EmilyWilliams

CrimeScene#1
EvidenceBeingExamined:GlassbottleandPlasticcup
ForensicScienceBeingUsed:FingerprintAnalysis
SummaryoftheScience:

Thescienceoffingerprintanalysishasbeenhelpinginvestigatorstocorrectlyidentify
murderersforover100years.However,themorespecificmethodofsupergluefumingwasfirst
employedbytheCriminalIdentificationDivisionoftheJapaneseNationalPoliceAgencyin
1978,shortlyafteritwasbroughttotheUnitedStates.SuperGluefumingorCyanoacrylate
fumingisnowcommonlyusedinidentifyingsuspectsallovertheworld.
Supergluefuminghasbeenproventobeaneffectivemethodofdevelopingfingerprints
andthequalityofitsresultshasmadeitaverypopulartoolintheworldofforensicsandcrime
sceneinvestigation.Thefingerprintsofanindividualcanbeidentifiedusingsomethingcalled
Minutia.Minutiaarethesmalldifferencesineverypersonsfingerprintsthatdefinewhotheyare.
Therearethreedifferentkindsoffingerprintsthatarefoundatcrimescenesvisible,impression,
andlatent.Whereitispossibletotakephotographsofvisibleandimpressionprints,touselatent
printsasevidenceandtomakeitpossibleforinvestigatorstofindthesmallminutiathatwill
helpthemidentifytheirsuspectonemustfirstmaketheprintvisible.Thisiswhattheprimary
useofsupergluefumingis.Therearethreedifferentmethodsusedtocollectlatentfingerprints,
supergluefumingistheprimarychemicalmethodbutthereareotherphysicalandinstrumental
techniquesthatarecommonlyusedaswell.Supergluefumingcanonlybeeffectiveonprintson
nonporoussurfacessuchasglassorplastic.
Whenfindingaprintusingsupergluefumingthereareseveralinitialtalksananalyst
needstocomplete.Theprocessneedstobecompletedatalabandsoinvestigatorscollect
controlledevidence(evidencethathadnotbeenchangedsincethetimeofthecrime)toanalyze
atalaterpointintime.Theobjectthatisbeingsearchedforprintsisplacedinanincubatoralong
withsuperglueandacupofwater.Thisproducesfumesthatreactwiththeinvisiblefingerprint
residuesandmoisturefromthewatertoformawhitepolymer(polycyanoacrylate)onthe
fingerprint.Theridgesoftheprintwillthemberecognizabletothenakedeye.
Iftheobjectbeingfingerprintediswhiteplasticorcoloredinawaythatmakesthefumed
printsnotvisibletheprintsmustbedustedbeforetheycanbeanalysed.Aftertheprintsare
dustedtapeisusedtotaketheprintsoffoftheobject,placedontoapieceofpaperandscanned.
Analystscanthenuseacomputerprogramtocomparetheprintsfoundtoprintsofsuspectsorif
nosuspectsareknowntheprintscanberunthroughnationaldatabases.
AnadvancementthathasbeenmadeinthemethodofsuperglueofCyanoacrylate
fumingistheadditionofachemicalthatcausestheprintstoturnfluorescent.Researchisalso
currentlybeingdonetohelpmakesupergluefumingaonestepfasterprocess.Lumicyano,a

chemicalthatcouldhelpscientiststodevelopbetterfluorescentfingerprints,isbeingconsidered
tobeanalternativetotheprocessthatiscurrentlybeingused(Cyanoacrylatefuming).
Conclusion:
AfterconductingcyanoacrylatefumingonaliquorbottlefoundatthesceneofAaron
Leesmurder,itcanbesafelystatedthattheprintsatthesceneallbelongedtoAaronLee
himself.Although,themurderweaponwasfoundtobewipedofprintsandisthusslightly
suspicious.ThelackofprintsonthegunindicatedthatMr.Leewasshotbyaperpetratorwho
clearedthegunofprintsbeforefleeingthescene.
Sources:
http://www.ccs.neu.edu/home/feneric/cyanoacrylate.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyanoacrylate

http://onin.com

http://books.google.com/books?id=DGsOg6Ymt_QC&pg=PA101&lpg=PA101&dq=improveme
nts+on+cyanoacrylate+fuming&source=bl&ots=8fIgC0fBkg&sig=mVumqaZC2sLc7ln8TI2ddz
VqZ6c&hl=en&sa=X&ei=3pc0VK30OOb7igLlq4DoAg&ved=0CFwQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q
=improvements%20on%20cyanoacrylate%20fuming&f=false