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Fingerprint breakthrough in US murder investigation

05/09/2008

Forensic scientists in the UK have made an important breakthrough in a decade-old US murder investigation.

Dr John Bond, from the University of Leicester and Northamptonshire police claims to have found fingerprints on bullet casings fired at a crime scene almost ten years ago.

Two people were killed during a robbery in January 1999 and the case has remained unsolved since.

Detective Christopher King of Kingsland police department in Georgia was brought in to help solve the "cold case" and became aware of the new techniques being developed by Dr Bond and his colleagues.

Dr Bond claims to have made a breakthrough in crime detection which allows scientists to "visualise fingerprints" even after the prints had been removed.

He looked at the way fingerprints can corrode metal surfaces and how a fingerprint deposited on a metal cartridge can be enhanced after it is fired.

Detective King presented the scientists with four shell casings ejected from the suspect's pistol and recovered from the scene.

Of the four shells tested, three showed fingerprint ridges and one of three provided enough details for Detective King to declare that an identification could be made.

Detective King said: "The results are surprising but to say that I am pleased would be an underestimate. I think they could definitely help eliminate suspects. I feel very optimistic. These results are better than I had expected and better than I hoped for.

"Imagine someone in your family being murdered and not being able to bring them to justice. If we can bring closure to their families that would mean a lot to them".

Dr Bond added: "This is the first 'live' case we have looked at where we have found points of identification on the enhanced fingerprint. Even if there are not enough points of identification to identify the offender, it might help to eliminate suspects.

"We are currently taking about one call a day - mainly from the US – interested in our technique and Detective King thought there would literally be thousands of potential cases in the US alone where this technique might help."