Forensic scientists could soon be pulling fingerprints from fired bullet casings. New Scientist reports that despite advances in DNA technology, fingerprint identification remains an important forensic tool with twice as many car thieves being caught by fingerprint identification as by DNA evidence.
Fingerprinting dust clings to organic compounds like amino acids and urea from skin to reveal prints. But any of those residues on a bullet are likely to be burned away when it is fired, typically reaching temperatures above 200 degrees C.
Now John Bond, a scientist with the Northamptonshire Police and fellow at the University of Leicester, has discovered that fired bullet casings can reveal fingerprints. And it is the high temperatures they reach that make it possible
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Forensic scientists could soon be pulling fingerprints from fired bullet casings...more