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http://www.wqow.com/Global/story.asp?S= ... menu1364_2

This article is short but has a great twist at the end.

Michele

Fingerprints Lead Investigators to Suspect in Barron County Theft
Posted: April 24, 2009 01:35 PM PDT

Barron County (WQOW) - Bloody fingerprints point the finger at a Minnesota man in a Barron County theft case.

There's an arrest warrant out for Steven Ventrelli from St. Paul, Minnesota. Last summer, someone stole copper wiring from equipment at a gravel pit in Barron County.

Investigators found bloody fingerprints on the scene. That evidence was sent to the state crime lab where a DNA match pointed to Ventrelli. He didn't show up for court this week, so a warrant has been issued.

So, if the 'bloody" fingerprints (of last summer 2008, this being early spring 2009) were of AFIS quality, this subject (who was in the DNA database and probably in the fingerprint database) could have bave been identified earlier. DNA may be good, but is it as rapid as AFIS!!

I identified some latent prints in a murder case and about 6 months after they arrested the guy, the detective called me up and said I could relax in that DNA had confirmed my identification.

I do not remember being concerned in the first place (Hey 32 events on one latent and 17 on the other). But I was amused and had a good chuckle over it.

Hey, let em think what they want if it makes them happy.