Fingerprint evidence William Heirens

fig.1 rolled print fingerprint card



fig.2 latent print found on object, in case paper

a bloody, smudged print of end , middle joint of finger found on doorjamb of door between bathroom , dressing room in frances brown s apartment. photograph of print taken, no match made on file. after heirens arrested on june 26, prints compared degnan note. when laffey claimed match heirens , prints on degnan note, attempt made match him doorjamb print. unsuccessful, , police declared him cleared of brown murder because print @ crime scene not his. twelve days later, however, declared match heirens s prints 22 points of comparison, above fbi standard.

at heirens s sentencing, laffey testified end joint of bloody print had eight-point comparison heirens s , middle joint six-point comparison. middle joint didn t live laffey s personal standard of 7 or 8 points make positive identification match.

another source of contention brown crime scene fingerprint has appearance of having been rolled, practice of taking person s inked finger , rolling on index card, , not smudged, bloody , unreadable print reported. traditionally, after fingertip covered in ink either suspect s hand being pressed on top of ink pad or ink roller being run across it, finger placed on card on 1 edge. rolled once 1 edge finger s other edge produce large, clear print.

heirens s attorneys did not question veracity of prints, however.