| Author | Message | ||
     Ernie Hamm |
Reference the rusty screws: Theoretically, maybe. Realistically, no. | ||
| susan baker |
Can fingerprints be found on rusty wood screws left in parking lot? | ||
| Cathy Renee Arnold |
How long does fingerprints stay on a smooth surface? For instance, on metal or steal? | ||
| jon fonseca |
not to my knowledge but there have been a number of remarkable cases of latent prints being developed by chemicals or laser processes up to 40 years after they were deposited. check out the case of the rumanian church in the USA's archbishop who turned out to be awanted Nazi Identified by a latent print of his thumb left on a Nazi document from WW2 developed in the 1990's by laser - exact details and names escape me though. the good state of preservation probably had a lot to do with the fact that the document had been meticulously preserved for many years and lay untouched in an east german archive for so long | ||
| Jon Fonseca |
This is the million dollar question every expert is sick of answering because there is no answer! It depends on ALL the following factors and maybe even a few others - the surface (porous, non-porous, rough, smooth etc.), the environment (exposure to sun heat, light, humidity), individual biology of the depositer (more oily or more watrey sweat composition, the tendenct to sweat more or less etc) and so on and so on and so on... thta's why it takjes an expert to make observations at the scene to give an expert opinion regarding the possible age of a print to a court. Cheers Jon F | ||
| Webmaster |
Please read the FAQs at this site. | ||
| YW |
Is there any surface where fingerprints remain permantly (barring any "cleaning" interference) If not, how long can fingerprints remain on various surfaces. I heard from a cop that they don't stay reliable in the outside atmosphere |
