Skip to content

Latent Print Processing of Glassine Stamp Bags Containing Suspected Heroin: The Search for an Efficient and Safe Method

Journal: Journal of Forensic Identification
Published: 2018
Primary Author: Brittany Barnes
Secondary Authors: Jason Clark, Joseph Kadane, Maria Priestly, Neil Spencer, Deborah Tator, Denielle Wauthier, Joshua Yohannan
Research Area: Latent Print

A three-part study was designed to find the safest and most efficient method of processing glassine stamp bags containing suspected heroin while preserving the qualitative properties of the substance. Gravimetric analysis was also conducted to determine whether selected processing methods add weight to clean stamp bags. Qualitatively, the processing methods chosen for this study did not eliminate heroin from the samples. Results of a blind evaluation of developed latent prints indicate that under the controlled conditions of this study, magnetic powdering yielded the most “of value” latent fingerprints. However, because previous research has shown that magnetic powder is most effective a short time after fingerprint deposition (which was the case in this study), this conclusion should be regarded as tentative until longer times between deposition and recovery are studied. Gravimetrically, the processing methods used in this study add an amount of weight to the bags that is within the uncertainty of measurement for this laboratory.

Related Resources

How do Labs Ensure Quality? A Nationwide Review of SOPs for Latent Print Examination

How do Labs Ensure Quality? A Nationwide Review of SOPs for Latent Print Examination

This presentation is from the 108th International Association for Identification (IAI) Annual Educational Conference, Reno, Nevada, August 11-17, 2024. Posted with permission of CSAFE.
Developing a Repeatable and Reproducible Protocol for Establishing Combined Minutiae Frequencies

Developing a Repeatable and Reproducible Protocol for Establishing Combined Minutiae Frequencies

Fingerprint minutia types influence LPEs’ analyses and evaluations during casework, with features perceived as rarer generally given more weight. Last year, we reported on examiner perceptions of minutia type frequency.…
Challenges in Modeling, Interpreting, and Drawing Conclusions from Images as Forensic Evidence

Challenges in Modeling, Interpreting, and Drawing Conclusions from Images as Forensic Evidence

When a crime is committed, law enforcement directs crime scene experts to obtain evidence that may be pertinent to identifying the perpetrator(s). Much of this evidence comes in the form…
Toward Consistency in Latent Print Examiners’ Naming Conventions and Minutiae Frequency Estimations

Toward Consistency in Latent Print Examiners’ Naming Conventions and Minutiae Frequency Estimations

This presentation is from the 76th Annual Conference of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS), Denver, Colorado, February 19-24, 2024.