Episode 217 | Just a Curious Case of Print Persistence

Original Release Date: August 5, 2022

In episode one of our Case Studies: Part 1 mini season, Just Science sat down with Michael Fagert, a certified latent print examiner at the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, to discuss a latent print phenomenon that is not often seen in casework.   

There are very few instances of identifiable fingerprints on cartridge cases recovered from crime scenes as the firing process introduces adverse physical and thermal stressors to fingerprint residues. Several processing methodologies have been investigated for the development of latent prints on spent ammunition, like gun blue solutions, but only a few studies reported success on casework samples. Listen in as Michael discusses his published case report on how an untreated latent print encountered on a cartridge case was subsequently identified to the suspect in the case.