The Boiling Technique:

1. The Boiling Technique: A Method for Obtaining Quality Postmortem Impressions from Deteriorating Friction Ridge Skin Miss Oranee Budaleng ID. 49312371 Faculty of Science Silpakorn University

2. Introduction

3. Introduction These influences include: • Fauna (animals or insects). • Fire (charring). • Water (maceration) • Weather (cold, heat, or humidity)

4. Introduction Figure 1: Water-damaged body with macerated hands

5. Introduction

6. Introduction The Boiling Technique: A Method for Obtaining Quality Postmortem Impressions from Deteriorating Friction Ridge Skin Aaron J. UhleMajor Incident Program Manager Latent Print Support UnitFBI LaboratoryQuantico, Virginia Richard L. LeasLatent Fingerprint ExaminerOak Ridge Associated UniversitiesOak Ridge, Tennessee

7. Introduction • When friction ridge skin is compromised by various • destructive influences, it often breaks down into flaccid • skin with no discernible friction ridge detail.

8. Introduction • The boiling technique is asimple procedure that • uses boiling water to recondition friction ridge skin. • rehydrates the skin, exposing friction ridge detail. • quality impressions, even from the most distressed bodies, can be recovered

9. Introduction • Works best on pliable friction ridge skin in an • advanced of decomposition • This involves the degeneration of the skin, • resulting in the destruction or absence of the • epidermal (outer) layer, exposed dermal (inner) • skin with little or no visible friction ridge detail. • Although the boiling technique has been • used on epidermal skin, it is most effective • in reconditioning the dermal skin

10. Equipment and Materials Equipment and Materials *For information, go to http://www.kinderprint.com. **Transparent ten-print cards can be made by photocopying a standard ten-print card onto a transparency.

11. Equipment and Materials

12. Equipment and Materials Figure 4: Electric hot pots containing boiling water

13. Equipment and Materials

14. Equipment and Materials แบบพิมพ์ลายนิ้วมือ พลม.25 ต.539

15. Procedure Procedure Universal safety precautions must be followed when handling all human remains.

16. Step 1 Fig 1 Putrefied hand

17. Step 1 Removal of contaminants with a sponge and warm, soapy water

18. Step 1

19. Step 2 Fig 4 Electric hot pots containing boiling water

20. Step 2

21. Step 2 Fig 5 Placement of hand into boiling water. The arm of the body is bent back toward the head to allow the examiner to safely perform the boiling technique without assistance.

22. Step 2

23. Step 2

24. Step 2

25. Step 3

26. Step 3

27. Step 3 Figure 7: Adhesive lifter wrapped around and removed from a powdered finger, leaving a recording of the friction ridge impression on the adhesive surface.

28. Step 3 Figure 8: Fingerprint reviewed by the examiner to confirm that a clear and complete impression was recorded that is of suitable quality for comparison

29. Step 3 Figure 9: Adhesive lifter affixed to the correct fingerprint block of a transparent ten-print card

30. Result the South Asian tsunami (December 2004)

31. Result Figure 11:

32. Result Figure 12

33. Result Katrina (August 2005) in the U.S. Gulf Coast region

34. Discussion Discussion • The technique uses boiling water to elicit • thermodynamic and osmotic responses that rehydrate • the skin, raising friction ridge detail and eliminating • body fluids associated with decomposition. • This reconditioning process enhances detail present • on the hands and exposes ridge detail not visible to • the naked eye • Be aware that recordings of dermal prints will appear • different than epidermal prints under a magnifier • (Figure 10).

35. Discussion Discussion Figure 10:

36. Conclusion Friction ridge impressions are instrumental in establishing the identity of deceased individuals

37. Thank you

38. Question ?