A new chemical aid for criminal investigation: dyes and latent prints

2002

Criminalistics is a field in which there are many opportunities for the practical application of chemical reagents and the use of analytical methods that provide answers to enigmas at crime scenes. Common reagents in biochemical and medical test methods can be useful for criminalistics (forensic science). Dyes are one type of reagent that can be used in obtaining crime scene evidence. This work describes a new application of CI Solvent Black 3 dye in the location of latent fingerprints. The results show that CI Solvent Black 3 can be successfully applied in the location and development of recent and non-recent latent fingerprints on porous surfaces.

Accuracy, Reliability, and Safety of Luminol in Bloodstain Investigation

2002

ABSTRACTThe reliability of luminol as a presumptive test reagent was studied in this work. The possibility of obtaining a false negative subsequent to contamination of the test specimen was determined. The behavior of luminol with respect to a contaminant was compared to other reagents used in similar tests. Following an analysis of the test results, other test sensitivity, and safety data, it was concluded that luminol is a more reliable reagent than others due to a higher improbability of producing false positives and false negatives, apart from being safer than other substances. It should, therefore, be considered as a “preferable” or “first choice” reagent for use in presumptive tests.

Just lip prints? No: there could be something else

2004