you have problems getting post-mortem ridge detail, you can just cut off the hands/fingers of the deceased and MAIL THEM TO THE FBI!!! p. 160, but 'please enclose a cover letter in a separate envelope').
I figure the skin glove is probably mentioned in a Law Enforcement Bulletin somewhere. Ernie Hamm? Daryl Klassey? Anybody have any thoughts?
It IS in the Sourcebook chapter 4 (written in 2005-6, published in 2011-2012; but there is no specific reference other than it is a technique used by FBI mass disaster victim identification squad).
It is described in ‘The Finger Print System at New Scotland Yard’ by Frederick Cherrill, published in 1954.
It’s also mentioned in ‘Practical Finger-Printing’ by B.C.Bridges, published in 1963 - though it may also be in the earlier 1942 edition that I don’t have.
If you should happen to be at the office one day and find the reference in Cherrill's book, and can shoot me a photocopy/pdf of the specific page/camera phone photo, that would be most appreciated.
Well, I had to dig deep to find something and then only a brief article. Anthony L. Califana had an article, "Body Identification from Macerated Hands" in Georgia Peace Officer, Nov/Dec 1973, discussing this subject and explaining the technique employed. There were some photographs, but very grainy from a number of copying actions. There were no citations associated with the article. While this was in a Georgia Peace Officers publication, Anthony Califana was listed as an Identification Supervisor at the Department of Corrections, Valhalla, New York.
I once had the Cherrill and Bridges books, but donated them a long time ago, probably to what was the USACIL Laboratory.
I seem to recall having experienced 'skin' gloves during my career, but who knows for sure.
I do have a .pdf of the cited article if it would be helpful.
From the book 'Modern Criminal Investigation", published in 1935, 1940, and 1945 (my copy), it says on page 74:
If the papillary ridges are still preserved on the outer surface, the person taking the prints places the portion of the skin on his right index finger, protected by a rubber glove, and takes the prints. That is to say, he first rolls the finger on the inking plate and then on the fingerprint record form.
I knew collecting old fingerprinting books would pay off one day!
Gloved Print.jpg
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"...he wrapped himself in quotations—as a beggar would enfold himself in the purple of emperors." - R. Kipling, 1893
An even older reference--this time from a 1941 book called 'Fingerprinting A Manual of Identification'.
On page 81:
If the injection of fluid into the bulbs of the fingers fails to give the desired results, have the entire skin surface between the edges of the nail of each finger removed, extending below the first joint...the next step is to put on rubber gloves, wrap the skin form the right thumb of the corpse around your own right thumb, dry it by rolling it on a blotter, ink in the regular manner, and then make the print in the proper place on the record card.
Gloved Print2.jpg
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"...he wrapped himself in quotations—as a beggar would enfold himself in the purple of emperors." - R. Kipling, 1893
