Science & Justice
Volume 50, Issue 4 , Pages 200-204, December 2010

Chemical enhancement of footwear impressions in blood deposited on fabric — Evaluating the use of alginate casting materials followed by chemical enhancement

  • Kevin J. Farrugia

      Affiliations

    • Centre for Forensic Science, WestCHEM, Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G1 1XW, UK
    • ,
  • Niamh NicDaéid

      Affiliations

    • Centre for Forensic Science, WestCHEM, Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G1 1XW, UK
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding authors.
    • ,
  • Kathleen A. Savage

      Affiliations

    • Centre for Forensic Science, WestCHEM, Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G1 1XW, UK
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding authors.
    • ,
  • Helen Bandey

      Affiliations

    • Home Office Scientific Development Branch, Fingerprint & Footwear Forensic Group, Woodcock Hill, Sandridge, St. Albans, AL4 9HQ, UK

Received 2 May 2010; received in revised form 4 June 2010; accepted 15 June 2010. published online 15 July 2010.

Abstract 

Most footwear marks made in blood on a surface such as fabric tend to be enhanced in situ rather than physically recovered using a lifting technique prior to enhancement. This work reports on the use of an alginate material to recover the impressed footwear marks made in blood and deposited on a range of fabric types and colours. The lifted marks were then enhanced using acid black 1 and leuco crystal violet with excellent results.

This presents a new method for the lifting and recovery of blood impressions in situ from crime scene followed by subsequent mark enhancement of the lifted impression.

Keywords: Footwear impressions, Blood, Fabric, Amino acid, Alginate

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PII: S1355-0306(10)00073-0

doi:10.1016/j.scijus.2010.06.006

Science & Justice
Volume 50, Issue 4 , Pages 200-204, December 2010

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